They watched him, and sent out
spies, who pretended to be righteous, that they might trap him in something he
said in order to deliver him up to the power and authority of the governor.
They asked him, “Teacher, we know that you say and teach what is right, and
aren’t partial to anyone, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful for us
to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?”
But he perceived their
craftiness, and said to them, “Why do you test me? Show me a coin. Whose image
and inscription are on it?”
They answered, “Caesar’s.”
He said to them, “Then give to
Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”
Unable to trap him in his words
before the people, they marveled at his answer, and were silent.
Some Sadducees, who deny there
is a resurrection, came to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if
a man’s brother dies having a wife, and he is childless, his brother should
take the wife, and raise up children for his brother. There were therefore
seven brothers. The first took a wife, and died childless. The second took her
as wife, and he died childless. The third took her, and likewise the seven all
left no children, and died. Afterward the woman also died. In the resurrection
whose wife will she be? For the seven had her as a wife.”
Jesus said to them, “The
children of this age marry, and are given in marriage, but those who are deemed
worthy to attain to the age to come and resurrection from the dead, neither
marry, nor are given in marriage. They can’t die any more, for they are like
the angels, and are children of God, being children of the resurrection. But
that the dead are raised, even Moses showed at the bush, when he called the
Lord ‘The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ Now he is
not the God of the dead, but of the living, for all are alive to him.”
Some of the scribes answered,
“Teacher, you speak well.” They didn’t dare ask him any more questions.
Reflection
Sincere questions are
important; trick questions are not. These questions came to Jesus, not from a desire to
understand, but from a desperation to undermine. What questions do you find hardest to answer? What questions do you find hardest to ask?
Prayer: Keep me honest and
sincere, Lord, when I struggle with my questions or those of others.
Amen.............to be honest and sincere, my deep desire.
ReplyDeleteI have an aversion to being asked or asking questions unless I am creating something or doing something I haven't done before. I'll ask and answer but I'm always uncomfortable with doing that. I think the hardest question to ask or to answer for me is "Why?" The question always feel judgmental to me and invasive and in many cases just silly.
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