RISEN LIFE

“The King of the world will raise us up

to live again forever.”—2 Maccabees 7:9

Both today’s first reading and the Gospel deal with life after death. Both show that we humans have no idea of what risen life will be like. In today’s Gospel, the Sadducees demonstrate this by their misguided assumptions. They were “badly misled” and failed “to understand the Scriptures or the power of God” (Mk 12:24).

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is an historical fact. It is not merely an idea. Throughout the centuries after Jesus rose from the dead, people have given their lives in martyrdom to defend the truth of Jesus’ Resurrection. Numerous martyrs “were tortured and would not receive deliverance, in order to obtain a better resurrection” (Heb 11:35).

The key to life is to have an encounter with the risen Jesus. After we have met the risen Christ, we become “a new creation. The old order has passed away; now all is new” (2 Cor 5:17). Even in this earthly life, our lifestyle changes completely as we see everything through the perspective of the kingdom of God rather than with the eyes of the world (see Mt 6:19-34).

Since Jesus has risen, we who are baptized into Christ can share even now in this risen life (Col 1:10-13). Our life is hidden in Christ (Col 3:3). We are citizens of heaven (Phil 3:20) while living on this earth. Accept the risen Jesus as your Lord.