From Whom Will You Hear It?

"And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, that you send him to my father’s house --for I have five brothers—in order that he may warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’  But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ But he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!’ But he said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’”  Luke 16:27-31

A man known only as being rich, dressing well and eating sumptuously, found himself in the unenviable position of being in a place of torment after his death.  During his life, it is evident that he did quite well for himself; however, there was a man named Lazarus whose place of torment was at the rich man's gate.  Despite seeing him there begging and covered with sores, the rich man could not be bothered with displaying the slightest grace or mercy toward him.  In the end, their places were reversed.  Lazarus, in death, enjoyed peace and comfort.

The point being made here is not so much about the current situation of either man, but the pleas of the tormented to get the truth and reality of life after death to his relatives.  In short, he begged that a warning, even one from beyond the grave, be sent to them that they might avoid his fate by seeking the righteousness that he failed to embrace.  Unfortunately, the request was refused.  Why?

Beloved, there are scant few of us who have not been exposed to the truth.  What is determinative regarding our afterlife is what we do with the information.  Jesus' "Parable of the Sower" is an excellent example of what can happen when we receive the word of truth and why.  It is demonstrated in the parable that the spreading of the seed (the word of truth) is both ample and wide ranging, allowing everyone access.  The impartation of the information originated with God communicating directly with man, then through His son and now through the written, preached and taught word of the Bible.  It is available to everyone everywhere.  We have every opportunity to embrace it while we yet live.  Abraham refused the rich man's request because if there was/is no willingness to receive and repent based on all the ways righteousness is offered now, offering it yet another way will also fail to convince.  

There is no better evangelist than the living Lord (Heb 1:2).  Let us strive to hear him and encourage others to do so through us.

Pursuing a transformed life,

Lee