Saturday 20 November 2010

Background

It is difficult to understand fully what this disagreement isabout. Our modern understanding, commonly expressed by Christiansand non-Christians alike, is that we have an immortal soul thatinhabits a physical body. When we die, our soul leaves the body.Although this is commonly believed, it wouldn't have been how theSadducees, or indeed Jesus would have understood it. The body wasfar more important than simply the container of a body to them! Weare mortal creatures without an immortal bone in our body!Resurrection is thus a real issue because you don't have animmortal bit that keeps going. It is only with a body that you canbe you and when you die that is lost. Resurrection is thereforewholly to do with God's freely given love and grace and notsomething that is a natural part of what it is to be human. "TheLord gives and the Lord takes, blessed be the name of the Lord!"(Job 1:21) This is thus an argument about howmuch God loves us.

The Sadducees make fun of the idea that God gives us a new body - anew expression of who we are. Jesus, however, believes that God'slove for us is without measure, and although what that future willlook like is outside our experience, we need not be afraid. What wehave already experienced of God's faithfulness and care of us, isenough for us to be confident. We aren't invited to trust intheories about the afterlife, silly or not, we are simply invitedto trust in God's love for us - the God who is God not of the dead,but of the living, and in Jesus who came that we might have life inall its fullness (John 10:10).

To Ponder

It is difficult to face up to our own mortality -but as we do, what more do we need than this, 'God has created allthings, and loves all that he has made'?

How can we learn from the Jewish teaching thattakes the body so seriously?

How does God's love for us help us face thingsthat make us afraid?

And Pray
Gracious Saviour, today I offer you myself, all of me, allthat I am or every will be, and I trust in your eternal love.Amen.