Thoughts for the Day

Some Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus and asked him a question, saying, 'Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies leaving a wife but no child, the man shall marry the widow and raise up children for his brother. There were seven brothers: the first married and, when he died, left no children, and the second married and died, leaving no children, and the third likewise; none of the seven left children. Last of all the woman herself died. In the resurrection whose wife will she be? For the seven had married her.'

Jesus said to them, 'Is not this the reason you are wrong, that you know neither the scriptures nor the power of God? For when they rise from the dead they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. And as for the dead being raised, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the story about the bush, how God said to him, "I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob"? He is God not of the dead, but of the living.'

(New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

There are many silly questions traditionally asked about our faith, one classically daft one is "How many angels can dance on the head of a pin!" What does it mean? It's just a daft question!

The Sadducees were an influential group of Jews, many of whom were wealthy and sophisticated, and they often co-operated with the Romans, ensuring they kept their privileged positions. They were the 'high priestly party' and they thought the notion of spirits or angels was ridiculous, and their question is designed to make Jesus look absurd.

However, he argues for the existence of the resurrection of the dead from scripture, by pointing out that God uses the present tense when he says "I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob". If they did not still live, then he would have said "I was the God".

God is the God of the the whole universe, those who live on earth and those who have left us to be with Him.

Heavenly Father,
we know in our hearts
that you are the God of
the whole universe,
but help us to remember
that you are with us on earth
and beyond,
and that you care for us
now and in the future.
Amen.