Our daily reflections follow the M'Cheyne Bible reading plan, designed for those who want to read the whole Bible in one year. Each reflection focuses on one of the chapters from that day's readings. Darllenwch rhain yn Gymraeg.
Lord, have mercy. Cleanse me. Still my mind. Help me to listen as you speak.
Two medieval monks agreed that whoever died and went to heaven first would tell the other if it was how they’d imagined it, by uttering one word: either ‘taliter’ (it’s as we thought) or ‘aliter’ (it’s different from what we thought). After one of the monks passed away and went to heaven, he appeared to his friend in a dream as agreed, speaking two words instead of one: ‘Totaliter aliter!’ (It’s completely different from what we thought.)
In a sense, the socially privileged party of the Sadducees had less reason to crave eternity than the downtrodden masses. Yet, in denying life after death, they could actually refer to the Hebrew Scriptures, which are almost silent on the matter.
The Sadducees who questioned Jesus struggled with the idea of eternity, because they thought of it in terms of life as we know it continuing ad infinitum – a bit like people saying they have no desire to go to heaven, because they don’t fancy sitting on a cloud playing the harp forever. Jesus, however, points out that eternity is precisely not like life as we know it: ‘Totaliter aliter’.
He points them to God’s covenant with the patriarchs. It cannot be rendered null and void by the demise of the human party, because it extends to Israel in perpetuity, and nor can death terminate the individual’s relationship with God. The day he inaugurates his kingdom for all to see, God will raise his faithful followers to a life in renewed fellowship with him. He is, after all, the God of the living.
Lord of the living, don’t let my common sense get in the way of your unseen reality.
This reflection was written by Michael Pfundner, Bible Society's Publishing Support Manager
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