Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Luke 16:31 If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.
THE SHOCKING STATEMENT
Pastor Bonhoeffer would reportedly often begin his sermons with a sentence that he knew his audience would find shocking. This is something he learned from the great master teacher Jesus. Since most of us are familiar with his parables from childhood, it is often easy to miss. But if you take the time to think about those parables you will often find a part or a sentence that defies belief. No bridegroom would ever lock the doors on the wedding party just because they are a little late. No king would ever invite back alley drunks to his son's wedding. There are many more examples. Jesus often used these shock points to really drive home the message of his parables.
This parable is no exception. It's true it would have been shocking to the Jews that the rich man went to hell -- and Jesus meant it to be. But that shock is nothing compared to what we find at the end of the parable. If they will not listen to a book they will not listen even if one comes back from the dead! Every Lutheran confirmation student should be able to say it from heart "the power is in the word." But how often do we act like we really believe it? What is it that will cause people to listen? Degrees, miracles, rational explanations, scientific proof, if God would just write it in the skies -- surely we need one of these methods to really convince people.
This parable isn't about a rich man and a poor man. This parable is about the power of money versus the power of God's word. Even as Luke told us in the prologue, "For what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God" (Luke 16:15).
And what a wonderful lesson that is, when it comes to sharing the gift of forgiveness and life. We don't need to be "successful people". We don't need money or intelligence or knowledge. We don't even need miracles. What we need is what we have -- the simple Gospel message, "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief" (1 Timothy 1:15).
