“Some Gen Xers —
whose life experiences
left them so cynical
as to border on nihilistic —
approached Jesus and asked him,
‘Jesus,
do you ever think about your ghost clothes?’”
Before he could fix his face,
it went on a journey that conveyed
“What in all of God’s green earth
are you talking about?”
Dustin replied,
“You know —
how whatever you’re wearing when you die
is what you’re always seen wearing
for the rest of eternity.”
Jesus said to him,
“Those who belong to this age wear clothes,
for modesty and warmth and protection.
But those who are considered
worthy of a place in that age
and in the resurrection from the dead
ghost clothes are not a concern.”
That’s kind of what the Sadducees’ question
to Jesus
boils down to today.
They don’t believe in the resurrection
because what they consider scripture
doesn’t make reference to it –
even before the idea
of Jesus defeating death.
They’re looking to trap Jesus
but he knows that.
Rather than getting frustrated
as they refer to a Mosaic law
that has been seen as necessary
to maintain the population
of a small, mostly nomadic tribe
Jesus answers their question.
As he answers, though,
he points out
that it’s a silly question.
The question of ghost clothes
and who has to marry whom
how many times
isn’t based in the worldview
that Jesus is bringing to the world.
It’s not even a view
that Jesus is coming up with.
The Sadducees don’t believe in the resurrection,
but the Pharisees do.
The question of ghost clothes
and who has to marry whom
how many times
isn’t a question about resurrection
but rather one about the idea of
immortal souls.
The need to marry or be given in marriage,
or being stuck in the clothes you die in
denies the reality of death itself.
Rather than seeing death
as an end
these questions see life continuing
just a little changed
by virtue of souls
that were and ever shall be.
At funeral masses
during the eucharistic prayer we pray
“For to your faithful people, O Lord,
life is changed, not ended.”
This is not the preexistent,
immortal soul.
This is the acknowledgement of the reality of death.
It’s the acknowledgement of the reality of death
that Jesus has undergone himself
and defeated in his resurrection.
Before that line about “changed not ended”
we pray, “It is right and a good and joyful thing
always and everywhere to give thanks to you Almighty God
through Jesus Christ our Lord;
who rose victorious from the dead,
and comforts us with the blessed hope
of everlasting life.”
In the Pharisees’ and Christians’ worldview and stories
life doesn’t just go on on its own.
Life goes on
because God acts
and thus it continues.
A few weeks ago I mentioned
in some setting
a four- or seven-week Advent.
Today we’re seeing
how that seven-week Advent
would start.
Jesus has gone from the road to Jerusalem
and is there now.
He’s there now
talking about,
answering questions about
the end times.
It’s not as dramatic
as it is in little apocalypses,
but Jesus is answering questions
about the age to come.
We also hear Paul or one of his disciples
writing again to the church
at Thessalonica
about being gathered together
in Jesus’ resurrection.
It’s part of human nature
to wonder and ponder
what comes next.
Even if no one is trying to trap Jesus
or idly wondering about ghost clothes
we want to know what’s out there.
Most of humanity
really doesn’t want this to be
all there is.
As Jesus answers the Sadducees
by quoting a text they’ll find authoritative
he makes a bold – yet obvious –
Proclamation.
God is the God of the living,
not of the dead.
The Sadducees didn’t believe in the resurrection,
yet when Moses talked to God
in the burning bush
he invoked his own
communion of saints.
This is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Reading the Sadducees propose a hypothetical to Jesus
“What if?”
I couldn’t help think about
how our country is governed
by precisely these kinds of hypotheticals.
Instead of theologically devoted priestly classes,
they’re posed by legal wizards
in black robes.
A lot of oral argument at the Supreme Court
is based on hypotheticals
as the justices try to suss out
where the advocates’ line is
and how they think it squares
with our laws, history, and tradition.
Like the Sadducees, though,
they can miss that the answers to these questions
might be fascinating
but have an impact
on real people.
Prices on so many goods are up
as the Supreme Court wonders
if the sweeping tariffs are legal
and what the remedy will be
if they’re not.
SNAP benefits are in limbo
and what power and authority the executive branch has
over the national guard deploying domestically
and Customs and Border Protection has
over civilians trying to work at daycares
is being worked out.
These might make fine bar exam hypotheticals,
but they impact real people
every day.
Women dying from lack of access
to reproductive healthcare
is a reality
that advocates warned us would happen.
The resurrection for the church
is not a hypothetical.
Thinking about ghost clothes or who is marrying whom
is a hypothetical.
Without Jesus’ resurrection from the dead
it’s a thought experiment.
For us Christians, though,
it’s not.
We trust that this is not the end,
that in death life is changed not ended
because Jesus has been victorious
over death and the grave.
Things don’t just continue on
but stuck in the clothes we’re wearing when we die
or married to the last person we happened to be married to
when the next age comes.
A new creation –
not a resuscitation,
not a continuation with a few tweaks –
but all things being made new
is coming.
As we hear from Job today,
we know that our redeemer lives.
At the last he will stand upon the earth;
and after our skin has been destroyed,
in our flesh we shall see God.