Marcos 12: 18 - 27

1. Marcos 12: 18 - 27 El matrimonio en la resurrección 18 Entonces los saduceos, que dicen que no hay resurrección, fueron a verlo y le plantearon un problema: 19 — Maestro, Moisés nos enseñó en sus escritos que si un hombre muere y deja a la viuda sin hijos, el hermano de ese hombre tiene que casarse con la viuda para que su hermano tenga descendencia.

2. 20 Ahora bien, había siete hermanos. El primero se casó y murió sin dejar descendencia. 21 El segundo se casó con la viuda, pero también murió sin dejar descendencia. Lo mismo le pasó al tercero. 22 En fin, ninguno de los siete dejó descendencia. Por último, murió también la mujer.

3. 23 Cuando resuciten, ¿de cuál será esposa esta mujer, ya que los siete estuvieron casados con ella? 24 — ¿Acaso no andan ustedes equivocados? — les replicó Jesús —. ¡Es que desconocen las Escrituras y el poder de Dios! 25 Cuando resuciten los muertos, no se casarán ni serán dados en casamiento, sino que serán como los ángeles que están en el cielo.

4. 26 Pero en cuanto a que los muertos resucitan, ¿no han leído en el libro de Moisés, en el pasaje sobre la zarza ardiendo, cómo Dios le dijo: “Yo soy el Dios de Abraham, de Isaac y de Jacob” ? 27 Él no es Dios de muertos, sino de vivos. ¡Ustedes andan muy equivocados! Palabra del Señor

6. Mark 12: 18 - 27 Marriage at the Resurrection 18 Then the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question. 19 “Teacher,” they said, “Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and have children for his brother.

7. 20 Now there were seven brothers. The first one married and died without leaving any children. 21 The second one married the widow, but he also died, leaving no child. It was the same with the third. 22 In fact, none of the seven left any children. Last of all, the woman died too.

8. 23 At the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?” 24 Jesus replied, “Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God? 25 When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven.

9. 26 Now about the dead rising — have you not read in the book of Moses, in the account of the burning bush, how God said to him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’ ? 27 He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken!” Gospel of the Lord

11. Reflections on Mark 12: 18 - 27 by Fr. Sam Rosales, S.J. June 6, 2007 The gospel reading for today is better appreciated if we know something about the Sadducees. They were not a large Jewish party. They were aristocratic and wealthy, and wished to keep their comforts and privileges. They were prepared to collaborate with the Romans in their government.

12. They included most of the priests and the office of high priest. Wealthy landowners and merchants allied with them. They ceased to exist at the time of the fall of Jerusalem in the year 70 A.D.

13. The differed widely from the Pharisees in certain beliefs. They accepted only written scriptures, and attached great importance to the first five books of the Old Testament, called the Pentateuch. They did not accept the large body of oral law and tradition that was so dear to the Pharisees. Since immortality is not mentioned in the early books of the bible, they did not accept it. Also, they did not believe in angels and spirits.

14. When they came to Jesus, their question was designed to make belief in the resurrection look ridiculous. In Deuteronomy 25.5-10 it is mentioned that if a group of brothers live together, and one of them died without having children from his wife, it was the duty of the next brother to take the widow as his wife and have children. If the second brother died without children, then the next brother was obligated to take the widow and have children, and so on.

15. The whole point was to keep the family name alive, and to keep the property in the family. The first-born had the right to inherit everything. He shared with his brothers and sisters if he wished. But he had the legal rights. And he in turn would have the legal right to pass it on to his first-born.

16. The answer Jesus gives is clear. At the resurrection, the old laws of physical life no longer apply. We shall be like angels. There will be no marrying, or getting married. There will be no begetting of children. There will be no need for property, or real estate, or money, or the things that money can buy. The righteous will be satisfied with the glory of God.

17. Jesus then cites the Book of Exodus 6.3 to make his point. The Book of Exodus is part of the Pentateuch. God calls himself the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. If God is still the God of these patriarchs, it means they must still be alive. God must be the God of living people; And not of those who are dead. And if the patriarchs are alive, this proves there is a resurrection.

18. What applications can I make? Jesus is Lord God and Messiah. He is the God of the living, not the dead. You must be born again in Baptism to be alive in the Spirit of God. Keep this life of Christ and the Spirit alive in you. Jesus works through the sacraments in a very special way. He comes in the sacrament of reconciliation and in the Eucharist, whenever you approach him. The sacramentals all lead you to Jesus in the sacraments. “I am the way, and the truth, and the life” says the Lord in John 14. Stay alive in Christ Jesus!