主日讀經反思　Sunday Scripture Meditation　(07/11/2010)

本主日讀經︰
瑪加伯下　7:1-2,9-14
聖詠　17[16]:1,5-6,8,15
得撒洛尼後書　2:16-3:5
路加福音　20:27-38

默想︰

否認復活的撒杜塞人問耶穌復活後的景況，值得反省的是他們的動機。他們可能是想借此問題難住耶穌，為自己的觀點贏得更多理據。他們不相信復活，所以出此難題，借機向人展示死者復活是多麼的荒謬。也有可能他們真的想知道耶穌對於死者復活的看法。當時很多人跟隨了耶穌，這證明耶穌是有威望、有智慧的人，連撒杜塞人也來請教祂。撒杜塞人自己對於今世和來生有太多不能明白的地方，而耶穌給他們指出今世和來世的某些區別：人生在世，也娶也嫁，但是來世卻不如此。耶穌並沒有詳細列出來世和今世的其他區別，只是說死後復活就不會再死，因為天主是活人的天主，所有的人為祂都是生活的。人生有長有短，有未出世就夭折，有活一百多年，今生壽命雖有長短，價值並無區別。在天主眼裏，每個人都是尊貴的，每個人都是生活的。所以學著以天主的眼光看待世物，會幫助自己養成一種智慧，不再以社會習俗、文化以及社會的或是個人的偏見評判人，而是按著天主啟示的真理，順從耶穌派遣的聖神之光照，在短短的人生中，體驗天主的愛，並與人分享這愛。

【摘自和平十一月號】

Readings (Year C) page 65:
2 Maccabees 7: 1-2, 9-14
Psalm 17: 1, 5-6, 8, 15 Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full.
2 Thessalonians 2: 16 – 3: 5
Luke 20: 27-38

As Jesus is coming to the end of his public life, his authority is constantly challenged by the establishment. Today it is the turn of the Sadducees, a Jewish sect which only accepted the authority of the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Old Testament. So they did not accept beliefs which occur in later books, such as the resurrection of the dead. With this is mind, they propose a situation where a woman married seven brothers in succession – all of whom died leaving her childless. They then put what they think is an unanswerable question to Jesus, presuming he accepted life after death. In the next life, which brother will be the woman’s husband? For them there is no problem because they held there was no life after death.

Jesus answers them in two ways. First, in the next life there will be a whole new set of relationships – all will be children of the one God, brothers and sisters of the Risen Jesus and of each other. Secondly, as to references to life after death in the Pentateuch, Jesus quotes from the scene where Moses speaks with Yahweh at the burning bush (Ex. 3:6) and where God identifies himself as the God of Abraham, of Isaac and of Jacob. Concludes Jesus: “God is a God of the living and not of those who no longer exist.” As Christians, our calling in this life is already to transcend narrow family relationships and reach out to every other person as a brother or sister.

By this will all know you are my followers, that you love one another.

Shalom – Thoughts for Prayer