Study Questions

“Look Both Ways”

Pastor Doug Thuen

August 2, 2026

Luke 16:19-31

Study Questions:

1.    What is the belief of your family and friends when it comes to the topic of eternity? Life after death? Heaven and hell? Why do you think most people struggle with the concept of a literal hell?

2.    Read Luke 16:19-26. What do you think was the initial reaction of the Sadducees when Jesus started telling this parable? What do you think they thought when Jesus finished the story?

3.    Why do you think the “rich man” never seemed to notice Lazarus? How can “money” make us less sensitive to the needs of others? How is this a warning for the local church within your community? 

4.    Is Jesus teaching justification by works in this parable? If not, what is He teaching? Hint: Read Luke 16:27-31.

5.    According to this parable, what is the difference between hades and heaven? Does Jesus convey hell (hades) as a temporal or eternal place of suffering? Is it literal or figurative in this account?

6.    What does the rich man’s concern for his family tell you about what he believed before he died compared to after? 

7.    If the rich man’s brothers would not listen to even someone rising from the dead, what hope does Jesus give you and me that anyone would listen to the truth of eternal life? See: verse 31.

8.    What does this parable teach you about how to live by faith?  How will this parable affect the way you think of and treat others?

9.    This story goes beyond just a story about wealth. What are the differences the story is trying to tell us between the rich man and Lazarus? How does/will this impact your walk with Jesus this week?