It's why they were sad, you see?

 

We can miss the power of the familiar gospel when Jesus was confronted by the Sadducees, if we’re not completely honest with ourselves.  As usual, the religious leaders were trying to discredit Jesus and His mission.  This time, it wasn’t the usual suspects, the Pharisees.  These were the Sadducees “who deny there is a resurrection.”  Their ploy was to show that the very notion of a resurrection would lead to some very odd results.  The wife whom 7 brothers married, trying to produce offspring for their deceased brother, would find herself in the afterlife with 8 husbands (Luke 20:27-40).

The challenge for me, if I’m honest enough, is that I too often live my daily life not thinking about the afterlife much.  The temptation is to live for today.  The battles, struggles, dreams and rewards can keep me pretty occupied.

I’ve been to lots of funerals.  In the American culture, there is often a wake service the night before a funeral during which family members give testimonials about the one who died.  The language of many of those talks sometimes reveals little evidence in a belief in an afterlife.  At times, a poem is read or lyrics from a song are used on the program, speaking about the consolation we have that our loved one “remains with us in our memories,” or “they survive in the good deeds they have done.”  Only rarely, is there mention of the person being “in a better place.”

Jesus tells us the afterlife will be like a wedding banquet – a great celebration (Matthew 22:1-14).  He said He goes ahead of us to prepare a place for us (John 14:1-6).  Saint Paul encourages us to live in this world with our hearts set on the world to come (Philippians 3:20-21).

I’m not suggesting we don’t live in this life or enjoy it.  I’m just reminded by this gospel not to forget that we await new life, everlasting life.  The victory over sin and death has been won.  This world and its anxieties, struggles, and deaths isn’t all there is.  There’s a merciful God who is also just.  That’s such good news for those who will never have justice in this world.  It can be bad news for those who live this life in total disregard for the poor and marginalized (Jesus’ parable about the rich man and the poor man, Lazarus [Luke 16:19-31]).  For us who might be dealing with the limits of this life – in real poverty, with diminishment, with sickness, with the critical or chronic illness of a loved one, even grieving death itself – we have real good news to look forward to.  We can imagine it however we like.  It’s going to be so much better than we can imagine.  That thought is quite a grace to lift my spirits today.