32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (C)

November 10, 2019

Readings:

First Reading: 2 Maccabees 7: 1-2, 9-14

Psalm 17 “Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full.”

Second Reading: 2 Thessalonians 2: 16 – 3: 5

Gospel reading according to Luke 20: 27-38

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Homily: 

The time comes for the Sadducees, those members of a Jewish sect or party that denied the resurrection of the dead, the existence of spirits, and the obligation of oral tradition, emphasizing acceptance of the written Law alone (https://www.dictionary.com), to clarify their beliefs with regards to the resurrection of the dead, therefore not accepting also the teachings on the angels and saints and demons, heaven and hell, and about after life. All these things they do not believe. This is their chance to confront Jesus about his teachings as opposed or contrasted to theirs.  “Some Sadducees, those who deny that there is a resurrection, came forward and put this question to Jesus, saying, ‘Teacher, Moses wrote for us, if someone’s brother dies leaving a wife but no child, his brother must take the wife and raise up descendants for his brother’.” (Luke 20: 27-28).  Some Sadducees came to Jesus to ask him question on the resurrection of the dead.  They cited the Law written by Moses on marrying and giving child to the childless deceased brother (cf. Genesis 38: 8, Deuteronomy 25: 5-10) in keeping his memory and name, particularly on the Book of Deuteronomy and the example of seven brothers in the Book of Maccabees (see the first reading).

They recited the story of the seven brothers tortured and murdered for the sake of faith, for they did not obey the command of the king to eat the (cooked) meat of pig. They said, “’Now there were seven brothers; the first married a woman but died childless.  Then the second and the third married her, and likewise all the seven died childless.  Finally the woman also died.  Now at the resurrection whose wife will that woman be?  For all seven had been married to her’.” (Luke 20: 29-33).  Although in the first reading, all the seven brothers died on the same day on the hand of a king, maybe the Sadducees referred to another seven brothers who married the same woman for the first brother who married her died childless.  In the tradition of the Jews, any brother must re-marry the wife of his brother (his sister-in-law) in case his brother died childless to continue his name and his memory.  It so happened that there were seven brothers.  The first brother married and died childless, so it is the obligation and responsibility of the second brother to take his sister-in-law as his wife, and if he would like to marry another woman he can but what important is to give his sister-in-law a child (either a son or a daughter).  But the second brother died also childless to his wife and to his sister-in-law, so the third brother must remarry his sisters-in-law for the sake of his first and second brothers.  Even if he did not marry another woman, still he should give children to his sisters-in-law for the sake of his first and second brothers.  The third brother died and was not able to give children to his sisters-in-law, and even the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh, though some of them married another women and yet still took their sisters-in-law as their wives but they could not give them children; all brothers died.  All women became widows and childless.  All widows of the seven brothers also died.  So, the question of the Sadducees was whose wives will those women be, if all the brothers married and remarried those women and died in the day of the resurrection?  If they are raised from the dead whose husbands are those women whom they married and remarried?

Jesus explained to the Sadducees what will happen on the coming age and in the resurrection day using also the Books of Moses whom the Sadducees only believed.  “Jesus said to them, ‘The children of this age marry and remarry; but those who deemed worthy to attain to the coming age and to the resurrection of the dead neither marry nor are give in marriage.  They can no longer die, for they are like angels; and they are the children of God because they are the ones who will rise’.” (Luke 20: 34-36).  Jesus mentioned the written bill or contract on marriage and remarry (cf. Deuteronomy 24: 1-4) to be given by husband to his wife when he planned to divorce her in the present age so he can marry another woman.  But those who have self-control and self-discipline have will power, those who can abstain, who have determination and motivation for the sake of the Reign-Kingdom of God deemed worthy to attain to the coming age and to the resurrection of the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage.  Jesus also said to the Sadducees what will happen to those who died and now are in heaven.  Even though they died here on earth, they can no longer die, for they are like angels in heaven; and they are the children of God because they are the ones who will rise from the dead.  (See also Isaiah which states, “Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise.  You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy! For your dew is a dew of light, and the earth will give birth to the dead” (26: 19)).

Jesus gave comprehensive teaching to the Sadducees by mentioning the Book of Exodus with regards to the burning bush.  Even Moses believed in the rising of the dead when he witnessed the presence of the living God in the burning bush.   “That the dead will rise even Moses made known in the passage about the bush, when he called ‘Lord’ the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; and he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive’.” (Luke 20: 37-38; Exodus 3: 1-5).  Moses called “Lord” the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob who is living and true.

We must realize that we are already dead from sins since Jesus once and for all offered himself up to death on the cross for our salvation.  He died and rose again and resurrected from the dead, and ascended into heaven.  We too who believed in him shall rise on the day of resurrection or reckoning.  And in heaven we are like angels worshipping, praising, and singing the Lord our God with thankful hearts.