Scripture/Sermon of the Day. November 6, 2022

Luke 20:27-38

All Intimacies Will Be with God

27-33 Some Sadducees came up. This is the Jewish party that denies any possibility of resurrection. They asked, “Teacher, Moses wrote us that if a man dies and leaves a wife but no child, his brother is obligated to marry her and give her children. Well, there once were seven brothers. The first took a wife. He died childless. The second married her and died, then the third, and eventually all seven had their turn, but no child. After all that, the wife died. That wife, now—in the resurrection whose wife is she? All seven married her.”

34-38 Jesus said, “Marriage is a major preoccupation here, but not there. Those who are included in the resurrection of the dead will no longer be concerned with marriage nor, of course, with death. They will have better things to think about, if you can believe it. All ecstasies and intimacies then will be with God. Even Moses exclaimed about resurrection at the burning bush, saying, ‘God: God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob!’ God isn’t the God of dead men, but of the living. To him all are alive.”

Reflection/Sermon:

I. This reading is from the Gospel of Luke. To help us understand what’s going on here, lets go back to the beginning of the Gospel of Mark. In chapter one, John the Baptist is arrested and Jesus begins his ministry. He says? “Good news!!!!” What? John is arrested — he just baptized Jesus — John will be executed soon. And Jesus says, “Good news!” — ??? Is this a mistake? Doesn’t Jesus know that the people who arrested John are coming after him too? Why does he say “Good news”?

II. What’s good? Israel is occupied by Rome — soldiers are everywhere. The rulers, King Herod and Pontias Pilate, are brutal. Most people are overtaxed and poor. Life expectancy is just 40-something.
But Jesus said: “Good news — the Kingdom of God is near — no — IT’S HERE! So REPENT—CHANGE. CHANGE — BELIEVE THE GOOD NEWS.

III. Who will believe that? Jesus said heaven is here — “Where?” Is the good news in the political ads we’ve been hearing for the past month? They are mostly negative attacks. SOME SAY IT’S TIME FOR A CHANGE. But that’s not what Jesus means — someone else can’t do this for us. We have to.

IV. And how can people in Ukraine believe the good news Jesus invites us to? They won’t have power this winter. If their building isn’t blown up by Russian missiles — sold to them by Iran — they will freeze. What’s even crazier is that Russian Orthodox Christians are attacking Ukrainian Orthodox Christians. But Jesus teaches us to love — he doesn’t teach violence and killing. So millions of people say they believe — but they don’t really.

V. I’ve mentioned before about an early experience I had when I started my ministry — I couldn’t believe what I heard. I was talking with someone in the congregation about Jesus. They told me about certain people that need to be killed — I don’t remember who it was, it was so long ago. But I said, “At least we know what Jesus would want us to do — he was against any kind of violence.” And they smiled and said, “You don’t believe all that stuff do you?” This person wore a cross around their neck — and was active in church boards and committees.
What a lesson that was! I learned then that people go to church for many reasons, and believing in Jesus and what he taught may not be one of them.

VI. The Sadducees didn’t believe in Jesus or the kingdom of God’s love — out there some place or right here. I guess that’s our choice: believe the Sadducees or Jesus. Jesus said the kingdom of God’s love is here — and always will be. The kingdom of heaven comes into focus wherever there is love. Believe it and let God’s love flow through you.