City Life Starter

Written by Scott Fiddler

The Word

²⁷ And he said, ‘Then I request of you, father, that you send him to my father’s house— ²⁸ for I have five brothers—in order that he may warn them, so that they will not come to this place of torment as well.’ ²⁹ But Abraham *said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ ³⁰ But he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!’ ³¹ But he said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’”

Luke 16:27-31 (NASB)

Commentary

Jesus, who created man, and knows how he thinks better than any psychologist ends this parable with a stunning conclusion, “If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead” (Luke 16:31). Jesus is saying those who do not follow Him typically do not have a proof problem; they have a heart problem. What they want prevents them from seeing what is true.

We’ve seen this same principle at play in the United States in response to the last Presidential election. Many continue to assert the election was stolen from Donald Trump through voter fraud despite that there have now been 63 lawsuits filed to prove that and all have failed, and many of those lawsuits were decided by Trump-appointed federal judges. Yet, many still believe. Why? Because they want to.  It is no coincidence you have only ever heard Republicans assert the election was stolen. It is a belief driven by their heart not their head. Similarly, during the late 1990s, Hillary Clinton and other Democrats believed there was a “vast right-wing conspiracy” against President Bill Clinton. I cite examples on both sides of the political aisle not to make fun but to make a point.

Most people of average intelligence—even people of below average intelligence—have the ability to evaluate evidence. That is why we do not require an IQ test to qualify for jury service. What we do require is a heart test, and that heart test is conducted through a process called voir dire. This is where potential jurors are questioned by the lawyers to determine whether they have biases that will affect their ability to fairly evaluate the evidence. As a trial lawyer, I learned a long time ago that this was the most important part of the trial because if I let the wrong people on the jury, it didn’t matter how much evidence I had, I could not win.

Jesus made the same point in the parable of the soils, where the soil of the heart was the determining factor as to how someone responded to the seed of the gospel (Matt. 13:18-23). Solomon understood the importance of the heart saying, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it” (Proverbs 4:23). If you want to evaluate evidence and think clearly, you need to make sure your heart is right.

Application

So, how do you make sure your heart is right, whether it be for politics, jury service, or hearing the Word of God? You do it by constantly ensuring your desire for God is above your desire for all other things. Jesus said where your treasure is, is where your heart will be (Matt. 6:21).

If the Lord is more important to you than your politics, you are more likely to accept the truth over political propaganda. If the Lord is more important to you than your biases about lawsuits and those who file them, you are more likely to be a good juror and evaluate the evidence at trial fairly. And if the Lord is more important to you than your own desires, you will be more likely to hear His voice clearly. See John 7:17.

Prayer

Lord, create in me a pure heart so I can see clearly the way You see clearly and be known as a person of Truth. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.