The exchange between Jesus and Sadducees in the Gospel Reading for Wednesday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time, Cycle I, (Mark 12:18-27) took place during the last days of Jesus’ life before his death in Jerusalem. In those days, Jesus faced increasing challenges by those who wanted him to be killed (Mark 11:18, 27-12:34). In this context, Sadducees questioned Jesus about the validity of his teaching on resurrection in in light of the Mosaic law on levirate marriage, known as Yibbum (Deuteronomy 25:5-6).
According to Mark, the first major task that Jesus
did upon his entry into the City of Jerusalem (Mark 11:1-11) to be ready for
his passion and glorification by his death, resurrection, and ascension, was to
cleanse the Temple (Mark 11:15-19). After this, the chief priests, the scribes,
and the elders questioned Jesus’ authority (Mark 11:27-33). Then, Pharisees and
Herodians tried to trap Jesus in his own speech by asking whether it is lawful
for the Jews to pay census tax to Caesar (Mark 12:13-17). Following this,
Sadducees challenged Jesus by asking him a question about the doctrine of the
levirate law on marriage in Deuteronomy 25:5-6 and Jesus’ teaching on
resurrection (i.e. Luke 14:14; John 5:21; 6:40).
The Sadducees described a situation about seven
brothers and the wife of the oldest brother. The oldest brother died without
leaving a child. The second brother married her, according to Deuteronomy 25:5
but he also died without having a child with her. The rest of the brothers
followed exactly the same suit. And, being left widowed, she also died. And the
Sadducees asked Jesus, whose wife would this woman be, when she resurrects,
since all of these seven men had married her and died (Mark 12:20-23).
To Jesus, what Sadducees asked Jesus (Mark 12:20-23)
is nothing but a fallacy of “argumentum
ad absurdum”(argument to absurdity). This erroneous argument was also
committed by Pharisees and Herodians in their attempt to trap Jesus (Mark
12:14).
Of course, Jesus saw through Sadducees’ “argumentum ad absurdum” fallacy
immediately, just as he did with “false dilemma fallacy” of Pharisees and
Herodians.
When Pharisees, who prided themselves as pious Jews,
and Herodians, who were pro-Romans, asked Jesus, “Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not? Should we pay or
should we not pay?” (Mark 12:14), Jesus did not respond as they would have
wanted him to, because he knew of their malicious intention to trap him in
their “false dilemma fallacy”. So, Jesus asked them to show him a Roman coin,
which was used to pay tax to Caesar, and questioned them whose image and
inscription were on the coin (Mark 12:16a). And they had no choice but to say, “Caesar’s”
(Mark 12:16b). This way, Jesus reframed their fallacious dilemma question and
cast it back to them, rather than responding to such a question. This way,
Jesus made them imply that the Roman coin belonged to Caesar for his image and
inscription on the coin. At the same time, he indicated that the Roman coin
should not be used to pay Temple tax, as an offering to God. So, Jesus simply
said to them, “Repay to Caesar what
belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God”(Mark 12:17).
The Pharisees and the Herodians wanted Jesus to
answer either to pay tax to Caesar because it is a Roman law or to not to pay
because Caesar was not God. Either way, Jesus could have been accused. If Jesus
had said that Jews should pay tax to Caesar, the Pharisees would accuse him for
violating Exodus 20:3, 23; 34:14; Deuteronomy 5:7; 6:14. If Jesus had said Jews
should not pay tax to Caesar, then, the Herodians would report to the Roman
authority, accusing Jesus for tax evasion.
Jesus could not be fooled by human fallacy and
trapped in a faulty dilemma.
Then, came some Sadducees to challenge Jesus’
teaching of resurrection (i.e. Luke 14:14; John 5:21; 6:40) (Mark 12:18-27).
