Faith Daily | 19 November 2022

PRAYER of the DAY - APBA p603

Almighty God,

whose sovereign purpose none can make void:

give us faith to be steadfast amid the tumults of this world,

knowing that your kingdom shall come

and your will be done,

to your eternal glory;

through Jesus Christ our Lord,

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and for ever.

Amen.

GOSPEL for the Day: Luke 20: 27-40

27 Some Sadducees, those who say there is no resurrection, came to him 28and asked him a question, ‘Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, leaving a wife but no children, the man* shall marry the widow and raise up children for his brother. 29Now there were seven brothers; the first married, and died childless; 30then the second 31and the third married her, and so in the same way all seven died childless. 32Finally the woman also died. 33In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had married her.’

34 Jesus said to them, ‘Those who belong to this age marry and are given in marriage; 35but those who are considered worthy of a place in that age and in the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. 36Indeed they cannot die any more, because they are like angels and are children of God, being children of the resurrection. 37And the fact that the dead are raised Moses himself showed, in the story about the bush, where he speaks of the Lord as the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. 38Now he is God not of the dead, but of the living; for to him all of them are alive.’ 39Then some of the scribes answered, ‘Teacher, you have spoken well.’ 40For they no longer dared to ask him another question.

GOSPEL REFLECTION: Michelle Chapman

From Luke 20, the verses 27 to 33 speak of a defenceless woman being given to one brother after another, after her husband dies. I am studying Leviticus in my Know Your Bible (KYB) class and the Laws of Moses, in Leviticus are both interesting and complicated, but commanded by the Lord as Moses wrote.

In these first verses today it is important to remember the cultural way of life in Bible times can be completely foreign to readers nowadays. The life of women and children was at behest of men and leaders and verse 32 is difficult to read as the unfortunate woman dies after being married to seven brothers. I feel sad reading this.

From verse 34 - 40 Jesus gives answers to the question about marriage at the resurrection. Jesus firstly clarifies that present age, when he lived on earth, that people marry and are given in marriage. However, Jesus states “ in the resurrection from the dead” no one will be given in marriage for they will no longer die as they will be “like angels”. This is a promise as Jesus’ words are absolute truth.

Those Jesus speaks of are God’s children, children of the resurrection. Our God, of Moses, Abraham and Isaac is not the God of the dead but God of the living. Jesus is alive to all who every day confess their sins and have asked Jesus Christ into their lives, to be alive with God’s promises and the sure counsel of the Holy Spirit.

FINAL PRAYER

God of the Ages, thank you for your faithfulness and lovingkindness to all who turn to you through your precious son Jesus Christ. Thank you for your promises for today and for our life to come, in resurrection with all the angels.

Amen