.png){kind=small}
The freedom that we humans possess is a strange thing. We can look in the eyes of poverty and injustice, falsehood and absolute evil our entire lives, and we can choose to ignore it. We can even read the Scriptures, worship our God in His house and still be entirely blind to His will. For some of us, no proof is good enough, period.
To illustrate this truth Jesus tells an interesting story, but in all honesty it is difficult to tell who it is really about. For while it begins with a rich man who ignored the suffering of his neighbor, a man who quite literally slept at his gate, the focal point quickly changes to those who need to be warned that their actions in life have eternal consequences. The rich man is of the opinion that more proof is needed, while Abraham knows that they have all the proof they will ever need.
“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
There comes a point where we have to step back and realize that as much as we want those we love to know the truth about Jesus and His Church, it is up to them in the end. They will have to choose. And no amount of study, living witness or perfect conditions such as was found in the Garden of Eden can replace that decision.
Jesus has risen from the dead, and He has left a host of witnesses throughout the ages to verify that fact with their lives. May all choose to believe.