A wife and the big picture (Mk 12:18-27)

          The Sadducees did not believe in resurrection because they did not believe in an afterlife.  From their perspective, the idea of resurrection is contrary to Scripture and leads to irrational, absurd consequences.  They were also aware that Jesus did believe in both resurrection and an afterlife.  For that reason, they looked for an opportunity to engage Jesus in a discussion.  Their aim was to expose him as a false teacher by proving that resurrection is an untenable belief.  Mark’s gospel records one such encounter.

          The strategy of the Sadducees is to pose a question based on a passage found in the Book of Deuteronomy.  That passage specifies a man’s duty to the wife of his deceased brother (Dt 25:5).  If the doctrine of the resurrection is true, then the woman having seven husbands at the resurrection is contrary to Scripture.  Or else, having to choose which of the seven would be her husband leads to absurd and irrational consequences.  This dilemma suggests that the doctrine is therefore false.  Thus, the question the Sadducees pose is meant to put Jesus in an embarrassing position. 

          If he denies the necessity of the practice called for in the Book of Deuteronomy, he avoids the absurd consequences suggested by the question, but in effect denies the truth of Scripture.  This would undermine his credibility and authority to teach the reality of the resurrection, and thus undermine the doctrine itself.  On the other hand, if Jesus denies that there is indeed a future state where such absurd consequences occur, then he denies resurrection outright.  Either way, the Sadducees prove their point that resurrection is an untenable and false doctrine.

          Once again, however, Jesus turns the table on his interrogators.  He points out that their question relies on a false premise.  Their question assumes that resurrection means a return to a state much like the present one with similar circumstances.  For Jesus, this amounts to comparing apples to oranges.  Instead, Jesus makes it clear that life in the spiritual realm is not like life in the physical realm.  In the spiritual realm, there is no need for marriage. 

          As a result, the Sadducees’ use of one passage from the Book of Deuteronomy to disprove resurrection was a misuse of Scripture.  Relying on one passage to prove a point often leads to a distortion of Scripture.  This was the tactic used by Satan who quoted from Scripture for his own purpose when he tempted Jesus in the desert.  At the very least, selecting one passage to prove a point reflects an uncritical approach to Scripture and a failure to understand its purpose.  It is in this respect that the Sadducees were greatly misled.  When it comes to reading Scripture, they failed to get the big picture. 

          The Sadducees failed to understand that Scripture reveals and explains the relationship between God and his people.  The purpose is to inspire and lead us to the truth about God and his plan for our salvation.  As the Apostle John puts it, ultimately the purpose of Scripture is that we come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through this belief we may have life in his name (Jn 20:31).  That was true for the Sadducees long ago as much as it is true for us today.