Written by Paul Lane
Word
27 There came to him some Sadducees, those who deny that there is a resurrection, 28 and they asked him a question, saying, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, having a wife but no children, the man[Greek his brother] must take the widow and raise up offspring for his brother. 29 Now there were seven brothers. The first took a wife, and died without children. 30 And the second 31 and the third took her, and likewise all seven left no children and died. 32 Afterward the woman also died. 33 In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had her as wife.”
34 And Jesus said to them, “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage, 35 but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage, 36 for they cannot die anymore, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, being sons[Greek huioi] of the resurrection. 37 But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed, in the passage about the bush, where he calls the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. 38 Now he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for all live to him.” 39 Then some of the scribes answered, “Teacher, you have spoken well.” 40 For they no longer dared to ask him any question.
Luke 20:27-40 (ESV)
Reflection
In today’s passage, the Sadducees approach Jesus with a “gotcha question.” First, you should understand that the Sadducees were a funny kind of religious sect. They pursued a religion that had no end. One could say that they were religionist for the sake of religion and for the purpose of securing their own comfort, in that day. They were smart, talented, and usually had positions of some authority. They were middle management. Not believing in a life to come, they were motivated by the here and now. They were looking to get whatever they could in the near term. So, if they could show themselves to have gotten a leg up on Jesus, it would give them a high position amongst the crowd, and it would be something that they could boast about in the office later. For the one who tripped up this popular rabbi in public, this would be a nice addition to a thin resume.
So, they present Jesus with a question of logic. If you have watched any of the debates on YouTube, you have surely seen people asking political and theological experts about some aspect of their believe system, and in their questioning, you can hear a hint of superiority because they think they’ve got the expert in a corner. When you read the Sadducees’ question, think on those YouTube debates.
But just as it happens on YouTube, the questioner discovers that they have not thought as deeply into the question as the expert has. Their first thought should have been to understand that they are talking to an expert, so it would have been better for them to have asked questions that help them learn, rather than ones that puffed up their egos.
So, Jesus blows up their gotcha question by exposing the emptiness of their entire religious belief. You see, they were able to get a following of people who were willing to live for today only, as long as they were not thinking of the consequences in the life to come. When Jesus appeals to Moses and his acknowledgement that the Lord “[is] the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob” (Luke 20:37), the game is up. John MacArthur points out that this is not a “was” statement, but rather an “is” statement. So, Jesus is demonstrating (which is the highest form of proof) that Moses understood the relationship between God and the patriarchs as a relationship between living beings, though the patriarchs were dead. With that proof, the Sadducees could no longer appeal to Moses, nor the patriarchs. So, the basis of their religion was shattered, and they had to shut their mouths in hopes that no one noticed the emptiness of their teachings.
Application
Perhaps the application here is easier than I initially thought. Spend time with the living God and read His living Word. Do not live your life in gotcha-land. Live a life which adores that which is truly beautiful. The Lord has come to you this day to say hello and to inquire about your doings. Do not be distracted. There are so many things that pull us away from the central questions of life. Who is man? Who is God? How do I get to know Him? Think on these things and you will be challenged, changed, and often scared, but you will not be disappointed. There is a greater day intended for you, and you can get to it, if you are willing.
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.[ Or will direct your paths]Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)
Prayer
Lord, I am distracted by so many things. If it is not a podcast, it is an interesting video, or yet another podcast. I find myself seeking significance in things that will soon perish, though in the moment they may seem useful. These distractions rob me of sleep and of time with my intimate loved ones. They are a comfortable trap.
Yet, in the midst of them, I hear Your voice. When I feel shame in it, and expect scolding, I hear You say, “come, rest.” And then I do, and I am refreshed.
City Life Starter 
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