Resurrection

Today’s Gospel Text:  There came to him some Sadducees, those who say that there is no resurrection, 28 and they asked him a question, saying, "Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies, having a wife but no children, the man must take the wife and raise up children for his brother. 29 Now there were seven brothers; the first took a wife, and died without children; 30 and the second 31 and the third took her, and likewise all seven left no children and died. 32 Afterward the woman also died. 33 In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had her as wife."

34 And Jesus said to them, "The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage; 35 but those who are accounted worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage, 36 for they cannot die any more, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection. 37 But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed, in the passage about the bush, where he calls the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. 38 Now he is not God of the dead, but of the living; for all live to him." 39 And some of the scribes answered, "Teacher, you have spoken well." 40 For they no longer dared to ask him any question. Luke 20:27-40

Reflection: How can those who believe in God think of life without often reflecting on the resurrection?

The very foundation of our faith is based on the resurrection; Christ Jesus our founder has gone ahead of us by dying, then rising from the dead on the third day in accordance with the scriptures.

We could think of people coming back to life within the first 5 to 7 minutes of their death or even a little more but to rise from the dead on the third day is a profound miracle and a powerful message for us to reflect on.

Christ’ resurrection is a fact of history, recorded in the annals of history (Flavius Josephus: Antiquities of the Jews, Book 18, Chapter 3, 3 ) and proved by the empty tomb, whose stone was found moved on the morning of the resurrection and is found mentioned in all the four gospel and the other writings of the New Testament. 

It was preached by the Apostles as eyewitnesses to his appearances, even under grave threat to their lives and subsequently had to face it for their testimony along with other witnesses of that time.

When one believes in the resurrection, they would also accept the fact of life eternal and what Jesus has to reveal to us about this life: “God himself will be with them; he will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away." Rev 21:3-4

Thus Jesus in the gospel text reveals to us an important aspect of the resurrection; “those who are accounted worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage, for they cannot die anymore, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection. (vss. 35-36)

Now concerning the fruit of resurrection, this is what St. Paul has to teach us: "What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him," 1 Cor 2:9

Prayer: Lord, let my actions never betray my belief in the sure resurrection of the just which you have accomplished for us by your death and Resurrection.

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