Some of Jesus' greatest teaching moments are when he is up against people who are trying to trap him or pit him against the law of Moses.  And today's gospel is no exception.  Jesus is confronted by the Saducees, this little band of priestly folks who accepted only the law and were pretty much against everything else.  They rejected oral tradition, immortality of the soul, spirit world, they opposed Christ, and the apostolic church.  As I learned somewhere along the way, maybe at bible camp as a kid, they didn't believe in the resurrection --- that's why they were SAD-U-Cee.

          So, they create this crazy little brain-teaser of seven brothers who marry one woman, and the question is, whose wife will she be in the resurrection.  Jesus, takes a pause, does not bother to take on their set-up, but uses it as a perfect opportunity to teach about the resurrection, about what it will mean to be raised from the dead.

          Life after death still gets our attention.  We wonder about it, there are books, movies, TV shows all trying to make some sense out of an experience that none of us have had.  People are interested in contacting the dead, in describing their near-death experiences, and some, in making money off our fears and hopes for the future.  The first thing we can say about life after death is that we don't really know what it will be like, but we have some promises in Scripture that we look to for understanding.  There is the promise of a life to come, of a new order, of the full realization of the kingdom of God which is all around us.  Even the Old Testament speaks of the life to come; Job trusted that there would be a day when he would see God in the flesh, in a new life.  Isaiah spoke of the dead being raised up, and the Psalms are full of the hope of the resurrection.

                   I think in our lives we experience resurrection in many ways here and now, and as people of faith, we look forward to the life to come.  There are times for all of us when something happens and life as we know it is OVER --- we lose a spouse, or a child, a long held job, we lose a home in a fire or flood.  Whatever it is, something happens where we honestly feel that the door is slammed shut and we are as good as dead.  But we aren't dead, and out of that loss comes new life, new hope, new possibilities.  The new chapter does not deny the reality of what was lost, but it does help us to realize that life is made new by the God who continues to create and give life in the midst of death, hope in the midst of despair.  We experience those mini-resurrections in this life.

          But there is also the promise of a life to come, of a new heaven and a new earth, of a never ending relationship with God, of being joined for all time to the God who loves us, of being able to experience the fullness of the kingdom of God and live in that forever.  We can be as narrow in our thinking as the Saducees, certain that there is nothing more to come, certainly that it is only what meets the eye that counts for anything.

          A few years ago I read an article about a new star that had been found.  I love stars and all that they represent, so the article got my attention.  The article told of what is believed to be the brightest star yet discovered in the Milky Way.  The headline read, "Megastar offers glimpse of a world humans can only start to envision."  The star is 25,000 light years away and enshrouded in dust.  It is invisible to the human eye because our brains to not detect colors like ultraviolet and infrared, and only through new computer technology was the star finally observed.  The article stated, "We are surrounded by a world we cannot see."  The star exists, it is very much a reality, but not to our eyes.  We are so intelligent, so knowledgeable, so full of ability, but we are unable to see all that there is to see.  We are limited by time and space, we are limited by this existence, but that does not mean that this is all there is.

          As people of faith, we live in that tension of caring for this earth, being fully alive and present to the here and now, doing all that we can to alleviate the suffering of others, and trusting that this is not the end of the story, and that death does not have the last word.  WE live as people who give our all to today, but also trust in the promise of a future that is still a mystery.  We live, committed to this day, but in sure and certain hope of the resurrection.  What will it be like?  I don't know.  I know the promises of scripture, that nothing will ever separate us from the love of God, that there will be a new creation where there is no more suffering, no more pain, no more sorrow.  I know that Christ was raised from the dead and that we profess resurrection of the body.  But I have no idea what it will be.  What I do know is God, and that God is love.

          I can remember getting in the car to take a trip with my parents when we were young.  I especially liked it when we were traveling in the dark --- I felt so safe going down the road with the smell of coffee and ham sandwiches as my parents sat in the front seat talking quietly and my brothers and sisters and I crowded into every available space between the back seat and the floor and usually one, the youngest up in front with mom and dad.  We were going to Glacier Park, I had no idea where that was, what it would be like, or how long it would take, but it didn't matter --- I knew who I was with.  I didn't know Glacier Park, but I knew my mom and dad.  I don't know heaven, or resurrection of the dead, or eternal life, but I know God, and like Job, I too believe that in my flesh I shall see God.

          Listen to this parable of the twins:

Once upon a time, twin boys were conceived in the same womb. Weeks passed, and the twins developed.  As their awareness grew, they laughed for joy, "Isn't it great that we were conceived? Isn't it great to be alive?"  Together the twins explored their world.  When they found their mother's cord that gave them life, they sang for joy: "How great is our mother's love that she shares her one life with us."  As weeks stretched into months, the twins noticed how much each was changing. "What does it mean?" asked the one.  "It means that our stay in this world is drawing to an end," said the other one.  "But I don't want to go" said his brother, "I want to stay here always."  "We have no choice," said the other, "but maybe there is life after birth!"  "But how can that be?" responded the one.  "We will shed our life cord, and how is life possible without it?  Besides, we have seen evidence that others were here before us, and none of them have returned to tell us that there is life after birth.  No, this is the end."

          And so, the one fell into despair, saying: "If conception ends in birth, what is the purpose of life in the womb?  It is meaningless!  Maybe there is no mother after all."  "But there has to be," protested the other.  "How else did we get here?  How do we remain alive?"  "Have you ever seen our mother?" said the one, "Maybe she lives only in our minds.  Maybe we made her up because the idea made us feel good."

And so the last days in the womb were filled with deep questioning and fear.  Finally, the moment of birth arrived.  When the twins had passed from their world, they opened their eyes --- and they cried.  For what they saw exceeded their fondest dreams. (Anon)

AMEN