10 April 2010
Psalm 145; Exod. 13:17-14:4; 2 Cor. 4:16-5:10; Mark 12:18-27

The Lord chooses the route. He doesn’t send them the direct way, towards the Philistines because they will turn away from war and go back to Egypt. He knew how fragile their faith was at this point. Instead, He chooses to do one last sign for Pharaoh. They double back so that Pharaoh can see them and presume they are lost. The point is to get Pharaoh to follow after them to destroy what he can and bring back what he can. At the same time, He is setting up the Israelites to test their faith and prove Himself as capable even here in the wilderness.

The question the Sadducees pose is obnoxious and it actually sounds like questions non-Christians, primarily atheists, pose today thinking they are clever. Jesus, however, doesn’t simply roll His eyes, but gives them a scriptural answer to their question. The answer concerning our resurrection life is interesting without giving us a great deal of information. Are we like angels in the sense that we don’t marry or are we like angels in other ways? His answer here is simply authoritative. His answer from scripture is one that requires them to think about something they have read and known all their lives but apparently haven’t thought through from a linguistic point of view. Here Jesus affirms the inspiration of Scripture as it is written, not a paraphrase.

Paul again affirms the life of earth as meaningful and important. The body matters. He recognizes that this life is difficult and that our spirit longs to be with the Lord but he also knows that the work of life has meaning and value eternally. When he speaks of judgment of our works, he is not denying salvation by faith. What we often miss is that our lives are lives of faith, the faith we have should be evidenced by the way we live, what is important to us, how we love God and one another plays itself out in the flesh and life. Faith that saves is faith that transforms life.

I will extol you, my God and King,
and bless your name forever and ever.
Every day I will bless you
and praise your name forever and ever.
Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised,
and his greatness is unsearchable.