The Sadducees denied resurrection (Mark 12:18; Acts
23:8), the existence of angels and spirit, although the Pharisees believed all
of these (Acts 23:8). And, the Pharisees regarded only the Pentateuch (Torah) as
the valid scriptures. It means that they did not regard Nevi'im (prophetic
books) and Ketuvim (writings) as their authentic Tanakh (Jewish Bible). They
believed that resurrection, angels, and spirit, are not addressed in the Pentateuch,
though the angel of the Lord, which is believed by Christians as preincarnated
Christ, is mentioned in Genesis 16:7-11, and spirit (the Holy Spirit) is
addressed in Genesis 1:2 as the ruah (strong
wind) and in Genesis 2:7 as the nishmat
chayyim (breath of life) for nephesh
(living soul). But, where in the Pentateuch can we find resurrection?
Jesus will show us in his response to the Sadducees’
challenge to his teaching on resurrection.
To challenge Jesus’ teaching on resurrection (i.e. Luke
14:14; John 5:21; 6:40) would make sense in light of the Yibbum, in terms of the Mosaic levirate law on marriage (Deuteronomy
25:5-6 ), the Sadducees set up a hypothetical case of a woman who had married
to seven brothers who all died one after another upon marrying to her without a
child (Mark 12:19-22). And they asked Jesus whose wife would this woman be,
having married to all these seven men, who were brothers, according to
Deuteronomy 25:5-6 (Mark 12:23).
So, Jesus’ response to the Sadducees’ fallacious
challenge was twofold: marriage is for those who are with living flesh (Mark
12:25a) and his teaching of resurrection is justified with the Pentateuch in Exodus
3:6 (Mark 12:26-27).
Sadducees committed argumentum ad absurdum fallacy by applying the Mosaic law of Yibbum (Deuteronomy 25:5-6), which is applicable only to those who live in flesh, to the matter of after-death, namely, resurrection. This fallacy was committed by the Sadducees because they wanted Jesus to say that his teaching of resurrection would make no sense in light to the Yibbum. This logical error is like trying to invalidate the existence of the Holy Spirit by asking a question, “How can the law of physics make sense in supernatural spiritual phenomena?” Of course, the Holy Spirit is not subject to the law of physics, though air and breath are. Just because the Greek word, “pneuma” can mean “spirit”, “air”, and “breath”, it does not mean that the Holy Spirit (Pneuma Haggion) had to be subject to the same law of physics applied to air or breath, in order to be validated its existence.
Marriage, which the Yibbum law (Deuteronomy 25:5-6) is applied to, is for those who are living with earthly
bodies (Genesis 2:7), based on Genesis 2:24. Jesus indicated that earthly
matters, including marriage, cannot be applied to those who are resurrected
(Mark 12:25), because the resurrected have what Paul calls as spiritual bodies
(1 Corinthian 15:44), like angels (Mark 12:25b). Though we are not to become
angels upon resurrection, we will become like angels when we are raised from
the dead. It means that we will rise with new bodies, which Paul also calls
heavenly bodies, as opposed to earthly bodies (1 Corinthians 15:40), and our
resurrected bodies are incorruptible (1 Corinthians 15:42).
Because the Sadducees based their doctrine solely on
the Pentateuch, Jesus rebuked them for their ignorance on the resurrection
implied in Genesis 3:6. Our God is not for the dead but for the living (Mark
12:27). For God to say to Moses, “I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac,
and the God of Jacob”(Exodus 3:6), these three patriarchs, though they died
with their earthly bodies, must be resurrected for their souls live eternally
and will be united with their new spiritual and heavenly bodies.
