Daily Readings - Sat Nov 20 2021
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
The first reading from 1 Maccabees presents us with a dramatic turn of events for King Antiochus, who had once been so confident in his power and wealth. His failed attempt to plunder the temple in Elymais and his subsequent defeat by the Jews led to a profound crisis. Antiochus, once a man of strength and authority, is now overwhelmed by grief, physical weakness, and a deep sense of regret. He realizes too late the gravity of his injustices, particularly his oppression of the Jewish people and his desecration of the Temple in Jerusalem. This reading reminds us that sin and injustice, though they may seem to bring temporary gain, ultimately lead to ruin and sorrow. Antiochus’s story is a cautionary tale about the consequences of pride and the importance of humility.
In the Gospel, Jesus engages with the Sadducees, who question him about the resurrection of the dead. The Sadducees, who did not believe in the afterlife, present a complex scenario involving a woman who marries seven brothers in succession, all of whom die childless. They ask whose wife she would be in the resurrection. Jesus responds by explaining that the way we understand marriage and relationships in this life does not apply to the next. In the age to come, we will not be bound by the same limitations of death and sin. Jesus emphasizes that the resurrection is not a continuation of this life but a transformation into something entirely new. He also reminds us that God is the God of the living, not the dead, and that all are alive in his presence.
Both readings invite us to reflect on the nature of life, death, and our ultimate destiny. Antiochus’s story teaches us that true strength comes not from power or wealth but from living justly and humbly. Jesus’s teaching on the resurrection challenges us to think beyond the limits of this world and to trust in God’s promise of eternal life. As we navigate the challenges of our daily lives, we are called to live with integrity, to seek forgiveness for our sins, and to hope in the promise of eternal life with God. Let us strive to live in such a way that we may one day experience the fullness of life that God has prepared for us.