The risen Jesus and Mary Magdalene at the tomb Jesus’ parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man in Luke 16 concludes with a provocative and fascinating quote. To the rich man’s request from hell to send Lazarus to warn his brothers, Abraham responds: “If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead” (v 31). From our perspective after the fact, it’s hard not to conclude that this story has some relevance for understanding how people respond to the Resurrection of Jesus. Could it really be true – as the parable seems to imply – that the fact of the Resurrection alone isn’t enough to convince people? What more could be needed?
It is the special role of the Apostles to be privileged witnesses of the fact of the Resurrection. They saw the Risen Jesus, heard Him, touched Him, ate and drank with Him, verified that the tomb was indeed empty and His dead body nowhere to be found. But the question hinted at in the quote above remains: So what?
The answer to that question requires a different kind of witness, one whose life radiates the impact of the Resurrection. It’s the fact and the impact together that can convince even a calloused human heart that Jesus is risen. St. Paul describes the impact in this way: “Christ was raised from the dead so that we may walk in newness of life” (Rom 6:4). It’s when people run into a different human reality, a new humanity close at hand, here and now, that their curiosity is peaked and the first inklings of faith are ignited. That is the role of every authentic Christian: to bear witness to an indestructible and unassailable hope founded on the victory of Jesus over every manifestation of evil, darkness and death.
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