Daily Readings - Sat Nov 19 2022
Revelation
4These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth.5And if anyone would harm them, fire pours from their mouth and consumes their foes. If anyone would harm them, this is how he is doomed to be killed.6They have the power to shut the sky, that no rain may fall during the days of their prophesying, and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague, as often as they desire.7And when they have finished their testimony, the beast that rises from the bottomless pit will make war on them and conquer them and kill them,8and their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city that symbolically is called Sodom and Egypt, where their Lord was crucified.9For three and a half days some from the peoples and tribes and languages and nations will gaze at their dead bodies and refuse to let them be placed in a tomb,10and those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and make merry and exchange presents, because these two prophets had been a torment to those who dwell on the earth.11But after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood up on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them.12Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, "Come up here!" And they went up to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies watched them.
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
The readings today invite us to reflect on the ultimate triumph of God’s plan and the nature of eternal life. In the first reading from Revelation, we encounter the dramatic vision of the two witnesses who prophesy, suffer, and ultimately rise again in glory. These witnesses symbolize the enduring power of God’s truth, even in the face of persecution and death. Their resurrection and ascension into heaven remind us that no matter how dark the trials of this world may seem, God’s victory is assured. The second reading from Luke’s Gospel shifts our focus to a question about the resurrection, posed by the Sadducees. Jesus’ response emphasizes that life after death is not a continuation of earthly existence but a transformation into something entirely new. In heaven, relationships are not bound by the same rules as on earth, for we will live as children of God, equal to the angels, in a state where death no longer has power.
These readings are connected by their focus on the mystery of eternal life and the ultimate triumph of God’s plan. Revelation shows us the cosmic struggle between good and evil, while Luke’s Gospel offers a more intimate glimpse into the nature of resurrection. Together, they remind us that our lives are not limited to this world. The struggles, sorrows, and even the injustices we face here are temporary, for we are destined for a life that transcends death. Jesus’ words to the Sadducees invite us to trust in the promise of resurrection, while the vision in Revelation calls us to perseverance and hope, even when the forces of evil seem to prevail.
In our daily lives, these readings challenge us to live with our eyes fixed on eternity. They remind us that our ultimate identity is not defined by our earthly relationships or accomplishments but by our relationship with God. Like the two witnesses, we are called to bear witness to God’s truth, even when it is uncomfortable or costly. And like the resurrected life described by Jesus, we are invited to live in a way that reflects our belief in the eternal life that awaits us. May we, therefore, embrace the hope of resurrection and live each day with confidence in God’s plan, trusting that He will bring all things to their fulfillment in His time.