Devotion for the Week

Devotion based on the scripture from November 9, 2025.

Something Different

Sometimes the gospels give us the impression that Jesus would make a great lawyer. The Sadducees seem to ask him a pretty straightforward question, but Jesus answers it as though he is deliberately sidestepping the point. Indeed, he answers a lot of questions this way, apparently talking about something totally unrelated to the conversation at hand. If we pay close attention, though, we see that Jesus is directing us to an important point, even if it seems altogether different from the original track.

The Sadducees are challenging the validity of the resurrection with a hyperbolic question about ancient Hebrew marriage customs. But Jesus basically says, “Look, God came to Moses in the burning bush and said, ‘I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob here and now, in the present. And I am the God of the living, not the dead.’ Therefore, God’s chosen ones are alive and well after death!”

Jesus knows that the reality of the resurrection is too hard for them to understand. It’s too hard for any of us to understand. So instead of responding to their literal question, he offers some comfort. He says, “Listen, Moses already showed us that these saints are alive and well with God. It’s okay. Don’t worry about what comes next. God’s got this.”

Death is scary, so Jesus is giving us a word of assurance to help us face it. That word is this: “You will be resurrected. It’s okay to be afraid. It’s okay to not know what the resurrection will look like or who is going to be sitting where. Just remember that you are a beloved child of God and will be made alive together with all the saints.”