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Are You Listening?

Daily Reflection / Produced by The High Calling
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“But Abraham said, ‘If they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they won’t listen even if someone rises from the dead.’ ”

Luke 16:31

The parable found in Luke 16:19-31 is sometimes called “The Parable of Dives and Lazarus.” A poor man named Lazarus does indeed show up in the story. The rich man is not named. We get Dives from the Latin word meaning “rich man.” So, it would be more accurate to say this is “The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus.”

With lots of controversy these days about Heaven and Hell, it would be tempting to look at this parable as if it were a literal account of the afterlife. To be sure, this parable, along with other teachings of Jesus, helps us understand what comes after we die. Yet, we must remember that Jesus was telling a fictional story, not laying out a systematic theology of Heaven and Hell. What actually happens after death may not be what happens in this parable. (Do we think that all believers, when they die, will be carried by angels to be with Abraham?) Moreover, Jesus' main point here was not to reveal the nature of the afterlife, but rather to focus on something else that is equally important.

So what is Jesus’ point, then, if not to teach us about life after death? Luke 16 has included several teachings having to do with money, including the central truth that we cannot serve both God and money. The parable of the rich man and Lazarus provides a powerful incentive for us to use our money for the sake of others, in particular, in caring for the poor.

Yet, even this is not the main point of Jesus’ parable. As it draws to a close, the focus turns to the issue of paying attention to God’s revelation, including his call to be generous to the needy. The rich man pleads with Abraham to send Lazarus to his father’s home to warn his brothers about what awaits them after death if they are stingy. But Abraham answers, “Moses and the prophets have warned them. Your brothers can read what they wrote” (16:29).

Yet, the rich man knows that his brothers will do as he did in failing to pay attention to the biblical revelation. “If someone is sent to them from the dead," he reasons, “then they will repent of their sins and turn to God” (16:30). Abraham’s response is not encouraging, “If they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they won’t listen even if someone rises from the dead” (16:31). So, the main point of Jesus’ parable is a prediction of how people will not listen to him and his message even after the resurrection.

As I read this parable, I am encouraged to consider my own generosity to the poor, or lack thereof. But, even more, I am challenged to think about whether I am listening to God. Do I hear when he speaks through Moses and the prophets? Do I listen when he speaks in the Psalms or the writings of Paul? Most of all, do I listen to the One who came back from the dead?

QUESTIONS FOR FURTHER REFLECTION: Do you listen to God? Really? How do you listen to God? Are there things God is saying to you that you refuse to hear? What helps you to listen to God with an open heart and a receptive mind?

PRAYER: Dear Lord, indeed, you have spoken to me clearly through Scripture. You have shown me how to think and how to live. To be sure, you have allowed for plenty of freedom in the application of your directives. But your priorities for me are clear. Your guidance is generous.

The question is: Will I listen to you? Will I really listen? Will I listen when what you say is uncomfortable to me? Will I listen when you call me to sacrifice? Or will I be like the Rich Man and his brothers?

By your grace, may I listen to you faithfully, receptively, and obediently. Give me ears to hear all that you want to say to me. Amen.

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