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Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Today's Frontline Devotion March 25, 2007 “God of the Living” |
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Frontline Devotion for Sunday, March 25, 2007 by Anne B. Crawford
Don’t you just hate it when somebody sets you up with a question or problem that either you can’t answer or worse, no matter what you answer, you know the person asking is waiting to pounce on your response to prove you wrong or at least try to make you look foolish? You know that the purpose for such questions is not honest dialogue, but an opportunity to make you look bad.
The Sadducees thought they were going to trip up Jesus by asking him an impossible to answer question about the resurrection. They asked it, not because they wanted to learn something, but because they didn’t believe in resurrection and wanted to make Jesus look foolish or incompetent on the subject.
Surprise! Surprise! Jesus turned the tables on them – he called them on their lack of understanding. He moved way beyond their petty and inconsequential question and spoke instead of the real mystery and miracle of resurrection – namely, that our God is a God of the living, not the dead. For Jesus, the point is that life beyond our physical death in this world isn’t about carrying over all our earthly concerns and practices, it is about an intimate, up-close relationship with God. Don’t put earthly limitations on God’s everlasting love and resurrection. That will always lead to the trick questions you can’t answer.
Prayer: God of the living, you sent your son Jesus to open for us the way to resurrection and life with you both here and in the life to come. Our understanding of the life to come is imperfect. Help us to trust in your perfect love and look to the resurrection with faith that life with you will be more that we can ever hope or imagine. Amen.
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All are welcome to join and share in our Devotional Ministry on the "Frontlines" of the world. Frontline Devotions are sent via email daily. Sign up by clicking on the box to the left. Pastor Dave welcomes feedback. Contact him at pastordave@goodshepherdonline.org. |
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