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A team of 200 priests comment on daily Gospel

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Liturgical day: Wednesday 9th in Ordinary Time

Gospel text (Mk 12,18-27): The Sadducees came to Jesus. Since they claim that there is no resurrection... The Sadducees came to Jesus. Since they claim that there is no resurrection, they questioned him in this way, «Master, in the Scriptures Moses gave us this law: ‘If anyone dies and leaves a wife but no children, his brother must take the wife and give her a child who will be considered the child of his deceased brother’. Now, there were seven brothers. The first married a wife, but he died without leaving any children. The second took the wife and he, too, died leaving no children. The same thing happened to the third. Finally the seven died leaving no children. Last of all the woman died. Now, in the resurrection, to which of them will she be wife? For the seven had her as wife».

Jesus replied, «You could be wrong in this regard because you understand neither the Scriptures nor the power of God. When they rise from the dead, men and women do not marry but are like the angels in heaven. Now, about the resurrection of the dead, have you never reflected on the chapter of the burning bush in the book of Moses? God said to him: ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob’. Now, He is the God, not of the dead but of the living. You are totally wrong».

Illustration: Francesc Badia

Today the discussions with Jesus continue. Now it is the Sadducees. They were the oddest: they formed a religious group, who believed in God but not in the Resurrection. God without resurrection? God without eternity? So what kind of "God" is this? What good is this "God" for? Such Sadducees were so wrong that when they asked Jesus an absurd question Jesus directly told them: "You are greatly mistaken."

—Quite right too! Without horizons of eternity love is not possible. Therefore, "I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. Not the God of the dead, but of the living.