Better things to think about

Jesus answered them, ‘The men and women of this age marry, but the men and women who are worthy to rise from death and live in the age to come will not then marry. They will be like angels and cannot die. They are the children of God, because they have risen from death.’ (verses 34-36)

Read Luke 20: 27-40

What’s it going to be like in heaven? That’s the question on many people’s hearts and minds. We would love to know, and the speculation and even jokes about it are numerous.

The Sadducees (who didn’t believe in the resurrection) tried to trip Jesus by giving him a hypothetical question on marriage to answer. He wasn’t put out by their question or left floundering for an answer. He gave them an answer they didn’t expect: ‘It’s not like you think it will be’.

I particularly like the way Eugene H Peterson, in his paraphrase The Message, quotes Jesus’ answer: ‘Marriage is a major preoccupation here, but not there. Those who are included in the resurrection of the dead will no longer be concerned with marriage nor, of course, with death. They will have better things to think about, if you can believe it.
All ecstasies and intimacies then will be with God.’

We certainly will have better things than marriage and spouse to think about. We will be with God and will not have to worry about how our spouse is faring. We will see God face to face. We won’t have to rely on anyone else. We will be preoccupied with listening to God and singing his praises. Won’t that be wonderful?

Dear God, I am full of speculation and wonder about what it will be like to be with you in eternity. I know it will be worth waiting for. Thank you that you have prepared a place for me because of Jesus’ death for me and his resurrection, which assures me that I will be there with you. Amen.

by Merna Thamm, in ‘Guidance for each Day’ (LCA, Openbook, 2002)

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