AFTERLIFE: THE HOPE OF THE RESURRECTION
The Afterlife reality or experience is not just a Christian hope of the resurrection of Christ Jesus through the action of the Holy Spirit. It is an existential reality of our human life on earth. It is a religious or spiritual reality that every religious faith holds onto. To give full meaning to our hard and miserable human existence.
As St. Paul would argue, without our hope in the resurrection of the dead, we are the most miserable or pitiable people on earth. Practically, what gives meaning to our human life in this valley of tears, pains, suffering and death is our hope in the resurrection. In general, our life is the most unfortunate if it is not anchored spiritually in the hope of the resurrection.
The human heart feels an inherent hope for the afterlife. But it is what Shakespeare memorably called “The undiscovered country from which no traveller returns.” Though nobody comes back to confirm it for us, through Jesus we believe it is there, just the same. As Paul, the apostle said: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has it entered into the heart of any person to imagine what God has in store for those who love him.”
OUR THEME
The resurrection is not just a mystery of an afterlife experience that changes our perception of human life as here and now existence. It is also a transformational change that offers us: life amidst death; hope amidst despair, joy amidst sufferings and struggles, and faith and light amidst gloominess and darkness.
The readings of this Sunday as we get close to the end of the liturgical calendar invite us to reflect on the theme of the resurrection of the dead and eschatology.
As well as, they call on us to scrutiny the traditional Jewish practice of Levirate: where a man has to marry his childless deceased brother´s widow to beget him children that will continue or maintain his name.
In a nutshell, the main theme of today’s readings is the reality of life after death and the relationship between our lives on earth and the life of glory or punishment that will follow. The readings invite us to consider the true meaning of the Resurrection in our lives.
These readings of today offer us some fundamental assurances and establish some basic facts:
FIRST READING: 2 MACCABEES 7:1-2, 9-14
First, the reality of the resurrection of the dead and the promise of eternal life. This lifts us from the fear of death, pains, suffering, agonies and sacrifice to the hope of a new and blessed life offered in Christ Jesus. The Maccabean brothers and mother lived this out amidst agonies and cruelties.
Hence, in the first reading 2 Maccabees 7:1-2, 9-14 the hope of the resurrection and immortality form the sacrificial courage of the seven brothers and their mother to face the cruel martyrdom for their faith conviction despite the torture and mockery.
SECOND READING: 2 THESSALONIANS 2:16-3:5
Secondly, St. Paul encourages us to live a gracious life of everlasting encouragement and good hope. Equally, he warned us to pray for deliverance from perverse and wicked people who do not have or live by faith.
That is, there are many like the Greek King Antiochus (Politicians) who distort the truth and instil the spirit of error and deceit or the religious authorities (prosperity preachers) like the Sadducees who for material gains and pleasures deny, distort and mislead people from the eternal truth.
Therefore, St. Paul in his second letter to Thessalonians. 2:16-3:5 prays for God´s grace, eternal comfort, and good hope upon the Thessalonian Christians and encourages them to steadfastness in Christ as they await the Parousia: the Second Coming of Christ in glory preserving in good work and word.
THE GOSPEL: LUKE 20:27-38
Thirdly, Jesus revolutionizes the hedonistic mentality of the Sadducees; namely materialism and the pleasure of the senses. Teaching us the hope of immortality and the transformation that comes with it.
THE PRACTICE OF LEVIRATE IN THE BIBLE
Genesis 38:8; Deuteronomy 25:5; Matthew 22:24; Mark 12:19; Luke 20:28
1. Then Judah said to Onan, “Go into your brother’s wife and perform the duty of a brother-in-law to her, and raise offspring for your brother.”
2. “If brothers dwell together, and one of them dies and has no son, the wife of the dead man shall not be married outside the family to a stranger. Her husband’s brother shall go into her and take her as his wife and perform the duty of a husband’s brother to her.
3. Saying, “Teacher, Moses said, if a man dies having no children, his brother must marry the widow and raise offspring for his brother.’
4. “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife, but leaves no child, the man1 must take the widow and raise offspring for his brother.
5. And they asked him a question, saying, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, having a wife but no children, the man1 must take the widow and raise offspring for his brother.
THE SADDUCEES, THE PRACTICE OF JEWISH LEVIRATICAL LAW AND THE HOPE OF THE RESURRECTION
The Sadducees were few but very wealthy and powerful. The priests and the aristocrats were nearly all Sadducees. They were the governing class, and though a religious sect they were more political than spiritual. They believe in free will and reject fate, miracles, divine destiny or divine providence as they are more pragmatic and denial of God´s role in everyday life. In other words, all is a personal effort with little or no intervention from God.
They were largely collaborationists with Roman authority, being unwilling to risk losing their wealth, their comfort and their place. In order words, the belief was conditioned by personal interests and conveniences.
The Sadducees we encountered in the gospel reading were a Jewish sect who among other things, recognized only the first five books of the Bible attributed to Moses (Pentateuch) as the Word of God. As a result, they did not accept beliefs not emphasized in the Pentateuch such as the existence of spirits, angels and the resurrection of the dead.
THE CENTRALITY OF THE RESURRECTION TO OUR CHRISTIAN FAITH
In Christ, we come to understand that He is the Resurrection and the Life on which is hung the hope of our resurrection. Indeed, the resurrection strengthens our faith, hope, and love and it is the base of our Christian profession, good work, word, and worship of the Living God.
It is our prayer, therefore, as Christians to daily ask the Risen Christ for the grace to be earth-bound souls. That is not to be inclined towards earthly possessions, power, and pleasures and denying eternal realities of the resurrection, immortality, and Afterlife.
For us, Christians, death is not the end of our lives and it is not a pain, loss or tragedy. The Christian death is a transformation to live a glorious life in Christ Jesus.
OUR PRAYER
Lord Jesus Christ, Eternal Author and Giver of life as well as Lord of the Living dead. May our hope of the resurrection sow in us the living faith and assurance that the agonies, cruelties, pains, sufferings, hardships, deceptions or untruthfulness of authorities and even death cannot overcome us… for even in the grave Jesus is Lord of all and forever. Amen
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