如果...会怎样？当我思想到那个富人求亚伯拉罕打发拉撒路去劝诫他的兄弟时，脑海不免就冒出这个问题——如果有人从死人中复活，人们会在意吗？
如果像特蕾莎修女这样的人复活了，透过电视和网络告诉无数的观众死后是有生命的，这会影响我们在地上如何对待穷人，好使我们有一天为此交账吗？这会使人们顺服神并改变他们的生活方式吗？
看起来耶稣比喻中的这个富人认为答案是肯定的。所以他求亚伯拉罕差人回到世上郑重地警戒他们。然而耶稣纠正说：如果人们立意拒绝听神的话，即使有死人复活告诉他们，他们也不会信服。
耶稣知道人们内心的顽梗。如今我们不仅有“摩西和先知们” ，还有新约圣经明确指出耶稣自己从死里复活，使我们与祂同得永生。但不是每个人都相信他们需要一位救主。只有神的灵在我们心里工作，才能使我们信服。因此基督呼召我们靠神的话而活，与他人分享神的话，并祈求神的灵也将真理启示给他们 (参约 16:7-15)。
主啊，感谢祢的话语和在耶稣里的救恩。靠着祢的灵，求祢帮助我们随时随地分享祢的爱和真理。奉耶稣名求，阿们。
路加福音 16:22-31
22后来那讨饭的死了，被天使带去放在亚伯拉罕的怀里。财主也死了，并且埋葬了。
23他在阴间受痛苦，举目远远地望见亚伯拉罕，又望见拉撒路在他怀里，
24就喊着说：‘我祖亚伯拉罕哪，可怜我吧！打发拉撒路来，用指头尖蘸点水，凉凉我的舌头；因为我在这火焰里，极其痛苦。’
25亚伯拉罕说：‘儿啊，你该回想你生前享过福，拉撒路也受过苦；如今他在这里得安慰，你倒受痛苦。
26不但这样，并且在你我之间，有深渊限定，以致人要从这边过到你们那边是不能的；要从那边过到我们这边也是不能的。’
27财主说：‘我祖啊！既是这样，求你打发拉撒路到我父家去；
28因为我还有五个弟兄，他可以对他们作见证，免得他们也来到这痛苦的地方。’
29亚伯拉罕说：‘他们有摩西和先知的话可以听从。’
30他说：‘我祖亚伯拉罕哪，不是的，若有一个从死里复活的，到他们那里去的，他们必要悔改。’
31亚伯拉罕说：‘若不听从摩西和先知的话，就是有一个从死里复活的，他们也是不听劝。’”
"'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.'" — Luke 16:31
What if . . . ? This question came to mind while I was thinking about the rich man's plea to send Lazarus to warn his brothers. What if someone came back from the dead— would people pay attention?
What if someone like Mother Teresa came back from the dead to tell millions of viewers on TV and the Internet that there is life after death, that it matters how we treat the poor here on earth, and that someday we'll have to give account of what we did for them? Would that lead people to obey God and make changes in their lives?
The rich man in Jesus' parable seemed to think so. He asked Abraham to send someone back to earth to warn his brothers. In the response from Abraham, however, Jesus set the record straight: if people refuse to listen to God's Word, they won't be convinced of its truth even if someone returned from the dead to tell them.
Jesus knew the stubbornness of people's hearts. Today we have not only "Moses and the Prophets" but also the New Testament, which makes clear that Jesus himself rose from the dead so that we can have eternal life with him. But not everyone believes they need a Savior. It takes the Spirit of God, working in our hearts, to convince us. So Christ calls us to live by God's Word, share it with others, and ask God's Spirit to reveal the truth to them also (see John 16:7-15).
Lord, thank you for your Word and for salvation in Jesus. By your Spirit, help us to share your love and truth everywhere. Amen.
诵读: 楚云
片头: 张妙阳
