Jesus questions the Sadducees, those who do not believe in the resurrection, "Are you not misled because you do not know the scriptures or the power of God?"
Like the Sadducess we are often misled. Like the Sadducees we underestimate the power of God. Like the Sadducees we reduce the power of God to earthly realities, to temporary fixes, and mindless request.
How often does our life reflect a lack of understanding when it comes to the power of God as we grow frustrated with our prayer requests not being met, or a sickness not being healed, or a financial problem not being solved, or a child not returning to the faith?
How often we let these earthly matters determine and direct our faith in the power of God, and we grow bitter and self centered and self consumed?
Jesus simply reminds us that the power of God is so much the greater that it can never be reduced to our simple request but rather it must direct our request to something greater, opening us up to the broader horizon of what is to come, of what remains to be seen and experienced.
Jesus goes on to say, "When they arise from the dead, they neither will marry nor are given in marriage, but they are like the angels in heaven."
Jesus is not saying that we will have wings and fly around, as many suppose.
Rather, he is telling us that the life to come will be more than we can imagine. He is telling us that the life that awaits us can not be reduced to our biological mortal understanding of life as we know it now, but that it opens up to so much more; it will be new, different, definitive; it will be what it was always suppose to be, where we will have no obstacles, no hindrances, no hang ups, just pure and unadulterated vision of goodness and mercy and love that is stronger than death.
Pope Benedict reminds us that 'the one who expects nothing can no longer live.'
Jesus gives us something to expect, we should expect everything, even life itself, like the angels
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