Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 12, 18-27
Some Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection,
came to Jesus and put this question to him, saying,
“Teacher, Moses wrote for us,
If someone’s brother dies, leaving a wife but no child,
his brother must take the wife
and raise up descendants for his brother.
Now there were seven brothers.
The first married a woman and died, leaving no descendants.
So the second brother married her and died, leaving no descendants,
and the third likewise.
And the seven left no descendants.
Last of all the woman also died.
At the resurrection when they arise whose wife will she be?
For all seven had been married to her.”
Jesus said to them, “Are you not misled
because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God?
When they rise from the dead,
they neither marry nor are given in marriage,
but they are like the angels in heaven.
As for the dead being raised,
have you not read in the Book of Moses,
in the passage about the bush, how God told him,
I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac,
and the God of Jacob?
He is not God of the dead but of the living.
You are greatly misled.”
Eternal life
1) The Sadducees. They represent those who believe that this life is all there is and that everything ends here. You may find yourself surrounded by people whose lives revolve entirely around material things and the pursuit of pleasure. Their usual excuse is, “You only live once, so make the most of it”. But life doesn’t end here. Life is a journey toward eternity. Everything you do on earth has consequences that reach beyond this life and into eternity. So, my friend, think carefully about your actions. Every day matters, and you’re on the path toward eternal life.
2) The widow. This woman faced a particular difficulty: the religious leaders of her time treated her as if she were an object. Jesus reminds us that you aren’t an object but a person, and eternity is meant for persons. At times, the people around you may treat you as a tool for their own benefit or as a way to fill the emptiness in their lives. But you’re not meant to be anyone’s replacement or convenience. Don’t allow yourself to be driven solely by someone else’s needs. Learn to value and respect yourself and help others to value your life and what you do as well.
3) God of the living. Spiritual life is not something separate from daily life; it’s a way of living. Learn to live fully, with all that this requires. Remember that the way you live reflects your relationship with God. Your way of life reveals what you truly believe about existence. Today, ask God for true life, so that you don’t spend your days merely going through the motions, like one who is alive outwardly but empty within.
Don’t forget that something good is on the way.
God bless you and be with you in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
