Luke 20:27-38 (NRSV)
Read Luke 20:27-38 on biblegateway.com
Verse 27Some Sadducees, those who say there is no resurrection, came to him Verse 28and 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. Verse 29Now there were seven brothers; the first married, and died childless; Verse 30then the second Verse 31and the third married her, and so in the same way all seven died childless. Verse 32Finally the woman also died. Verse 33In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had married her." Verse 34Jesus said to them, "Those who belong to this age marry and are given in marriage; Verse 35but 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. Verse 36Indeed they cannot die anymore, because they are like angels and are children of God, being children of the resurrection. Verse 37And 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. Verse 38Now he is God not of the dead, but of the living; for to him all of them are alive."
Devotion
In the last couple of months I have been hounded with more than my usual "What ifs." My family and I have been in the transition of major life changes — looking for new calls, relocating to another state. "What if this or that does not work out? What if we do not sell the house? What if we don't find the right school for our children? What if …?"
Like the Sadducees, we put God's promises in Christ to the test. Though we can recite Martin Luther's explanation to the First Article of the Apostles' Creed — "God provides me with food and clothing, home and family, daily work, and all that I need from day to day" — still the "What ifs" keep right on coming. Thankfully, in the midst of our struggles, God's promises still come through for us. We are God's children, and God continues to provide for us, protect us, and guard us from every evil.
Prayer
God our creator and provider, continue to bestow upon us your comfort and peace, that when we are in the midst of trials, our "What ifs" may be put to rest. Continue to place your word of assurance in our minds and hearts as we face life's daily challenges. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.