Jesus is sharing a part of the New Covenant with us as He is being constantly challenged by the ruling Pharisees and Scribes who see heaven from our worldly perspective instead of how God, Jesus and the Bible tell us to see it.
We think all our relationships, all our glorious accomplishments and even our beneficial selfishness, you know, the good kind, will carry over to heaven.
So they try to trick Jesus by asking who this childless widow of seven brothers, who did their duty by taking her as their wife when their brother died, will be married to in heaven?
Jesus answered: “The children of this world are marry and are given in marriage. But those who shall be accounted worthy of that world and of the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor take wives. For neither shall they be able to die any more, for they are equal to the angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection. But that the dead rise, even Moses showed in the passage about the Bush, when he call the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Now he is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for all live to him.”
Even Moses, so very close in interaction to God did not understand or completely comprehend the resurrection and life ever-after in heaven. God is the God of the Living, He is the Living God as well as Jesus lives in our heart and the dynamically alive Holy Spirit permeates our being—spirit, mind, speech, emotions, and body.
We will be completely free in heaven as sons of God, risen by the resurrection to become angels of God!
And how do we get to heaven? Not by good works alone but by a desire of the heart to be filled with Jesus from the moment of surrender. Surrender of our free will, our self-will to God’s Will. To giving Jesus gifts of our hearts, ourselves, to turn and walk away from our shortcomings, our character defects, our over-zealous natural, basic instincts now turned into addictions.
Jesus points to the widow who put two mites into the treasury of the temple: “Truly I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all. For all these out of their abundance have put in as gifts to God; but she out of her want has put in all that she had to live on.”
Jesus said that “by your patience you will win your souls,” meaning to me to not be lead astray by sin or false prophets. No need to be anxious or terrified with the ways of the world. Jesus said that all that will “lead to your bearing witness. Resolve therefore in your hearts not to meditate beforehand how you are able to make your defense. For I myself will give you utterance and wisdom, which all your adversaries will not be able to resist.”
That sounds powerful and is powerful with Jesus’ love in your heart, God’s Will your destiny and the Holy Spirit immersing your being.
Imagine God giving us wisdom and putting the right words in our mouths whenever, and always, when needed!
Chapter 21 of Luke may be more descriptive of the last day than the Book of the Apocalypse of Revelations. There is contradiction and things that don’t make sense or that cannot be unraveled to make sense in my mind.
One big contradiction to me is when Jesus says, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.”
Seems to directly contradict what God said in the Old Testament back in Genesis Chapter 8:
God was pleased and said: “I will no more curse the earth for the sake of man: for the imagination and thought of man’s heart are prone to evil from his youth: therefore I will no more destroy every living soul as I have done. All the days of the earth, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, night and day, shall not cease.”
Ironic isn’t it that we usually tend to want and accept the message of love in the New Testament and want to reject the harshness and bodily death and destruction of the Old Testament and here we have a kinder and gentler promise of God to not wipe us out or destroy the earth.
For me I tend to think of the Bible in terms of one’s personal self, myself included. I didn’t realize it or think about it until a few years ago that in all probability and reality that the earth will live on long after I pass on. This death and destruction of the world is in fact in my opinion this day is the death and destruction of evil within each of us and then bodily death followed by spiritual resurrection to a life lived ever after for all of eternity in heave. Just my opinion, knowing we all have one thing in common for sure—death, and Jesus refers to this by saying, “for come it will upon all who dwell on the face of all the earth. Watch, then, praying at all times, that you may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that are to be, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
Chances are we will die an individual death before our habitat, the world is destroyed in God’s plan.
We are angels, sons of God, and sons of the Resurrection!
Day 78: Reading The Bible with a TROML Perspective; Angels, Sons of God, and Sons of the Resurrection are We…
Read and inspired by the New Testament, The Gospel of Saint Luke Chapters 20-21.
Bible Notes:
The Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke
Saint Luke, a pagan by birth and a physician by profession, had never seen our Lord. An early convert, he became a companion and co-worker of Saint Paul.
In the first four verses of his Gospel he explains why he wrote it. Paul’s doctrine that salvation is for all, not for Jesus alone, is the theme of Saint Luke’s Gospel.
Luke Chapter 20: The authority of Jesus; Parable of the vine-dressers; Vine-dressers kill the owner’s son; Condemnation of the Jewish leaders; Tribute to Caesar; The Sadducees ask about the resurrection; Jesus’ answer; The Son of David; Hypocrisy of the Scribes and Pharisees.
Chief Priests & Scribes to Jesus: “Tell us, by what authority dost thou do these things? Or who is it that gave thee this authority?
Jesus answered: “I also will ask you one question. Answer me: was the baptism of John from heaven or from men?”
