Don't Be Sad You See | June 1, 2016

June 1, 2016

Raise your hand if you have ever heard the phrase, “there is no such thing as a stupid question”. Well, I think Jesus might have insinuated to the Sadducees in today’s gospel that there is such a thing. Have you ever had a conversation with a 4 year old? If so, then you are familiar with going round and round, question after question, never ending “why’s?” and persistence in presenting scenario after scenario of various combinations of things to stump the grown up. Today’s gospel resembles such an exchange. The Sadducees were getting nit picky again with the law and they presented Jesus with an extremely convoluted situation to trip him up. My Bible Study teacher has a great anecdote to describe the Sadducees that can help us remember the distinction between them and other religious leaders such as the Pharisees: “Sadducees don’t believe in the resurrection, that’s why they are sad you see.” (Kevin Saunders) The questions revolve around the laws about the remarrying of widows. The law states that if a man dies, then his next brother is to marry the man’s widow with the purpose of raising their descendants. The Sadducees create this soap opera about a women who’s first husband dies before they have children, so his next brother marries her to give his dead brother descendants, but he dies too, then all 6 of the first man’s brothers marry his widow after each one of them dies, however, no children come from any. The only thing that gives a woman any value in ancient Middle East is having offspring so this is a very shameful story. The question that the Sadducees posed was, “At the resurrection when they arise whose wife will she be? For all seven had been married to her.” Raise your hand if you have ever squabbled with someone over a silly hypothetical situation.

Of course, the Sadducees missed the point and Jesus told them so, “Are you not misled because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God? When they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but they are like the angels in heaven. As for the dead being raised, have you not read in the Book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God told him, I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? He is not God of the dead but of the living. You are greatly misled.” The main character in the Sadducees’ story was the death of each and every husband, and the main character in Jesus’ story is the resurrection of communion of saints through the power of God. Personally, I prefer Jesus’ main character, don’t you? A lot of times we try to see heaven through the eyes of this life and that is when we put God into a finite proverbial box. Jesus wants the Sadducees to see past the law and find the deeper substance, which is, of course, that widows and orphans need to be cared for, not to whom will a widow be married after death.

I have had many an encounter with adults that observe teenagers in mass, what they wear, how they act, when they talk, when they disrupt, etc. They too miss the point when they proclaim that these teens do not “deserve” to be in church or when they are “misled” into thinking that these teens somehow love God less than they do because of the length of their skirt or their un-ironed pants. God is so much bigger than these little tiny issues and at the heart of the matter; Jesus ALWAYS calls us to serve one another with mercy, peace, grace, and humility. When we acknowledge that God is a God of the living and not the dead, we might just begin to live for eternity rather than die for this world. It gives us something to think about every time we find ourselves caught up in pettiness and when we lose sight of the meaning behind it all. Lord, help us to see the heart of the matter and to let go of those things that can cloud our understanding. Don't be a "Sad You See." 

Memorial of Saint Justin, Martyr
Lectionary: 355

Reading 1 2 TM 1:1-3, 6-12

Paul, an Apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God
for the promise of life in Christ Jesus,
to Timothy, my dear child:
grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father
and Christ Jesus our Lord.

I am grateful to God,
whom I worship with a clear conscience as my ancestors did,
as I remember you constantly in my prayers, night and day.

For this reason, I remind you to stir into flame
the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands. 
For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice
but rather of power and love and self-control.
So do not be ashamed of your testimony to our Lord,
nor of me, a prisoner for his sake;
but bear your share of hardship for the Gospel
with the strength that comes from God.

He saved us and called us to a holy life,
not according to our works
but according to his own design
and the grace bestowed on us in Christ Jesus before time began,
but now made manifest
through the appearance of our savior Christ Jesus,
who destroyed death and brought life and immortality
to light through the Gospel,
for which I was appointed preacher and Apostle and teacher.
On this account I am suffering these things;
but I am not ashamed,
for I know him in whom I have believed
and am confident that he is able to guard
what has been entrusted to me until that day.

Responsorial Psalm PS 123:1B-2AB, 2CDEF

R. (1b) To you, O Lord, I lift up my eyes.
To you I lift up my eyes
who are enthroned in heaven.
Behold, as the eyes of servants
are on the hands of their masters.
R. To you, O Lord, I lift up my eyes.
As the eyes of a maid
are on the hands of her mistress,
So are our eyes on the LORD, our God,
till he have pity on us. 
R. To you, O Lord, I lift up my eyes.

Alleluia JN 11:25A, 26

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the resurrection and the life, says the Lord;
whoever believes in me will never die.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MK 12:18-27

Some Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection,
came to Jesus and put this question to him, saying,
“Teacher, Moses wrote for us,
If someone’s brother dies, leaving a wife but no child,
his brother must take the wife
and raise up descendants for his brother.
Now there were seven brothers.
The first married a woman and died, leaving no descendants.
So the second brother married her and died, leaving no descendants,
and the third likewise.
And the seven left no descendants.
Last of all the woman also died.
At the resurrection when they arise whose wife will she be?
For all seven had been married to her.”
Jesus said to them, “Are you not misled
because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God?
When they rise from the dead,
they neither marry nor are given in marriage,
but they are like the angels in heaven.
As for the dead being raised,
have you not read in the Book of Moses,
in the passage about the bush, how God told him,
I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, 
and the God of Jacob?
He is not God of the dead but of the living.
You are greatly misled.”