“Now then, at the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?”

Luke 20: 33

In their question, the Sadducees gave an example of a man who died childless. Then his brother married the widow but also died childless, and this continued until the seventh brother who married the widow and remained childless. Then the widow died. Whose wife would she be since she had married so many men? The Sadducees thought that they could embarrass Jesus by firing their best theological shot. Jesus refuted them by saying that in the resurrection life, there is no more marriage. There is no need to be bothered about preserving one’s family line.

Jesus’ answer is important. It is an affirmation of what we recite in the Nicene Creed: ‘We look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.’ In our world today, where there are doubts about resurrection and a rising belief in reincarnation, we are reminded that death is not the end for us. What happens beyond death hinges on one’s response to Jesus. We should not worry which man is the husband of the widow. Instead, we should be concerned whether we are children of God.

Closing Prayer

Lord, please help me recognize when I am getting caught up in worldly cares. Show me what it means to live in the light of my eternal future life with you.