Scripture Reflections

The rich man 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.’” (Luke 16:30-31)

Jesus’ parable about the rich man and Lazarus includes an intriguing interchange at the end. While the main point of the parable is about our use of wealth, he ends it on a different note: if a person does not believe the word of God, a miraculous sign won’t convince them of anything.

Even though this seems unrelated to the parable (it actually isn’t, because “Moses and the Prophets” had a lot to say about caring for the poor!), it isn’t surprising that Jesus would say this. After all, he was asked for signs multiple times (see Mt. 12:38 or Lk. 23:8), and Paul claims that the desire for a sign from God was a distinct part of the Jewish culture (I Cor. 1:22). This desire for miraculous signs was rooted in the fact that God gave Moses specific signs to prove that he was sent by God (Ex. 4), as well as the prophets’ declarations that the Messiah would also perform signs. Jesus’ point, though, is clear. Unless you already trust the word of God, a sign won’t cause faith. Like Pharoah, seeing a sign with a heart of distrust does not bring a person closer to God. A skeptic, in other words, will likely not be convinced by a miracle.

What does this have to do with us?

While God’s power is always on display in the natural world (Ps. 19:1-6; Rom. 1:20) and while he at times displays his power in supernatural ways, at the end of the day, God’s desire is that we would trust his word. Reading between the lines in this parable, we are forced to come to the stunning realization that he cares more that we trust his word than he does about our material comfort and health! It isn’t that those things don’t matter to him—they absolutely do, which is why we are told to pray for daily bread and healing—but the most important thing in life is that we trust him.

And that is the point. “Trusting his word” is another way of saying “trusting him,” and God’s overriding desire is that we would trust him, because only in him will we find life. This matters more than material comfort, it matters more than displays of power, it matters more than having our prayers answered in the ways we desire. God is the source of life, and his desire is that we trust him.

Steven+