The Question about the Resurrection

The Twentieth Chapter of Luke is a record of religious authorities trying to discredit or even trap Jesus with a series of questions or arguments.   In the passage from verses 27 through 40, the scripture states quite plainly that the questioning Sadducees held that there is no resurrection, no afterlife.    Therefore, we may conclude that the Sadducees were not actually interested in Jesus’ theology of eternal life or resurrection.   They just wanted to stop Jesus from disrupting their world.  How strange.

I wonder if all of us have had the experience of being challenged by some person or group of people who do not understand our purpose and do not even try to understand us.   They just want us to not interfere with the world as they see it.   Do you wish to strive for justice and peace among all people, respecting the dignity of every human being?  Well, that may be inconvenient for some political group that needs an ethnic or racial or political scape goat to blame for whatever complaint they have.     Jesus seems to have experienced this kind of opposition in his ministry. Jesus nevertheless answers the Sadducees as if they were asking a serious question.  What about resurrection?

I don’t think very many of us go around day after day reflecting or wondering about resurrection.   At least I don’t hear many people talk about it, except at the time of burial services.  But sometimes life has a way of bringing up the topic.  I know that I probably went weeks on end without giving life after death much thought, except for reciting the Creeds or singing church hymns in worship.   Then I DID think about it starting June 14th this past summer.  I broke my femur at the hip.   It really didn’t hurt, except for that moment I smashed against the concrete sidewalk.  The ambulance guys were nice, and we had a pleasant chat on the way to the Emergency Room.   The radiology tech returned to my ER room and said that the ex-ray revealed a lesion in the broken femur.  Really?   Cancer?  Hum.

The next day I was put back together with a rod and some screws.  A biopsy was taken of the lesion.  In another day or two I received a visit by a really nice physician who became my Oncologist.  She said before cancer treatment could start there would be some more tests such as the M.R.I. and the P.E.T. scan.

Actually, I had thought about life after earthly death in the year before my broken leg.  My wife was just completing her year of cancer treatment at that time.  But we put the “eternal” question on the back burner and concentrated on stomping out the cancer with the various therapies offered.    This included prayer.   Whenever another Episcopal priest or bishop was available, the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick was requested and received.   

“Take my life and let it be, Consecrated, Lord, to thee” became my song and prayer from my orthopedic hospital bed in the days following my surgery and diagnosis.   Still, my thoughts were focused on the here and now, the daily progress of illness and healing.    I was and am very grateful for the opportunity to consecrate my days to God and receive spiritual healing and hope for physical healing as well.

I am glad that Jesus chose to answer the Sadducees as if they cared what he knew or thought about the resurrection from the dead.   They may not have cared, but I care.  Any of us who respond to a pastoral call when someone dies, or who stand at the casket or the grave at a burial are grateful for these words about eternal life.     Thank you, Jesus, for encouraging us and giving us hope on this topic that we don’t want to think about.   When I face death or when a loved one dies, I will treasure this teaching.   We will not die any longer, because we will be children of God and children of the resurrection.  

Amen to that.

The Rev. James Blagg

Vicar, St. John’s, Durant