November 6, 2016: Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time

Some Sadducees, those who deny that there is a resurrection, came forward and put this question to Jesus, saying, “Teacher,” Moses wrote for us, “if someone’s brother dies leaving a wife but no child, his brother must take the wife and raise up descendants for his brother. Now there were seven brothers; the first married a woman but died childless. Then the second and the third married her, and likewise all the seven died childless. Finally the woman also died. Now at the resurrection whose wife will that woman be? For all seven had been married to her.” Jesus said to them, “The children of this age marry and remarry; but those who are deemed worthy to attain to the coming age and to the resurrection of the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage. They can no longer die, for they are like angels; and they are the children of God because they are the ones who will rise. That the dead will rise even Moses made known in the passage about the bush, when he called out ‘Lord,’the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; and he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive.” (Luke 20:27-38)

Reflection

November — the church year ends this month and the next one begins. So as on our New Year’s Day this is a time for looking back and starting over once again. Sunday readings will focus on the last things: death, judgment, resurrection. Today’s question is about resurrection: who will rise with Jesus at the end of time? We are introduced to the Sadducees, Jewish folk who did not believe in resurrection. They make up this case of so many brothers having to marry the same woman in order to make the idea of resurrection laughable. Jesus simply says it’s not gonna be like it is here “they are like angels and they are the children of God.”

There is a poem by Wendell Berry called the Mad Farmers’ Manifesto which ends with the line “practice resurrection”. Wendell is essentially spelling out what it would be like to live as a child of God, believing God will provide for all our needs. This is how I understand the lines like “So, friends, every day do something that won’t compute. Love the Lord. Love the world. Work for nothing.” Wendell is illustrating ways to change from an American popular culture point of view to think as Jesus does. It is a call for integrity. To get beyond simply saying the words Jesus said to doing what he said.

Action

In these last days before the election, talk to friends, neighbors, and family about what really counts for you. Are you thinking like a child of God? Are there things the government provides that you’re really grateful for: roads, clean water, Medicare, etc. Emphasize the positive.
Pray. Take someone to the polls with you.