He is God of the living not of the dead

Do you believe in the resurrection?  What do you believe in the resurrection?  The readings of this Sunday highlight the differences in the beliefs of religious people of the first century.  There is a clash between the Sadducees whose messianic expectations centred around a political messiah who would overthrow the Romans and bring freedom and sovereignty to the Jews.  These sit in contrast to the Pharisees and in particular to the followers of Jesus who believed in the proclamation of the kingdom of God, characterised by a God who has no interest in power or death but only in justice and life.

The gospels witness to the announcement of Jesus of Christ that the kingdom of God was close at hand and in particular that it was (is) announced to the downtrodden.

“God is the God of the living and the dead” is the conclusion of the Lucan Jesus.  God has nothing to do with anything that is ‘death’.  Human life is transformed in the resurrection – there is continuity and discontinuity in that. We do not know exactly what this will be like or is like.

As well as the proclamation of the God of life there is a nagging and hidden question lurking around the text of today’s gospel in which the Sadducees try to set up a trap for Jesus.  They present him with the case of a woman who married seven brothers and was left childless.  To whom would she be married on the day of the resurrection?  Could we not ask – why was it necessary for seven brothers to marry the widow of a deceased man?  Is there not an injustice in that the men of the first century must dominate the economic, social and cultural identity and security of the women?  And if we look at the global situation today do we see any great advancement?  Women still produce half the world’s food and are still the primary caregivers to children and the elderly.  They earn a fraction of the world’s income, own less than one per cent of the world’s property and are more likely to live in poverty.  In Australia we know that they are over-represented in domestic violence with many even killed by violent men.

For those who claim that hope in the resurrection or of a better life to come is a cop out for attending to the needs of the here and now this should give pause.  The God of life is our inspiration to ensure that all have access and opportunity to the fullness of life.

Belief in the resurrection is the central belief of Christianity.  The gospels are witness to the belief that death cannot hold Jesus Christ.  God raised him from the dead!  Today we give testament that God has nothing to do with violence, death or oppression.  These are not of God.

As Christians we profess the resurrection and because of that we work against everything that is not of God.  We work against everything that is violence, death and oppression.  Today we should perhaps start with reflecting on our societies attitudes and treatment of women in our own country and across the globe.

By Fr Brendan Reed