VICTORY OVER DEATH
IN BODILY RESURRECTION
IN BODILY RESURRECTION
Jesus asks us the same question. Do you and I believe in
the Resurrection and in the promise of eternal life?
"Martyrs",
Witnesses", and "Prophets," are the titles of the two mysterious
symbols in the first reading. They are vindicated and raised to heaven.
Resurrection, which is such an irreplaceable element in Christian belief, was
not accepted by religious leaders of Jesus' time. In our day, too, many are
challenge to think that the Resurrection sounds so much like a fairy tale story
that they share the Sadducees' concentration on this life and regard the
Resurrection as wishful thinking. Some seem to think it detracts from the
energy and dedication we should give to this present life. But no matter how
much we try to live well in the present life, the sad fact remains that many
elements of this present time are not simply unsatisfactory, but downright
impossible for some people.
All this is confirmed
in today's Gospel. The Sadducees come to Jesus with a test, a question, to make
the Resurrection look ridiculous. Their religion is literally grounded in an
earthly image of heaven. Jesus retorts by dealing with the fact of the
Resurrection. We are given proof of it throughout the Scriptures. In Exodus
3:6, God manifests His presence to Moses in the burning bush and the Lord tells
him that He is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He shows that the
patriarchs who died hundreds of years previously were still alive in our
heavenly Father.
Jesus defeats their
arguments by showing that God is a living God of a living people. God was the
friend of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob when they lived. That friendship could not
cease with death. The ultimate proof of the Resurrection is Jesus Christ and
His victory over death when He rose from the tomb. Before Jesus raised Lazarus
from the dead, He exclaimed, "I am the Resurrection and the life. Do you
believe this?" Jesus asks us the same question. Do you and I believe in
the Resurrection and in the promise of eternal life?