Gospel: Mk 12:18-27
The Sadducees also came to Jesus. Since they claim that there is no resurrection, they questioned him in this way, “Master, in the Scriptures, Moses gave us this law: If anyone dies and leaves a wife but no children, his brother must take the woman, and, with her, have a baby, who will be considered the child of his deceased brother. Now, there were seven brothers. The first married a wife, but he died without leaving any children. The second took the wife, and he also died, leaving no children. The same thing happened to the third. In fact, all seven brothers died, leaving no children. Last of all, the woman died. Now, in the resurrection, to which of them will she be wife? For all seven brothers had her as wife.” Jesus replied, “Is this not the reason you are mistaken, that you do not understand the Scriptures or the power of God? When they rise from the dead, men and women do not marry, but are like the angels in heaven. Now, about the resurrection of the dead, have you never had thoughts about the burning bush in the book of Moses? God said to Moses: I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. He is the God, not of the dead, but of the living. You are totally wrong.”Reflections
When they rise from the dead, men and women do not marry, but are like the angels in heaven The Sadducees present to Jesus a hypothetical situation of a woman who is widowed seven times by seven brothers. They were not really interested in finding out whose wife she would be in the afterlife; they were intent in debunking Jesus’ teaching about the resurrection. The Sadducees, the priests of Israel during Jesus’ time, ironically, did not believe in spirits and the resurrection. For them, our lives ended with our death. How puny our minds are. God’s plans for us transcend our thinking and imaginings. God will not allow death to have the last word. God desires eternal communion with us.© Copyright Bible Diary 2018