Jesus said, "You are greatly mistaken" - Not the words I want to hear

Mark 12:18-37  From the One Year Bible daily reading (link available on links page)

¹⁸ Some Sadducees (who say that there is no resurrection) *came to Jesus, and began questioning Him, saying, ¹⁹ “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves behind a wife and leaves no child, his brother should marry the wife and raise up children to his brother. ²⁰ There were seven brothers; and the first took a wife, and died leaving no children. ²¹ The second one married her, and died leaving behind no children; and the third likewise; ²² and so all seven left no children. Last of all the woman died also. ²³ In the resurrection, when they rise again, which one’s wife will she be? For all seven had married her.” ²⁴ Jesus said to them, “Is this not the reason you are mistaken, that you do not understand the Scriptures or the power of God? ²⁵ For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. ²⁶ But regarding the fact that the dead rise again, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the burning bush, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? ²⁷ He is not the God of the dead, but of the living; you are greatly mistaken.”

²⁸ One of the scribes came and heard them arguing, and recognizing that He had answered them well, asked Him, “What commandment is the foremost of all?” ²⁹ Jesus answered, “The foremost is, ‘Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is one Lord; ³⁰ and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ ³¹ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” ³² The scribe said to Him, “Right, Teacher; You have truly stated that He is One, and there is no one else besides Him; ³³ and to love Him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as himself, is much more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” ³⁴ When Jesus saw that he had answered intelligently, He said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” After that, no one would venture to ask Him any more questions.

³⁵ And Jesus began to say, as He taught in the temple, “How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David? ³⁶ David himself said in the Holy Spirit,

³⁷ David himself calls Him ‘Lord’; so in what sense is He his son?” And the large crowd enjoyed listening to Him.

There are two different aspects to the first account in today's text. First we see on the surface, the inability to understand and comprehend the eternal and infinite kingdom of God with our limited finite minds. We are, as believers, supposed to try to duplicate the realities of heaven here on earth. Instead we often try to rationalize and explain the inexplainable truths of the heavenly realm in the finite terms of this realm and our limited minds. Faith requires an ability to believe in things which we can not see. Hebrews 11:1-3

 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. ² For by it the men of old gained approval. ³ By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.

The second thing we see in this opening portion of the text is length to which doubters will go to try to question or disprove the truth of God's word. The text tells us that the Sadducees believed that there is no resurrection. They were not looking for an answer. They were trying to discredit Jesus. So they create an unrealistic hypothetical situation to try to disprove the truth. They tell a lie to question the truth. Like these Sadducees, many people today believe in and create lies or distort the truth in order to disprove God's word. The Saducees created a scenario where a woman was married to seven different brothers, each one dying then the next one marrying her. That's a pretty unrealistic scenario, for everything to align so that each of the seven would marry her. Think of  the sequence of the unrelated series of random events and circumstances that those who try to disprove creation say happened. In reality it takes much more faith to believe in their random unprovable theories than it does to believe in creation by the almighty God. That faith is simply misplaced and misguided. There is a danger to that type of thinking. It is more than simply having a different opinion.  Paul says this about the last days, 2 Thessalonians 2:7-12

⁷ For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. ⁸ Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; ⁹ that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, ¹⁰ and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. ¹¹ For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, ¹² in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness. 

Doubters and unbelievers will say our Christian view is narrow minded and intolerant to other ideas. I am more concerned with God's opinion then theirs. Romans 1:16-22 says:

¹⁶ For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. ¹⁷ For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “But the righteous man shall live by faith.”¹⁸ For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, ¹⁹ because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. ²⁰ For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. ²¹ For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. ²² Professing to be wise, they became fools,   I'd rather be called a fool by men than to be called a fool by God.

God's way is not narrow or intolerant. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.(John 3:16) He provided for everyone.

The text continues with what is foundational to our faith. Since they were unable to disprove Jesus through their foolish contrived story, they try to test Jesus with another question.       One of the scribes came and heard them arguing, and recognizing that He had answered them well, asked Him, “What commandment is the foremost of all?” ²⁹ Jesus answered, “The foremost is, ‘Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is one Lord; ³⁰ and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ ³¹ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” ³² The scribe said to Him, “Right, Teacher; You have truly stated that He is One, and there is no one else besides Him; ³³ and to love Him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as himself, is much more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

Jesus answer indicates the truth of the foundation for our faith. If we will truly love God with all our heart soul and mind, there will be nothing in us to doubt, question or disblieve. To love God is the only pathway to doing what is right. It is much more than all burnt offerings and sacrifice, the things required by the law to attone for sin. God so loved us that He created a better way. A way for us not only to attone for our sin but rather through His love, by Jesus work on the cross we are redeemed from our sins. God's love for us covered all of our sin. Our love for Him is simply our response to His love. It is foundational to our faith because it is the basis of our salvation. We love, because He first loved us.(1 John 4:19) In that perfected love, we then love others.  The end of all things is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer. ⁸ Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins (1 Peter 4:7-8)

Love is much more than all offering and sacrifice. Love is much more than any service or work we can do for God. The love chapter 1 Corinthians 13 ends with these verses:

 Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. ⁹ For we know in part and we prophesy in part; ¹⁰ but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. ¹¹ When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. ¹² For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. ¹³ But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love. 

Our faith and our hope begins and ends with love. Love of God first, then in that love responding to His call to share His love with all.

Thank You Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ and Holy Spirit. That You first loved me. That You loved me so much that Jesus redeemed me from my sin. You redeemed and  restored me through Your love. Thank You Holy Spirit, that You bore witness to me of this great love. Thank You also that creation also testifies of Your love. I love you Lord God. Empower me Holy Spirit to walk in Your love, to share Your love and the indescribable goodness of the kingdom of heaven to all, according to Your will.    Amen