The eternal “marriage” is not man and woman but
rather soul and body. Soul (nephesh,
psyche) is the eternal living being. And it lives with and in a suitable
body. First, a soul lives with and in an earthly body, which is perishable, as
indicated in Genesis 2:7. Upon death of earthly body, the soul is separated. This
is understood from Ecclesiastes 12:7, which reminds that our earthly body will
return to dust (as it came from dust: Genesis 2:7)(Genesis 3:19), when spirit (ruah) departs from the earthly body and
return to its source, God. As there is a parallel between spirit (ruah) and soul (nephesh) in Job 12:10, it is understood that departure of spirit
from earthly body means separation of living soul from earthly body. Resurrection
means that a soul (nephesh) – spirit (ruah) returns to the earth from God not
to find dust (apar), which used to be
the earthly body (perishable flesh), but to be in eternal union with new
heavenly body (1 Corinthians 15:40), which is incorruptible (1 Corinthians
15:42), because it is a spiritual body (1 Corinthians 15:44). And with this new
body of resurrection, which is glorious (1 Corinthians 15:43), we shall be like
angels in heaven (Mark 12:25). It is fitting to be this way upon resurrection, because
we are bound to heaven, where no earthly matter is allowed to be in. Therefore,
the law that governs earthly life and affairs, such as the Mosaic law, has no
effect there. This is why Jesus reminded the Sadducees how silly they were to
argue earthly matter to heavenly matter in his reply (Mark 12:25).
Jesus also exposed the Sadducees’ ignorance of the
Pentateuch for not to believe resurrection by reminding that Exodus 3:6 would
make no sense unless believing resurrection – unless they would erroneously say
that God is for the dead (Mark 12:26-27). Jesus could have pressed the
Sadducees: How can God of the living say, “I
am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob”(Exodus
3:6)(Mark 12:27), in regard to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who were dead –
unless there is resurrection?
The spirits-souls of the three patriarchs: Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob, returned to God, after they departed from their earthly
bodies, which returned to dust, upon their respective deaths. Though they died
in their earthly bodies, they continue to live in their spirits-souls, waiting
for the fullness of time to be in eternal unions with their new heavenly,
imperishable, spiritual, bodies, at resurrection, becoming like angels in
heaven. And their God is forever for those who are blessed with eternal life by
God the Father through Jesus (John 6:40, 47, 51,63, 68; 17:2-3).
Nobody but only God knows how Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob have received eternal life, as they were living before Jesus’
incarnation. But, we know for sure from what Jesus said in John 8:58, he
existed before Abraham, as the Theos-Logos
(John 1:1), before incarnation (John 1:14). As for us, existing after the
incarnation of Jesus, we are subject to Jesus’ command to seek his living flesh
in the species of the living bread of life, as the food that endures for
eternal life, only given by him (John 6:27, 51). Now, the Solemn Feast of Corporis
et Sanguinis Christi draws nearer.
Let us reflect on the significance of our privilege to receive the body
and the blood of Christ Jesus in the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, instituted
at Lord’s Supper on the night before his death, in light of our eternal life in
our souls-spirits and resurrection with new heavenly incorruptible spiritual
bodies in glory.
To those who are anxious about a prospect of not
having blissful matrimony after resurrection, there will be even greater joy in
heaven. And the bliss you and your spouse share now on earth is a foretaste of
this greater joy in heaven. To those who feel pain in your marriage, no such
things after resurrection, for no more marriage in heaven. So, you can look
forward to your new post-resurrection life in heaven. But, it is better to work
with your spouse to reduce pain in your marriage while you are still alive with
your earthly body.
Speaking of painful marriage, it was the pain of
Sarah, whose marriage history was filled with tragic pain for having lost all
seven men, whom she married, as reflected in the First Reading for Wednesday of
the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time, Cycle I,(Tobit 3:1-11a, 16-17a). Sarah lost
her meaning to live for being falsely blamed for the deaths of all seven men
who married to her (Tobit 3:7-15). So, she prayed to God to take her life
(Tobit 3:11-15).
God in heaven heard Sarah’s pain-filled voice. But,
He did not answer her prayer in a way of her desire to have her life taken away
by Him. Instead, God answered her prayer for her best interest by giving her a new
husband, Tobiah, the son of Tobit and by removing the demon, who is responsible
for her pain, by sending one of the three archangels, Raphael (Tobit 3:16-17).
Did Tobiah also die, just as these seven men who
married to Sarah did? What the significant of this angel that God sent in response
to Sarah’s prayer for death?
You need to read the rest of the story from Tobit
3:18 on. Then, you will know that you do not have to wait until resurrection to
live a life without pain, for God is merciful and loving.
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