Do You Believe in the God of the Living? - November 11, 2007

Luke 20: 27-38

In today's Gospel, we have a story of a group of Jewish religious people who did not believe in the resurrection or life after death. The Sadducees posed a trick question to Jesus to ridicule such a belief. They had already made up their mind that there was no resurrection of the dead. Therefore, the impossible and absurd “what if” question about the seven brothers and one wife was just a game they played here with Jesus. It is similar to an atheist philosopher posing a classical question, "If God were almighty, could he create a stone so large and heavy that he was not able to carry?"

The first part of Jesus’ answer simply points to the inappropriateness of the question, that there is a fundamental difference between life in this age and life in the age to come. Marriage is appropriate for this age since the fact of mortality necessitates a means for procreation and perpetuating life. Reproduction ensures the survival of the species for this life. However, those who attain to the resurrection of the dead are children of God and they are like angels. In the next life, there will be no need for marriage. It will be irrelevant, since life after death is a completely different form of life and existence in the fullest presence of God.

The second part of Jesus’ answer is a response in kind, using Scriptures to reply to the trick question posed. The Sadducees based their question on Deuteronomy 25:5-10, the law of marriage which spells out the duty of a man toward a dead brother to provide a legal heir for succession. Jesus appeals to the same body of Scriptures, Exodus 3:6, to affirm God as a God of the living and not of the dead. The inference is that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob have or will have continuous life with God. The Book of Moses may not have talked about the state of the dead, but it implies a belief in eternal life, so that the Sadducees are wrong even on their own assumptions and authority.

Jesus’ argument runs like this: inanimate things may have a Creator, but only the living can have a God. When God says to Moses, “I am the God of Abraham…” this implies that Abraham is still alive, even though according to the world, he is already long dead. Jesus wants to affirm that all life, here and hereafter, consists of friendship with God, and nothing less is worthy of the name of life. Abraham was the friend of God, and it is incredible that such friendship should be severed by death. Death may put an end to physical existence, but not to a relationship that is by nature eternal. Human beings may lose their friends by death, but not God.

Therefore, Jesus draws the conclusion that God is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living. Do you truly believe in the God of the living, or a living God, active and alive in our midst?

There was a story in the Edmonton Sun:

In a conservative Alberta town, a strip club was going to be opened. The local church didn't like the idea, and started anti-club petitions and public prayers. The club proceeded to be built, in spite of the opposition. However, just days before the opening, a lightning strike burned it to the ground in a fierce storm.

The church folks were smug, and they were celebrating openly, until the club owner decided to sue them. He claimed that the church was responsible for the demise of his building, through direct or indirect actions or means. The church, of course, denied all responsibility or any connection.

At the trial, the presiding judge shook his head and said, “We have a strip club owner who believes in the power of prayer, and an entire church congregation who deny it. How ironic can it be?"

It is funny how things work in this world. God has been used in all kinds of arguments, for justifying going to war, and various kinds of actions and policies. On the one hand, the world conveniently wants to keep God out of our daily lives, our schools and governments. On the other, they also conveniently blame God for all the major disasters and “acts of God” in nature. When things go wrong, they mournfully ask, “Where is God, when tragedies strike and people going through suffering?” We treat God the same way some of our bosses treat us: they would claim all the credit for success and accomplishments, but we would have to take the blame for any failures and disappointment.

Can we have it both ways with God? When the chips are down, do we truly believe in the power and presence of God in our own lives? Or, do we live like a practical atheist most of the time?

Most of you knew that Julia and I had to go to Hong Kong for two weeks to deal with some of my family matters. I did not tell you what we had to do. Before the trip, my oldest brother, Michael in Cobourg, basically thought that we had an impossible task ahead of us. We had to find a solution to a family situation that had worsened over the years. We had thought of various options, but none seemed workable or practical. Simply put, we went on a wing and a prayer! Now, mind you, the wings are from a brand new Jumbo jet on a direct flight which made such a long trip merciful to bear. Plus, there were many people praying for us and supporting us in the background.

