Luke 16:19-31
The Rich Man and Lazarus
19 “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20 At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
22 “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24 So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’
25 “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’
27 “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, 28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’
29 “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’
30 “‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’
31 “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”
Deuteronomy 4:29-31
Seek God with Your Heart
29 But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul. 30 When you are in distress and all these things have happened to you, then in later days you will return to the LORD your God and obey him. 31 For the LORD your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with your ancestors, which he confirmed to them by oath.
The rich man found out his riches, in a way, did not help him seek God...He had other things to do...He was busy...But after seeing the difference between where Abraham and Lazarus was and where he was- he now knew that he should have been seeking God, while he was on earth...But, it seems, the rich man had waited to long to seek God...He was on the wrong side of the great chasm...
But God's Word is for us...All of us...Reading the Bible and following the gospel of His Son, He tries to convince our heart, the there is God and we should seek Him with our heart, our soul, and our minds...If the Word of God cannot convince us, then neither can Jesus' resurrection...One's heart and one's mind and one's soul are what helps us to seek God, and help convince us of the evidences of God...God's Word penetrates the heart of the believer, and those who listen to Him have an open heart...The rich man begged that Lazarus be sent back to earth so that he could tell his five brothers about the hell, he was in...But Abraham said that they have Moses and the Prophets and let them listen to them...But the rich man said to Abraham, "but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent."...Abraham said this to the rich man, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead."...