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But They Will Repent If...
No, they will not. They choose not to.
The rich man in Luke 16:19-31 is in torment. He has entered the place of waiting to be cast into hell where he is being separated from the goodness and joy of God. He describes being in a flame where he yearns only to have a single drop of water as an act of mercy. The tone of the rich man is one asking for help but knowing that he is receiving the due reward for who he was in life. Abraham, on the paradise side of the great chasm between them, reminds him of this fact. The rich man, in verses 27-28, then makes another request, “Then I beg you, father, to send [Lazarus] to my father’s house, for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, let they also come into this place for torment.” His logic is shown in verse 30, “if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.”
It does sound like that would be something which would convince a non-believer, doesn’t it? If someone we know to have been dead comes back to tell us to change our ways, then we will have the motivation to do so. It worked for Ebenezer Scrooge! Stories with such human logic like Dickens’ ignore the simple fact that humans have difficulty in changing their ways the longer they have been in them. This rich man likely was raised in a why which did not revere God nor follow Godly principles. Hince all his brothers are the same as him. He lived his life where he was his own god; doing what he wanted to do and when he wanted to do it. He did not let things stand in his way such as the Holy Scriptures. They are just words on a page, or guidelines anyway. God will have mercy, right?
Perhaps I am reading too much into the biblical character, but notice how easy it is for so many of us can relate to the rich man? The real question that we should ask ourselves is one also answered in the parable: if such a dramatic event happened, would I believe?
Faith is something we must have. Faith happens when belief and hope are married together to form something stronger. That hope we have is based on the evidence we have to base that hope from. That faith manifests in our works (James 2:17) in this life and is evidence thereof. One of those works is belief in scripture.
Abraham tells the rich man that his brothers “have Moses and the Prophets,” and they should, “hear them.” He further clarifies that, “If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.”
The truth in his words is that people will believe what they want to believe. It is a choice to believe the words written for our understanding and belief (John 20:31). The most ironic part is that, in the words of Moses and the prophets, we have people who came back from the dead! In I Kings 17:17-24, Elijah brought a boy back from the dead. In II Kings 4:18-37, Elisha raised the Shunammite woman’s son. In I Samuel 28:7-20, while not resurrected per-se, Samuel is called back from the dead as a spirit (to Samuel’s great annoyance) to speak to Saul. It is the rich man’s ignorance of the scriptures which is his undoing. Ignorance, though, when having access to the truth, is the fault of only one individual: the one who is in ignorance.
One man spoke to Peter remarkably simple words which are meant for all of us, “Follow me.” (John 21:19) That man walked this earth, passed into death, then came back from the dead. His name was Jesus. Many dispute if this happened despite the overwhelming evidence. Why? Because they do not want to. They do not want to submit their lives to Jesus, but want to make what they wish to do, the self, their god. Following Him is our choice in life. Believing him is also our choice in life. The truth of who He is cannot be mistaken when you take the time to be receptive to that truth.
Lance Byers
8/17/2024
- But_They_Will_Repent_If_8-17-24.pdf (55.01 kB)
