Daily Readings - Sat Nov 24 2018
Revelation
4These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth.5If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies. This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die.6These men have power to shut up the sky so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying; and they have power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want.7Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill them.8Their bodies will lie in the street of the great city, which is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified.9For three and a half days men from every people, tribe, language and nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial.10The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and will celebrate by sending each other gifts, because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth.11But after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and terror struck 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, while their enemies looked on.
Luke
27Some of the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus with a question.28"Teacher," they said, "Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and have children for his brother.29Now there were seven brothers. The first one married a woman and died childless.30The second31and then the third married her, and in the same way the seven died, leaving no children.32Finally, the woman died too.33Now then, at the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?"34Jesus replied, "The people of this age marry and are given in marriage.35But those who are considered worthy of taking part in that age and in the resurrection from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage,36and they can no longer die; for they are like the angels. They are God's children, since they are children of the resurrection.37But in the account of the bush, even Moses showed that the dead rise, for he calls the Lord 'the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.'38He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive."39Some of the teachers of the law responded, "Well said, teacher!"40And no one dared to ask him any more questions.
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter powerful messages about hope, perseverance, and the nature of resurrection. The first reading from Revelation 11:4-12 presents the symbolic story of two olive trees and lampstands, representing the prophetic voice of the church. These witnesses face persecution, death, and then a dramatic resurrection, ascending to heaven. This imagery reassures us that despite trials, God's power prevails, offering hope to believers enduring adversity.
In the Gospel, Luke 20:27-40, Jesus engages with the Sadducees, who question the concept of resurrection through a scenario involving seven brothers and a woman. Jesus explains that in the resurrection, marital relationships cease, and the resurrected live like angels, as children of God. He supports this with Moses' encounter, emphasizing that God is the God of the living, not the dead. This teaching underscores the reality of resurrection and its transformative nature.
Both readings converge on the theme of resurrection, highlighting its symbolic and theological dimensions. Revelation's witnesses embody enduring faith amidst persecution, while Luke's passage provides the theological foundation, assuring us of life beyond death. In daily life, these readings encourage us to live with hope, focusing on eternal life and trusting in God's plan. The moral lesson is clear: our ultimate hope lies in resurrection, where God's life-giving power overcomes all suffering. Let us embrace this hope, living in alignment with God's will, trusting in His eternal plan.