Neither will they be convinced ...

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And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father's house—for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’”

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Yesterday I shared a bit about the apathy and indifference of this wealthy man towards a hurting man named Lazarus. In these last few sentences of the parable the man reveals that he has five brothers that he loves - interesting that no mention is made of their families. The story reminds me so much of the tale of Ebeneezer Scrooge and how poorly he treated everyone in his life. In the end, Scrooge was given a gift of repentance but this rich man died unrepentant.

What Jesus told this man is such a hard message. I think that we all feel like we are special and should receive some sort of miraculous invitation to follow Jesus. To that sentiment Jesus shows us in the gospels his nail pierced hands and wounded side. He invites us to say yes to the Holy Spirit's call to humbly follow him. We all want to believe that our friends will repent if they witness a miracle. Yet Christ here tells us that information is not the problem.

Help us to fully accept the gospel Lord. It is enough that you came, lived, died and rose from death.

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