God of the living

God of the living

Scripture Lessons

Exodus 3:1-15

Psalm 148:1-14

2 Thessalonians 2:1-8,13-17

Luke 20:27-40

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Some background will be helpful in understanding the gospel lesson. The Sadducees were the theological liberals of their day. They did not accept the prophetic writings in their entirety. They received the Pentateuch, that is the first five books (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy). They did not accept the oral law that was received and promoted by the Pharisees. In fact, there was a rift between the Pharisees and the Sadducees. The Sadducees also did not believe in the resurrection, nor did they believe in the existence of angels. As I said, they were liberals, they denied parts of Scripture, they kept the parts they wanted, interpreted them the way they wanted and they chucked the rest. They were generally from wealthy and influential families and were devoted to the temple sacrificial system, but rejected the oral laws and were at odds with the Pharisees. They tended to be more Hellenistic, that is to say that they accepted Greek culture (or Roman culture) more readily than the Pharisees and the Jewish people generally.

To complete the package, being consistent with theological liberals of our day, they smugly and pompously attempted to discredit Jesus, to stump Him with a question. They thought they had it all figured out. “Let’s see this rube, Jesus, stammer and fail to answer this question which we intellectuals understand so clearly.” I say all of this because their question is hyperbole, it’s an exaggeration. They would have upheld Levirate marriage since it was given in the Pentateuch (Deuteronomy 25:5). The purpose of Levirate marriage dealt with God’s promise to the people of Israel, which required that they be fruitful and multiply, and fill the land and subdue it. If a man died without an heir, then the law required the man’s nearest kinsmen to redeem his family line by joining with the widow to raise up an heir. As an aside, the child of such a Levirate marriage was legally considered to be the child of the deceased husband. So, if you want to stay stuck in this world, then the woman would be the husband of the first man. But they seem to ignore this and speculate about multiple husbands as though this would forfeit the reality of the resurrection.

Interestingly, this is the only place in Luke’s gospel where the Sadducees are addressed. Why now? What is the purpose that Luke has for introducing the Sadducees at this point? He could have easily omitted this account. But he included it…why? I think the answer will become evident as we continue.

The Sadducees present an absurd question, which they arrogantly think will stump Jesus. It’s probably part of their repertoire when they debate the resurrection with the Pharisees. It hasn’t been defeated yet in those dialogues. So, they present this absurd question about seven brothers all attempting to take up the line of the first brother and, “if the resurrection is real, then which man will be the woman’s husband (which man will have her as his wife)?” Listen to the answer of Jesus and notice how He tailored His answer to the Sadducees.

“The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage, ³⁵ but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage, ³⁶ for they cannot die anymore, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection. [Notice that Jesus upholds the resurrection and refers to angels which the Sadducees denied] ³⁷ But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed, in the passage about the bush, where he calls the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. ³⁸ Now he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for all live to him.” [Notice that Jesus refers them to the Scripture that they do accept (the Pentateuch including Exodus) and reveals that their ignorance extends not only to the Scripture they reject, but also to the Scripture they accept!

Now to return to the question I posed earlier, that is: why does Luke record this one account of the Sadducees? The end of our pericope provides insight. “³⁹ Then some of the scribes answered, ‘Teacher, you have spoken well.’ ⁴⁰ For they no longer dared to ask him any question.” The focus of Luke’s gospel in the context surrounding this passage deals with the relationship between Jesus and the Scribes and Pharisees. But notice that this interaction with the Sadducees reveals to the Scribes and Pharisees that Jesus has true wisdom. He had spoken well. And indeed, following this response, nobody would dare to ask Jesus any more questions. At this point, the only answer is to believe in Him whom God had sent (as did some members of the Sanhedrin like Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus) or, in disbelief, to see to it that He be put to death, as they ultimately did.

“He is not God of the dead, but of the living, for all live to him.” What a blessing to hear these words again. This was after all, the focus of All Saints’ Day. All who have departed this life in Christ have entered eternal life. You my fellow saints are heirs of eternal life. You have the promise of the resurrection. No matter what life hurls in your path, whatever obstacles you encounter, you have eternal life in Christ Jesus, for He is God of the living.

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.