Wednesday of 9th Week, Ordinary Time, June 6, 2007

Scripture: Tobit 3:1-17. Psalm 25. Mark 12:18-27. Lectionary # 355:

There are similarities in a situation mentioned in Tobit about Sarah's
tragic marriages and with the trap that the Sadducees are attempting with
Jesus about a hypothetical case of a woman married to seven husbands, each
of whom die! Both Tobit and the Sadducees are using preposterous examples
in order to make their point. In the reading from Tobit we do learn about
the righteousness of Tobit, his son Tobias, and his future daughter-in-law
who has lost seven husbands through death! God will hear the prayers of
these faithful and righteous persons and answer their pleas by sending
Raphael, the Archangel who symbolizes the healing touch of God. That is
what the name Raphael, means, "God's Healer." Once again, as is often the
case, the Psalm can lead us into praying as did Tobit. I found the
following verses helpful for praying with Tobit's and his family, "Be
mindful of your mercy, O Lord, and of your steadfast love...remember me for
you goodness' sake, O Lord." (Psalm 25:6-7). Jesus is now confronted by the
Sadducees. It seems that Mark is showing the different traps that the
various religious group leaders are setting for Jesus. Yesterday, it was
the Herodians and the religious leaders and scribes, today it is those who
do not believe in angels nor in the resurrection of the dead--the
Sadducees. They bring up the imaginary and colorful story of a woman who
was married successively seven times, but not successfully! All her
husbands died. So which one will be her husband in heaven? They are
prompting Jesus to respond to this question. We notice the resemblance to
Tobit's situation with regard to Sarah, his future daughter-in-law. The
Sadducees not only are non-believers in what Jesus and the Pharisess
believe in, they are not even very creative thinkers in bringing up their
example. No wonder the Dead Sea Scroll community rebelled against this
rich priestly class or sect and retired to a desert near Qumran to live out
the Torah, the Prophets, and the Psalms. Jesus takes the Sadducees back to
the whole of the Scriptures that he accepts and answers their query by
showing there will be no marriage in heaven. He tops it off with his belief
in angels by saying, "for all will be like the angels in heaven" who do not
marry or give in marriage. The strength of Jesus comes at the end where we
all hear the powerful and beautiful statement that gives us hope beyond our
own personal death:"And as for the dead being raised have you not read in
the book of Moses, in the story about the bush, how God said to him,'I am
the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? He is God not
of the dead, but of the living." Then to the Sadducees he sharply states,
"You are dead wrong!" Amen.