In the 1950s, there was a movie called 7 Brides for 7 Brothers. It was a funny movie about how the brothers were able to match up with their soon to be wives. My mother-in-law likes old movies, so I probably watched it with her sometime in the last 10 years or so. The title of that movie reminded me of the line of questioning by the Sadducees in today’s Gospel according to Mark.
Questioning
The Sadducees did not believe in resurrection, which happens to be the corner stone of the newly developing Christian/Catholic faith at the time of the Gospel story. They tried to fool Jesus with a trick question. Plenty of people try to outwit Jesus, but he is tough to beat. Spoiler alert, he wins this time, too.
The question posed to Jesus is about a man and woman who marry, and the man dies. The man’s brother, as per tradition at the time, would then marry the wife. Upon his death the next and the next and the next brother would marry her. In this case, the Sadducees used seven brothers as an example. That is a Biblical number that means “lots and lots,” not just seven. Like when Peter was not supposed to forgive his sinning brother seven times, but 7 times 7 times.
When all is said and done, and the wife now dies, who are the husband and wife in Heaven, they ask Jesus. There are lots of choices. This is where Jesus shuts them down.
Angels
In Heaven, it is not going to be like on Earth. There will not be husbands and wives in the strict sense of the word. All those present will be Angels, perfectly clean and energetic souls, full of power and light and love. God is there to be the source of all joy, not wives, husbands, cousins, brothers, or sisters.
Jesus reminds them that even Moses knew that God would not oversee dead creatures, as his creatures would never die, they would be in Heaven with him. And finally, Jesus lets the Sadducees know his feedback on their thesis of “no resurrection,” by reminding them that “they are greatly misled” in their teaching.
As the scene ends, I wonder how many of the Sadducees have a change of heart and follow Jesus’ teaching. We do not know for sure, but I am guessing some of them believed in the Truth that had been revealed to them. I do not think all of them did, just as today, people have a tough time handling the truth.
