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Opinion

Whose wife will she be?

Opinion

Whose wife will she be?

By Manila Bulletin

REFLECTIONS TODAY

Gospel • Mark 12:18-27

After the Pharisees and Herodians failed to ensnare Jesus with their question on paying taxes to Caesar, it is now the turn of the Sadducees to test him.

The Sadducees—the priestly aristocracy during Jesus’ time—were, ironically, skeptics in matters of religious dogma. They were very faithful to external rituals. For them, liturgy was quite enough! Beyond this, for them there is “no resurrection or angels or spirits” (Acts 23:8).

The Sadducees argue the impossibility and absurdity of any resurrection by telling the story of the seven brothers.

Deuteronomy 25:5-10, which is the basis of the story of the Sadducees, says that should a man fail to raise up a child with his wife before he dies, the man’s brother should marry the widow to raise up a son who shall perpetuate the name of the deceased brother.

Aside from perpetuating the deceased man’s name, this practice also protected the rights of the widow in a society where only the men had juridical personality and rights.

This law and tradition intended for the welfare of others are manipulated by the Sadducees to paint some grotesque imagery that they think could happen in the next life. The popular Jewish belief was that the resurrection was a continuation of life and relations on earth. Jesus clarifies that the resurrection is not a mere continuation of earthly life!

On earth, people marry to ensure the continuity of the species (Gn 1:28). In the resurrection, people attain immortality, so there is no need for marriage.

Source: “366 Days with the Lord 2024,” St. Paul’s, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 632-895-9701; E-mail: [email protected]; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.

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