Reflection for the 32nd Sunday of Ordinary Time

Reflections for the Thirty-Second Week in Ordinary Time. Sometimes we ask questions about our faith, and we might feel guilty doing so—it seems like we might be insulting God. But that’s not how God sees it. He wants us to have a mature understanding of Him, while still bringing to Him the heart of a child, one who doesn’t ask in disdain but because we ‘just want to know.

 

In today’s Gospel we find the Sadducees, respected religious leaders of a certain sect of Jewish people, asking a sticky question. They must have been fascinated by this teacher who spoke lovingly and with authority about Heaven and about angels. They weren’t sure about either of those subjects, and hoped to come to some understanding regarding such things.  Here’s what they asked and how they brought their doubts to Jesus:

 

A woman married a man with six brothers. He died, and according to the Law of Moses the man’s brother was obliged to take her as his wife. This second man died, then the third, then finally the seventh man died, all having married her but without leaving her any children.  They asked Jesus, “So, who will be her husband in heaven?” [if there even is such a place, they wondered].

 

Jesus didn’t accuse them of trying to trap Him. He respected their uncertainty and treated hem respectfully. The answer He gave addressed their doubts and their confusion: In the Kingdom of Heaven, people don’t marry. They live like the angels. Then he took the time to quote scripture to illustrate that Moses taught about the afterlife.  Such a gentle Teacher, with a mind to helping them understand and bring them to faith.

 

We have questions. We search for answers. If we can’t ask God, who can we ask? Especially in the midst of our pain (bereavement, illness), in the face of insufferable evil and absolute diminishment, we need to ask.  How? Why? For how long? Isn’t this enough, Lord? Where are you? What about….? What’s the truth? What am I to believe? Jesus isn’t offended. He understands that we don’t understand. Coming to Him for answers acknowledges that we believe He is part of our lives. We may not like what is happening, we might even feel like blaming Him, but in the end we know that our life is in His hands.  And we pray to surrender.  We pray to want to surrender.

 

Jesus, I trust in You, for You have the words of everlasting life.

Even the Sadducees knew that.

Help me to know the same.

Holy Spirit, please grant me

the gift of Understanding.

Amen.

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