Scripture
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.”
Observation
Jesus tells the story of a rich man and a poor beggar called Lazarus who sits outside his gates every day. They both die and the rich man goes to hell while Lazarus goes to heaven.
The rich man does not like hell, and he asks Abraham to send Lazarus to cool his tongue with cold water. Abraham says that this is not possible as a great chasm separates them.
The rich man then asks Abraham to send Lazarus to warn his brothers about the torment. But Abraham says they have the scriptures to warn them and if they refuse to heed them then they will never respond even if a dead man comes back to life.
Application
We need to be careful in deriving theology from Jesus' stories. However we can be sure of the reality of heaven and hell.
The sin of the rich man lay not so much in his wealth but in his sense of entitlement. Even in hell he felt that he should be served by others, to have the likes of Lazarus at his beck and call.
It is this sort of proud self-centredness that underlies all sin- the refusal to see others as people who are just as valuable as we consider ourselves to be.
Humility is learning to see ourselves as people in equal relationship with others.
Prayer
Father rescue me from my self. Help me to die to me and to live to you. Amen.
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