“If we say ‘from heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ But if we say, ‘From men,’ all the people will stone us; for they are convinced that John was a prophet.”
And they answered that they did not know whence it was.
Jesus: “Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.”
Parable of the vine-dressers…
Jesus: “A man planted a vineyard, and let it out to vine-dressers, and went abroad for a long time… sent a servant… they beat him and sent him away empty-handed…second servant… they beat and treated him shamefully and sent him away empty-handed… sent a third servant… they wounded and cast him out…sent his beloved son… they cast him out of the vineyard and killed him… What therefore will the owner of the vineyard do to them? He will come and destroy those vinedressers, and will give the vineyard to others.”
Jewish leaders: “By no means.”
Jesus: “What then is this that is written. ‘The stone which the builders rejected, has become the corner stone? Everyone who falls upon that stone will be broken to pieces; but upon whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder.”
For they knew he had aimed this parable at them (the Jewish leaders).
Spies of Jewish leaders to Jesus: “Master, we know that thou speakest and teachest rightly, and showest no favor to any, but teachest the way of God in truth. Is it lawful for us to give tribute to Caesar, or not?”
Jesus: “Why do you test me? Show me a denarius. Whose image and inscription does it bear? (Caesar’s) Render, therefore, to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s”
Master, Moses has written for us… If a man’s brother die, having a wife, and he be childless, his brother shall take the widow and raise up issue to his brother… seven brothers… at the resurrection, therefore, of which of them will she be wife? For the seven had her as wife…
Jesus: “The children of this world are marry and are given in marriage. But those who shall be accounted worthy of that world and of the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor take wives. For neither shall they be able to die any more, for they are equal to the angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection. But that the dead rise, even Moses showed in the passage about the Bush, when he call the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Now he is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for all live to him.”
Scribes: “Master thou hast said well.”
Jesus: “How do they say that the Christ is the Son of David? For David himself says in the Book of Psalms, ‘The Lord said to my Lord: Sit at my right hand, till I make they enemies thy footstool.’ David therefore calls him, ‘Lord’; how then, is he his son?
Jesus to his disciples: “Beware of the Scribes, who like to walk about in long robes, and love greetings in the market place, and front seats in the synagogues and first place at suppers; who devour the houses of the widows, making pretense of long prayers. These shall receive a heavier sentence.”
Luke Chapter 21: The widow’s mite; Ruin of Jerusalem and end of the world; Danger of being misled; Persecution foretold; Destruction of Jerusalem; The signs of the last day; Jerusalem’s impending destruction; The need for watchfulness.
Jesus: “Truly I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all. For all these out of their abundance have put in as gifts to God; but she out of her want has put in all that she had to live on.”
Jesus foretelling the ruin of Jerusalem and the end of the world: “As for these things that you behold, the days will come in which there will not be left one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”
Jesus: “Take care not to be led astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he,’ and, ‘The time is at hand.’ Do not, therefore, go after them. But when you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; these things must first come to pass, but the end will not be at once. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there will be great earthquakes in various places, and pestilences and famines, and there will be terrors and great signs from heaven.”
Jesus: “But before all these things they will arrest you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, dragging you before kings and governors for my name’s sake. It shall lead to your bearing witness. Resolve therefore in your hearts not to meditate beforehand how you are able to make your defense. For I myself will give you utterance and wisdom, which all your adversaries will not be able to resist or gainsay. But you will be delivered up by your parents and brothers and relatives and friends; and some of you they will put to death. And you will be hated by all for my name’s sake; yet not a hair of your head shall perish. By your patience you will win your souls.”
Jesus: “And when you see Jerusalem being surrounded by an army, then know that her desolation is at hand. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains; and let those who are in her midst go out, and let those who are in the country not enter her. For these are days of vengeance, that all things that are written may be fulfilled. But woe to those that are with child, or have infants at the breast in those days! For there will be great distress over the land, and wrath upon this people. And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led away as captives to all the nations. And Jerusalem will be trodden down by the Gentiles, until the times of the nations be fulfilled.
Jesus regarding signs of the last day: “And there will be signs in the sun and moon and stars, and upon the earth distress of nations bewildered by the roaring of seas and waves; men fainting for fear and for expectation of the things that are coming on the world” for the powers of heaven will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming upon a cloud with great power and majesty. But when these things begin to come to pass, look up, and lift up your heads, because your redemption is at hand.”
Jesus: “Behold the fig tree, and all the trees. When they now put forth their buds, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see these things coming to pass, know that the kingdom of God is near, Amen I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all things have been accomplished. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. Bui take heed to your selves, lest your hearts be overburdened with self-indulgence and drunkenness and the cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly as a snare. For come it will upon all who dwell on the face of all the earth. Watch, then, praying at all times, that you may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that are to be, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
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