Homily For Saturday Thirty-Third Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 23rd November, 2024

 

Readings: Rev. 11:4-12; Ps.144; Luke:20:27-40

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

DO YOU TRULY BELIEVE IN THE RESURRECTION?

Oftentimes, when we talk about the teaching on resurrection, people always want to know what and how it is going to be like. We often get this teaching wrong because we are using our little knowledge of the things of this passing world to judge the heavenly things. This is the disposition of the Sadducees in our Gospel passage today, for since they do not believe in the resurrection, they decided to challenge Jesus concerning the notion of resurrection using the analogy of marital union in relation to afterlife events in order to discredit the teachings of Jesus.

As usual, Jesus goes on to explain how people will relate to each other in the event of life after death. Those who are judged worthy of a place in the other world and in the resurrection from the dead do not marry because they can no longer die, for they are the same as the angels, and being children of the resurrection, they are sons and daughters of God. He then challenged the Sadducees’ unbelief about life after death.

He reminded them of the scene where the voice from the burning bush identifies itself to Moses saying: “I AM the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob” (Exodus 3:6). For He is the God of the living and not of the dead. After this reply of Jesus to both the Pharisees and the Sadducees, they no longer dared to ask him any questions.

To emphasise more the issues about resurrection St. John in our first reading today said: after the three-and-a-half days, God breathed life into the decaying corpses in the great city and they stood up, and everybody who saw it happen was terrified; then they heard a loud voice from heaven say to them, ‘Come up here’, and while their enemies were watching, they went up to heaven in a cloud.

Dear friends, do you truly believe in the resurrection? Can our attitudes towards the things of this passing world show that we truly believe in the resurrection? How often have I preached and taught people about my faith in the resurrection of Jesus? Do I have any personal experience of the resurrection of the dead that I can share with people? How deep is my understanding of the teachings of Jesus on the mystery of resurrection? How far can I go in trying to understand the mystery of resurrection and instruct others who are ignorant of this?

Friends, we believe in the resurrection not so much because of Jesus’ arguments here, but because of his resurrection, of which he promises to share his life and joy with us forever. Jesus tells us that we are children of the resurrection and children of God who are neither married nor given in marriage in the heavenly kingdom.

Though it is natural for us to ask questions about the resurrection of life, we should not expect to understand it fully while we are still alive. All that matters is for us to use our little understanding of this teaching and revelation to improve our relationship with our God and neighbours for what we shall be after death is known by God alone.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, as we look forward to the resurrection of mankind. May we be inspired by the great example of our Lord Jesus and so obtain the joy of his resurrection. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a fruitful weekend.