Mark 12:18-27 | Exodus 3:1-10
They thought they were so clever, designing a gotchya scenario Jesus wouldn’t figure out. Their god in the moment was their equation, a reasoned riddle designed to make Jesus either look stupid, say something stupid, or both.
But he simply and wisely responded at a higher level. Again.
Pay attention to his response because while it does render the Sadducees’ question silly, his point is not to ridicule them. Rather, Jesus gave some significant theological foundation. Yes, marriage is an earthly boundary. Yes, resurrection is real.
But more so, the Kingdom of God is rises above theological propositioning. It is about hope. Life. Possibility. Imagination.
Don’t be mistaken.
Mark 12:18-27
Sadducees, who deny that there is a resurrection, came to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, leaving a widow but no children, the brother must marry the widow and raise up children for his brother. Now there were seven brothers. The first one married a woman; when he died, he left no children. The second married her and died without leaving any children. The third did the same. None of the seven left any children. Finally, the woman died. At the resurrection, when they all rise up, whose wife will she be? All seven were married to her.”
Jesus said to them, “Isn’t this the reason you are wrong, because you don’t know either the scriptures or God’s power? When people rise from the dead, they won’t marry nor will they be given in marriage. Instead, they will be like God’s angels. As for the resurrection from the dead, haven’t you read in the scroll from Moses, in the passage about the burning bush, how God said to Moses, I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? He isn’t the God of the dead but of the living. You are seriously mistaken.”
Exodus 3:1-10
Moses was taking care of the flock for his father-in-law Jethro, Midian’s priest. He led his flock out to the edge of the desert, and he came to God’s mountain called Horeb. The Lord’s messenger appeared to him in a flame of fire in the middle of a bush. Moses saw that the bush was in flames, but it didn’t burn up. Then Moses said to himself, Let me check out this amazing sight and find out why the bush isn’t burning up.
When the Lord saw that he was coming to look, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!”
Moses said, “I’m here.”
Then the Lord said, “Don’t come any closer! Take off your sandals, because you are standing on holy ground.” He continued, “I am the God of your father, Abraham’s God, Isaac’s God, and Jacob’s God.” Moses hid his face because he was afraid to look at God.
Then the Lord said, “I’ve clearly seen my people oppressed in Egypt. I’ve heard their cry of injustice because of their slave masters. I know about their pain. I’ve come down to rescue them from the Egyptians in order to take them out of that land and bring them to a good and broad land, a land that’s full of milk and honey, a place where the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites all live. Now the Israelites’ cries of injustice have reached me. I’ve seen just how much the Egyptians have oppressed them. So get going. I’m sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.”
Prayer
God,
We live in an age of extreme thinking and reasoning. Perhaps this is nothing new for humanity. But it feels pretty extreme in the moment nonetheless.
Lord, there have been times when everything in me just wants to fight, to show the world what is right, or at least…what I think is right.
But honestly, right now, I just don’t want to fight. I don’t care about being right or being wrong. I just want to bathe in your love, which I suppose is indeed what is right. Help me to remember your righteousness is a way of living, not an argument to be won.
So God, help me to rise above the fray. Give me eyesight for your Kingdom, for Jesus’ posture of life, hope, and love.
By your spirit & in Christ,
Amen.