The God of the Living

 Mk 12:18-27

Marriage at the Resurrection

¹⁸ Then the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question. ¹⁹ “Teacher,” they said, “Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother. ²⁰ Now there were seven brothers. The first one married and died without leaving any children. ²¹ The second one married the widow, but he also died, leaving no child. It was the same with the third. ²² In fact, none of the seven left any children. Last of all, the woman died too. ²³ At the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?”

²⁴ Jesus replied, “Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God? ²⁵ When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. ²⁶ Now about the dead rising—have you not read in the Book of Moses, in the account of the burning bush, how God said to him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’?  ²⁷ He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken!”

This argument leads to the consoling statement that God is the God of the Living. The Sadducees were trying to trick Jesus but Jesus skirted their reasoning and assures us of his abiding presence. If we believe and live our faith we will rise with him and enjoy everlasting happiness. Today's world has lost sight of this and encourages the pursuit of wealth or power as the key to happiness. Ours, rather, is to pursue a life of Faith and a relationship with the God of the Living.  Anything else is a waste of time. 

Bro. Rene

Dear God of the Living, help me to find life by loving you and following your teachings. Amen.