I am happy to report that our seemingly impossible mission has been completed within those two weeks. We found my mom in relatively good health, after a series of medical tests. Her problem seems minor and requires no further actions at this point. She is getting more fragile and frail, compared to a year ago. She expressed her need to “retire” from the present living arrangement with my other brother, sister and nephew. She could no longer look after them, at the age of 82, as she has been doing all this time.

After a fairly calm family conference, we made some decisions for the future of those four people. My brother (61) has mental problems before, but seems to be coping much better than a decade ago. My sister (56) is not doing as well as he, she requires medication for her depression. As a single mother, she and her son have created a very unhealthy co-dependency. The young man has not finished high school and has not yet held a job in his life, and he will be turning 30 next February. It is important to separate him from my sister at this point, so at least he will have to try to gain independence and make a living for himself. We also recognize how my sister is incapable of looking after herself at this point.

What happened from that point was nothing short of a miracle. We found a private senior home for my mom, brother and sister, so that they could stay together in the same home in the same neighborhood as they are living. This way, it could minimize the stressful impact of the major transition they have to go through. It was the first place we looked at; they liked it and accepted it. We did not even have to look at another facility. This place also happened to have 3 independent rooms available right now. When my mom asked in amazement, “How come there are 3 rooms available for us? Isn’t that strange?” Without hesitation, I said, “I believe that God has kindly arranged that for us!”

If they did not like this home, or if there were only one or two vacancies, we would still be looking for other places. Given the limited time we had in Hong Kong, things could not have gone any smoother.

The next step was to put my mom’s apartment on sale. The housing market in Hong Kong happens to be at its peak right now, but we never expected to sell the place within a day. My lawyer friend Benny recommended his real agent and we met with her Saturday a week ago. On Sunday, she set up an appointment for a couple to come see the place at 3:30 pm. However, she showed up 15 minutes early with another client, who happened to run into her on the way. This gentleman came in, liked the place, and phoned his daughter right away to ask her to come check it out. In the meantime, the other couple showed up at 3:30, but did not express any interest. When the first man’s daughter showed up, she happens to be a lawyer as well, they put in an offer and there it went!

Is it simply good luck or just all coincidences? Somehow, I don’t think so. Is it the power of prayer? You bet! Something like we say often: "Glory to God, whose power working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine!" It is a true story and my testimony of God’s working through different key people who helped us along the way. The remaining challenge is to help my nephew start a new life on his own. We have agreed to give a portion of the proceeds as a gift to set him up for housing and training needs. Hopefully, he will do what we have agreed on. The rest of the money will be used to provide for the other 3.

I have witnessed the hands of God at work before, but have not previously experienced things happening together in such a miraculous manner. In fact, I have experienced the opposite, when things had gone from bad to worse, spinning out of control with the bottom fell out and I had a free falling. Yet, from today’s vintage point, I can see the mistakes I made then and the failed first marriage actually made way for what happened now in 2007. My wife, Julia, has played such a pivotal part in all the negotiations and innovative thinking that it would not have been possible otherwise.

It seems strange that we claim to believe in God through life’s ups and downs. It is much easier to trust and have faith when things go right for us, and we are truly thankful for those wonderful moments of grace. It may not be as easy, when things are not going smoothly and the dominoes go down with no end in sight. I have heard stories of how St John the Divine has spiraled downward in the past couple of years, with different things happened that ended up with this big debt. With faith, hope and trust, we will face the future together as a parish. I may or may not play a part in this process of turning things around, but it is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of the living, in our midst, who will guide us through. It is the same God who helped us started the parish 50 years ago, who will be in charge of our future. Do you believe in that? (People in the congregation in fact responded with a 'yes' at the 10:30 service!) When we realize that we are in the presence of the Holy One and witness his hands working, we are indeed humbled and overwhelmed in wonder, awe and praise.

Thanks be to God. Amen.
Fr. Victor +