He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living

Then they sent to Him some of the Pharisees and the Herodians, to catch Him in His words. When they had come, they said to Him, "Teacher, we know that You are true, and care about no one; for You do not regard the person of men, but teach the way of God in truth. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? Shall we pay, or shall we not pay?" But He, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, "Why do you test Me? Bring Me a denarius that I may see it." So they brought it. And He said to them, "Whose image and inscription is this? They said to Him, "Caesar's." And Jesus answered and said to them, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." And they marveled at Him.

Then some Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Him; and they asked Him, saying: "Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if a man's brother dies, and leaves his wife behind, and leaves no children, his brother should take his wife and raise up offspring for his brother. Now there were seven brothers. The first took a wife; and dying, he left no offspring. And the second took her, and he died; nor did he leave any offspring. And the third likewise. So the seven had her and left no offspring. Last of all the woman died also. Therefore, in the resurrection, when they rise, whose wife will she be? For all seven had her as wife." Jesus answered and said to them, "Are you not therefore mistaken, because you do not know the Scriptures nor the power of God? For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. But concerning the dead, that they rise, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the burning bush passage, how God spoke to him, saying, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living. You are therefore greatly mistaken."

- Mark 12:13-27

In yesterday's reading and commentary, we read about Jesus being quizzed by the leadership of the temple.. By what authority did He cleanse the temple? Jesus doesn't answer them directly, but with His own question: whose authority did John the Baptist have to baptize? They couldn't answer, because of their fear of the crowds - and so, neither did Jesus give them an answer to this question. Jesus instead told a parable, about the vineyard owner, and the vinedressers who wounded or killed his servants, and finally murdered his son. Jesus said to them, "Have you not even read this Scripture: 'The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.'"

Then they sent to Him some of the Pharisees and the Herodians, to catch Him in His words. When they had come, they said to Him, "Teacher, we know that You are true, and care about no one; for You do not regard the person of men, but teach the way of God in truth. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? Shall we pay, or shall we not pay?" It's important to understand the parties involved here who are asking the questions. In yesterday's reading, it was the religious leadership: chief priests, scribes and elders, who came asking about Jesus' authority. But today we have powerful ruling parties asking the question. The Herodians were the party around Herod the Great, who represented Rome. So this leading question comes with an important angle: will Jesus openly speak against Rome? And it's a really crafty question: what we see is a play for the hearts of the people; and at the same time, the fear of what they think (as in yesterday's reading). They flatter Jesus in saying that "He does not regard the person of men" and at the same time they believe He will not wish to alienate the crowds that resent Roman taxes.

But He, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, "Why do you test Me? Bring Me a denarius that I may see it." So they brought it. And He said to them, "Whose image and inscription is this? They said to Him, "Caesar's." And Jesus answered and said to them, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." And they marveled at Him. It's important that we read about Jesus "knowing their hypocrisy," because that really forms a basis of so many of His answers as He is being quizzed. In fact, we can see that with each audience, whether it be the multitudes to whom He preaches, or His disciples in private, or here with those who seek to trap Him, Jesus gauges His answers to those to whom He speaks. He adjusts and responds appropriately for each. With the crowds, He teaches in parables, which He explains in detail to His disciples. But to these men who quiz Him He offers just about as much as they offer to Him. He turns the tables on them, and He won't give them the answer they desire. Today's reading is no exception. It's a brilliant answer, because it contains within it a question revealing the seeds of their own hypocrisy. What doesn't belong to God? In other Gospels, we're told that the crowd delighted in this answer, this response to the leadership. We can just imagine the simple and direct question, a laughable elegance with which they're chagrined: "Whose picture is this?"

