Exaudi Friday - Devotion in Exile

Lection for Friday of Exaudi
Numbers 20:1-21      Luke 20:19-49

When my grandmother died, my grandfather got remarried. The gal my grandfather married was also widowed. All three marriages where over 20 years long. All four people involved were devoted to Christ, and I have no doubt that now they have all left this veil tears, they are with the Lord. When the resurrection happens, to whom will they each be married? Their first spouses? Their second spouses? Two of them only had one spouse, so maybe that is the answer?

I know people are well-intentioned when they speak of their loved ones being reunited with their beloved spouse who pre-deceased them. Indeed, they are “together” with the Lord. It begs the question though, are they together as husband and wife in heaven? Without putting to keen a point on it, NO!

As much as I love people…as much as I love my boys, Nathan and Timothy…I love Pauline more. She is the one who is closest to me, she and I are “one flesh”…in this life.

BUT---I will love you, dear reader, when the day of resurrection dawns, more than I love Pauline today!

Please understand what I am saying.

In this life, we are sinners. As a sinner, I do not love anybody, including my sons, and especially (as sad as it is to say) Pauline, perfectly. If you do not believe me, ask those closest to me. A good descriptor or me is this; poor, miserable, sinner!

In fact, if there is anybody against whom we all sin more, it is our own family members. They see us more, have more time with us, and therefore are exposed to our sinful behavior more than any others. But I digress!

In the resurrection, I will be sinless. I will love perfectly! I will love as God loves, for my sinful flesh will have been changed to perfect, loving flesh. So, I will love perfectly – I will love all perfectly. I will love all in a perfect manner, as I cannot love my beloved heart, Pauline, in this present age. To make this point, I will often state that I will love (insert your name here) in the resurrection even more than I love Pauline here in this present, mortal flesh.

Jesus addressed the silly idea put forth by the Sadducees about the woman who was married to seven brothers who all pre-deceased her without having given her children. So, as Jewish law prescribed, they all had to marry her to give her children – but they all died first. It was a question to show how silly the idea of resurrection is, since the Sadducees do not believe in the resurrection – it is why they are so sad, you see? (sorry, bad pun mode now turned off)

But Jesus did have an answer for them. Jesus said to them, “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage, but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage; for they cannot even die anymore, because they are like angels, and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection. But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed, in the passage about the burning bush, where he calls the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Now He is not the God of the dead but of the living; for all live to Him.” (vv. 34-38)

As angels cannot die – neither will we (in the resurrection). Unlike the angels though, we will have flesh, we will be “sons of the resurrection.” We will be raised on the last day to enjoy eternity in the kingdom of God. What a glorious day it will be! No worries about pandemic. We will gather together, love perfectly, even as we have been perfectly loved.

What a wonderful thought to keep upon our hearts and minds as we rejoice in this second last day of the 2020 Easter season, that we will be raised, perfected, glorified, as the Sons of God – Children of the resurrection that we will share with Jesus, for we have died with Him and we will certainly live with Him – today and forevermore.

He is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! Amen.

Let us pray:    Father, You created Adam, Crafted Eve, and made them one: Jesus from their sin You saved us, As God's true incarnate Son; Holy Spirit, You forgive us; From our sins we are released. Bring us, Lord, at last to heaven, To the endless wedding feast. Amen. ( Lutheran Service Book, Hymn #860, Gracious Savior, Grant Your Blessing. text by Stephen Starke 2001, verse 5)