Mark 12:18-27
Then the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question,” 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. Now there were seven brothers. The first one married and died without leaving any children. The second one married the widow, but he also died, leaving no child. It was the same with the third. In fact, none of the seven left any children. Last of all, the woman died too. At the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?” Jesus replied, “Are you not in error because you do not know the scriptures or the power of God? When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. Now about the dead rising have you not read in the book of Moses, in the account of the bush, how God said to him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken!”
This text gives us an excellent example of how the Sadducees evade the big questions in their religious life and try to make the teaching of the resurrection look ridiculous. And today some are still avoiding the big questions of life by asking less important ones. I wonder is it because our society is governed by the power of impressions which can influence our spiritual lives. These impressions flow in a constant stream often times uninvited in ways that make me wonder by what authority it does comes from?
We create our friendships and relationships on them. Careers can be made or stalled depending on how a boss or manager views our work and ability. Politicians are often selected not by what they actually believe and represent, but what people think they believe, represent or what kind of inspirational speaker they are. To me our views of God, of spirituality, and of the church have all been impacted by impressions from our life experiences. So what’s the essential big question? Do we busy ourselves with the less important questions so that we do not have to face the big questions dealing with our relationship with God and the mission of the Church? There is that danger. Or is it we live in a society today that craves spirituality, but does not have an interest in religion?
We live in a time when people are seeking spiritual things, spiritual answers, and yet have no concept of or relationship with their Creator. I wonder if one of the main reasons for these problems lies in the impression that people have concerning Christianity and Jesus Christ today. There are many misconceptions about Jesus; there are a lot of wrong ideas. There are half-truths, and watered-down characterizations about Jesus. Some of those pieces may be accurate, others are not, but the end result is the same, “impressions”. So let me ask you the following questions: what is your impression of Jesus? What happens to our beliefs if Jesus is removed? What would our lives be like without a Jesus who is the way, the truth and the life? I come to the conclusion that it takes Faith to come under authority not faith in man but Faith in God who ultimately controls the outcome of our impressions. At times you might feel alone and uncertain about spiritual things in these times. The truth is; God is never far away and he is in control. Don’t be afraid to take steps of Faith, even if they seem to you to be giant ones. God will never let you down! Let’s learn from Jesus’ visit with the Sadducees and remember to talk about the big questions, “Where do I stand in my relationship with God.” Who do you say Jesus is?” and” Which is the greatest commandment”. The conversation is still relevant.
God Bless You and This Ministry
