Luke 20:27-38
One woman with seven husbands. In the resurrection, whose wife will she be? Here’s a story with a different problem: A man died and a few years later his wife died. When she found him, she embraced him and said, “I’m here. I know you’ve been waiting for me” He said, “Wait a minute. I promised ‘until death do us part.’ This is heaven. I was told to enjoy myself. So, you go and have a good time over there. See you around.”
We have questions about what happens after we die. Some deserve an answer, others do not. The Sadducees asked Jesus a silly question. They posed a situation based on the law. Seven brothers married the same woman. In heaven, whose wife will she be? How will one woman manage seven men in heaven? They forgot a basic truth—God is above our laws—because He is God. Just like He divided the Red Sea; gave sight to the blind; made the mute speak. God is above all the rules, and He makes exceptions to the rules. The greatest exception is the Incarnation. The Blessed Mother became pregnant with Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit and not the seed of a man. Jesus was killed for our sins. Then the Father raised Him from the dead so that we would not be afraid of death. But we still are afraid. We still ask silly questions. That’s Ok. The Lord knows what we need even before we ask. We just celebrated all the Saints and prayed for all the Souls of our relatives and friends who have gone before us. We mourn our loved ones. We miss them and wish that they had never left. Death leaves a void that no one can fill. Time helps. However, the wound is never completely healed. We have the faith, the hope and the love that one day we will all be united in heaven.
Meanwhile, we want some assurance that our loved ones are in peace and that we are going to be with them. Jesus told us that He has a place prepared for each of us. We are unique in life, down to our fingerprints. We will be unique in eternity, down to our dwelling place. If in everlasting life we want to be next to our spouse, no worries that will happen. But for sure, what will make us completely happy will be looking at the face of Jesus Christ forever. There will be no more filters. He is the Nativity, the Resurrection, the Holy Eucharist. We will not need anything else, yet somehow, everything will be incorporated. Since the Lord came to redeem all of creation, every tree, every animal, every living soul will be in heaven, except mosquitos of course. Perhaps in heaven they won’t bite. Our imaginations are limited. As far as the sky is from the earth are God’s ways above our ways.
A child can tell us more about heaven then most adults. The words everlasting life were misunderstood or mispronounced by a child, yet perhaps closer to the truth. The child heard, “ever-laughing life”. Laughter is indeed the best medicine, even in the face of tragedy. Any person or institution that is not willing to laugh at itself will die. We must be self-critical. When we stand naked before a full-length mirror, we are either going to cry or laugh. The innocent mind will laugh. Regrets will always make us cry. Since we know that we are not here to stay, we try to get in shape for every-laughing life. Letting go of the past is one of the best ways. Forgiving the people who have harmed us and asking pardon of those we have offended is vital. Ever notice that what was like the “end of the world” a few years back is no longer that important? Remember what caused us to stop speaking to a friend? Sometimes we can’t remember the reason for the breakup. Nothing is worth holding a grudge. We cannot put a price tag of the separation of a family. Heaven is for the souls that are willing to trust in God’s mercy. The souls that are free will rise because they can laugh at themselves. The souls that are heavy with regrets will have to take time to let go. The more stuff that we unload here, the more prepared we will be.
The Eucharist is our ticket. We eat His Body and drink His Blood in Holy Communion. One day we will be at the party that never ends.
One woman with seven husbands. In the resurrection, whose wife will she be? Here’s a story with a different problem: A man died and a few years later his wife died. When she found him, she embraced him and said, “I’m here. I know you’ve been waiting for me” He said, “Wait a minute. I promised ‘until death do us part.’ This is heaven. I was told to enjoy myself. So, you go and have a good time over there. See you around.”
We have questions about what happens after we die. Some deserve an answer, others do not. The Sadducees asked Jesus a silly question. They posed a situation based on the law. Seven brothers married the same woman. In heaven, whose wife will she be? How will one woman manage seven men in heaven? They forgot a basic truth—God is above our laws—because He is God. Just like He divided the Red Sea; gave sight to the blind; made the mute speak. God is above all the rules, and He makes exceptions to the rules. The greatest exception is the Incarnation. The Blessed Mother became pregnant with Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit and not the seed of a man. Jesus was killed for our sins. Then the Father raised Him from the dead so that we would not be afraid of death. But we still are afraid. We still ask silly questions. That’s Ok. The Lord knows what we need even before we ask. We just celebrated all the Saints and prayed for all the Souls of our relatives and friends who have gone before us. We mourn our loved ones. We miss them and wish that they had never left. Death leaves a void that no one can fill. Time helps. However, the wound is never completely healed. We have the faith, the hope and the love that one day we will all be united in heaven.
Meanwhile, we want some assurance that our loved ones are in peace and that we are going to be with them. Jesus told us that He has a place prepared for each of us. We are unique in life, down to our fingerprints. We will be unique in eternity, down to our dwelling place. If in everlasting life we want to be next to our spouse, no worries that will happen. But for sure, what will make us completely happy will be looking at the face of Jesus Christ forever. There will be no more filters. He is the Nativity, the Resurrection, the Holy Eucharist. We will not need anything else, yet somehow, everything will be incorporated. Since the Lord came to redeem all of creation, every tree, every animal, every living soul will be in heaven, except mosquitos of course. Perhaps in heaven they won’t bite. Our imaginations are limited. As far as the sky is from the earth are God’s ways above our ways.
A child can tell us more about heaven then most adults. The words everlasting life were misunderstood or mispronounced by a child, yet perhaps closer to the truth. The child heard, “ever-laughing life”. Laughter is indeed the best medicine, even in the face of tragedy. Any person or institution that is not willing to laugh at itself will die. We must be self-critical. When we stand naked before a full-length mirror, we are either going to cry or laugh. The innocent mind will laugh. Regrets will always make us cry. Since we know that we are not here to stay, we try to get in shape for every-laughing life. Letting go of the past is one of the best ways. Forgiving the people who have harmed us and asking pardon of those we have offended is vital. Ever notice that what was like the “end of the world” a few years back is no longer that important? Remember what caused us to stop speaking to a friend? Sometimes we can’t remember the reason for the breakup. Nothing is worth holding a grudge. We cannot put a price tag of the separation of a family. Heaven is for the souls that are willing to trust in God’s mercy. The souls that are free will rise because they can laugh at themselves. The souls that are heavy with regrets will have to take time to let go. The more stuff that we unload here, the more prepared we will be.
The Eucharist is our ticket. We eat His Body and drink His Blood in Holy Communion. One day we will be at the party that never ends.
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