First Reading: 1Mc 6:1-13; Psalm: 9. R. v. 16a; Gospel: Lk 20:27-40

JESUS VS THE SADDUCEES

BY FR VALENTINE NNAMDI EGBUONU, MSP

The question that the Sadducees put to Jesus on who would be the rightful husband to this widow in heaven since she got married to seven brothers and had no child for any of them was an attempt to make a caricature of the resurrection. This was because the Sadducees do not believe that the dead would rise again. And they considered foolish those who believed in the resurrection of the dead. There is no better way to puncture the argument of an opponent than to use what they believe to do so.

Since the Sadducees regarded the written Torah as the sole source of Divine authority, Jesus then was compelled to quote from it to debunk their argument and to prove to them that the dead do not go into extinction. Jesus reminded them that if God regarded himself as “the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob” (Ex 3:6) when these men were long-dead before God said this, then it means that these men did not go into extinction after death. For our God is of the living and not of the dead. These men then are alive and with God.

This reply of Jesus deflated the argument of the Sadducees. There are two lessons here. When we hold the knowledge of something as true, we shouldn’t suppose that counter opinions are wrong thereby disregarding them. We do not have the whole truth; God does. So we should be humble. Secondly, having been reassured by Jesus that our departure from this life means the birth into another kind of life that never ends, we should be wise therefore to living a good life so as so to share in the life of heaven together with our fathers in faith. Can God be proud to say, “I am the God of . . .? Check to see if your name could fill in that gap?

PRAYER FOR THE DAY

Lord Jesus, teach us humility and help us to seek holiness of life that we may be saved. Amen.