Then some Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Him; and they asked Him, saying: "Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if a man's brother dies, and leaves his wife behind, and leaves no children, his brother should take his wife and raise up offspring for his brother. Now there were seven brothers. The first took a wife; and dying, he left no offspring. And the second took her, and he died; nor did he leave any offspring. And the third likewise. So the seven had her and left no offspring. Last of all the woman died also. Therefore, in the resurrection, when they rise, whose wife will she be? For all seven had her as wife." Here's another important party asking Jesus a question. And the question is pertinent to their perspective. The Sadducees were a party of the wealthy, and included many landowners in Jerusalem. They are an aristocratic party and come from important family lineage. My study bible says they "held many high offices within Israel, controlling the temple and the Sanhedrin. They differed from the Pharisees in that they were politically prudent and they adapted to the presence of the Romans. They interpreted the Law even more rigidly than the Pharisees and, unlike them, the Sadducees rejected belief in angels and in the resurrection from the dead at the end of the age. The Sadducees completely disappeared after the destruction of Jerusalem." I suppose we can imagine the emphasis on property, ownership and inheritance that these men would be focused upon. Therefore this question reflects their particular emphasis in life: the here and now, and disbelief in resurrection at all - even angels and other heavenly life.

Jesus answered and said to them, "Are you not therefore mistaken, because you do not know the Scriptures nor the power of God? For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven." Jesus tells them they do not know the Scriptures. We can take this passage as one example, from Isaiah 26:19 - "But your dead will live; their bodies will rise. You who dwell in the dust, wake up and shout for joy. Your dew is like the dew of the morning; the earth will give birth to her dead." To be like angels in heaven is another important understanding of the difference between their perspective and what is, or what will be a heavenly reality. In a place where property is all, the concept of angels in heaven must be completely foreign to all understanding, especially of relationship.

"But concerning the dead, that they rise, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the burning bush passage, how God spoke to him, saying, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living. You are therefore greatly mistaken." Jesus turns us to the mind of God, the reality and presence of God. It is an eternal now, and God speaks in the present tense. God is life itself, and the reality of life is God's reality. Therefore, He says, He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. Again, taking the perspective of the Sadducees for whom ownership is all, a living life has values and concepts that are foreign to simply what we own and control. Life itself has within it the seeds of resurrection of every kind, the ability to transform and create, to grow and multiply the things that are the treasures of heaven, that moth and rust can't destroy, and thieves can't break in and steal. Dead matter can be collected and used and transferred, but not this treasure; it is something given in exchange for faith in the things that are in our midst but can't be seen with the same sight, and requires a different perception.

Jesus returns like for like here, in some sense. He responds to His audience as is required of Him - as is befitting to the questioner and their question. Those who seek to trap Him fail to do so. Instead it is His answers that are tailored for them, for their weaknesses and their lack of understanding, and even their hypocrisy and craftiness. One presumes the Sadducees, while mistaken, are clumsy and in earnest - but, as He says, ignorant of the Scriptures and the power of God. The Pharisees, who know the Scriptures and are experts in their interpretation, are another matter entirely, and He reserves His most scathing criticism for them throughout the Gospels. From these answers, the Church Fathers have historically understood Jesus' knowing of the hearts of men - of all men, those who love Him and those who don't, and this is part of our understanding of the power of God that is present in Him. He is the "knower of hearts." Let us understand, then, that we, too, get the answers we need. In some sense, Jesus' answers - even to the ones who question Him with hostility - are always enlightening to the ones who receive them, even if they are in reply to a hostile question. We get what we need, because the answer is tailored to what is there within our hearts, our organ of perception and discernment. Even these men who ask here in order to entrap, the Pharisees and Herodians, and the Sadducees, if they listen and seek to understand, there is opportunity to learn what they truly need to know. But can they accept? Can they grow out of their own ignorance, their primary desires for the things of the world they seek to cling to? God answers our prayers one way or another, and sometimes there are things we need to learn, to break out beyond our own ignorance, and to grow. Can we handle the responses we get then? God's love will always welcome us, but it is we who must open enough to receive it, and look to the care of our hearts in order to remain capable of doing so.