7 Brides for 7 Brothers

Some Sadducees, those who say there is no resurrection, came to him and asked him a question, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, leaving a wife but no children, the man shall marry the widow and raise up children for his brother. Now there were seven brothers; the first married, and died childless; then the second and the third married her, and so in the same way all seven died childless. Finally the woman also died. In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had married her.”

Jesus said to them, “Those who belong to this age marry and are given in marriage; but those who are considered worthy of a place in that age and in the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. Indeed they cannot die anymore, because they are like angels and are children of God, being children of the resurrection. And the fact that the dead are raised Moses himself showed, in the story about the bush, where he speaks of the Lord as the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Now he is God not of the dead, but of the living; for to him all of them are alive.” Then some of the scribes answered, “Teacher, you have spoken well.” For they no longer dared to ask him another question.

 

Have you watched the movie “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers”? If you ever want a change from the ultra violent movies being made these days, you might want to see this immensely entertaining musical made in the 50s. I was reminded of this movie when I read this passage today, where the Sadducees ask Jesus a hypothetical question about what happens to a bride if she happens to be married to seven brothers, all of who pop it. “In the resurrection,” they wanted to know, “whose wife will the woman be?” I doubt this was an original question. They had probably asked it before, trying to “prove” that there was no resurrection. 

 

The question had its basis in Deuteronomy 25:5-6 which said that if brothers were living together and one of them died without a son, the widow must not marry outside the family. She had to marry her husband’s brother. This was to perpetuate the lineage of each tribe, which takes special significance when we realize that Jesus had to be born from one of them. Anyway, Jesus’ answer throws some light on a question that we might have about what happens to the relationships we have on earth when we get to heaven. Do our spouses remain our spouses? Do our children remain our children? 

 

No, they don’t. The universe as we know it will cease to exist, replaced by another universe (see Revelation 21:1,4). In this universe there won’t be death—or marriage—because our bodies will be different. They will be glorified bodies. What kind of bodies will these be? I can’t even begin to imagine. People asked Paul the same thing and he said: “But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?” How foolish! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else (1 Corinthians 15:35-37). I think the point he was making is we won’t know until it happens!

 

Will we recognize each other? Given that both Elijah and Moses were recognizable by Peter, James and John on the Mount of Transfiguration (see Matthew 17:1-13), I believe we will be able to recognize one another, although it might take some doing. Consider how long it took some of his disciples to recognize Jesus after his resurrection. So, if you do recognize me when you get up there, please say hello. But while you are still here on earth, you might want to watch “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.”

 

Enjoy!

 

Watch a video of this reflection by Aneel Aranha here: https://youtu.be/XuYMFgBJnoY