Daily Readings - Sat Nov 23 2019
Luke
27There came to him some Sadducees, those who deny that there is a resurrection,28and they asked him a question, saying, "Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies, having a wife but no children, the man must take the widow and raise up offspring for his brother.29Now there were seven brothers. The first took a wife, and died without children.30And the second31and the third took her, and likewise all seven left no children and died.32Afterward the woman also died.33In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had her as wife."34And Jesus said to them, "The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage,35but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage,36for they cannot die anymore, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.37But 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.38Now he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for all live to him."39Then some of the scribes answered, "Teacher, you have spoken well."40For they no longer dared to ask him any question.
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter two distinct narratives that converge on themes of divine justice, the afterlife, and the consequences of human actions. The first reading from 1 Maccabees portrays King Antiochus, overwhelmed by grief and regret, as he confronts the repercussions of his oppressive deeds, particularly against Jerusalem. His downfall serves as a testament to the principle that sin leads to downfall, while the Jewish people, though oppressed, ultimately find triumph through their faith and resilience.
The Gospel from Luke presents a theological debate where the Sadducees challenge Jesus on the concept of resurrection. Using a complex scenario involving seven brothers and their wife, they aim to discredit the idea of an afterlife. Jesus, however, transcends their earthly perspective, explaining that in the resurrection, relationships will be redefined, akin to the angels, and all will be alive in God's presence. He underscores this by referencing Moses, affirming that God is the God of the living, not the dead.
Both readings, though differing in context—one historical and the other theological—unite in their exploration of death, divine justice, and eternal life. The Maccabean narrative highlights earthly consequences of sin, while Luke's Gospel elevates our gaze to the hope of resurrection. Together, they remind us to live with integrity, trusting in God's plan beyond our mortal lives. The moral lesson is clear: sin has consequences, but through faith and virtuous living, we can embrace the hope of eternal life, where all are alive in God's eternal embrace.