“If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.” (Luke 16:31)

Jesus warned us about ignoring God in this life. He told a story of two men who died, a rich man who had no time for God, and Lazarus, a destitute man rich in faith in torment, the rich man pleaded with Abraham for his brothers still on earth. “Send Lazarus,” he begged Abraham. “If someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.” Abraham got to the heart of the problem: “If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.”

it’s important to not that seeing is really never believing, it’s really more of the way in which we interpret what we see in the light of what we actually believe.

Daily Questions

1. What do you believe about the existence of God and the reality of Christ’s resurrection?
2. How do your beliefs affect your day to day choices?

Daily Thoughts

Father, we  pray today for those who don’t yet believe in You. Draw them by the gentle power and love of Your Holy Spirit.

Luke 16: 1931

“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table.”

“The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.'”

“But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.'”

“He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them , so that they will not also come to this place of torment.'”

“Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.'”

“‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.'”

“He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.'”

Bonus Information

The rich man hoped that someone rising from the dead would convince his brothers to repent and avoid torment. Ironically, another man named Lazarus really did rise from the dead, as did Jesus Himself. But many people still rejected Jesus even after witnessing those miracles. Abraham’s warning in Luke 16:31 is prophetic. If we refuse to see that the law and the Prophets point to Jesus, we’ll reject him despite the evidence.