Luke 16:27-31
Belief in the Resurrection
27"He answered, 'Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house, 28for 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.' "
Jesus talks about the Lazarus and the rich man rising from the dead...Here, Jesus also teaches us about our beliefs...He also, in a sense teaches us about how difficult it is for man to change his mind...
The rich man and Lazarus have died...Lazarus is in heaven with Abraham...The rich man tells Abraham, if Lazarus or someone who has died can tell his brothers about the place the rich man is (in hades), they will listen and they will be able to avoid this place (hades)...
Jesus tells them they have the Old Testament and the Books of the Prophets...If they don't believe and listen to the word(s) in the Bible, they will not be convinced of someone coming back from the dead and telling them...
Our priorities certainly can get mixed up on earth and our beliefs can suffer...If we cannot be convinced (that God exists and Jesus is His Son) by the scripture, we cannot be convinced by one coming back from death or near death and telling us about it...We probably just keep doing what we are doing...