5.4.23 - Matthew 23:32
Redemption goes hand in hand with restoration. What part of your corner of the world can you identify as needing restoration today?
‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ So They are the God of the living, not the dead.”
The Sadducees get lost in the details - are you married when you die? What happens if you remarry? Do dogs go to heaven? (Ok that last one is my question)
When I get lost in the details I begin to spiral into doubt - will I get to see my family in heaven? Is heaven even real? Do dogs go to heaven? Panic begins to rise from my belly, and I get a headache - it’s easy for me to forget the moments where I felt God’s presence, love, and protection in my life.
Jesus is quick to point us to the big picture - God is not the God of the dead but of the living. This tells me that while it’s ok to ask questions we must anchor ourselves to living out our redemption.
To me, this means that through Jesus, we have overcome death and will be resurrected alongside him. This does not mean I get a free pass to live a life without consequence or care for others.
From the news to our neighbors, it may feel like we’re surrounded by modern day Sadducee’s. Being redeemed is an invitation and a responsibility to bring redemption wherever you go - in your work, with your family, in the world.
This can look like stewarding and protecting nature, showing up for those in the margins, and being a courageous voice of the radical love Jesus has modeled for us.
We are alive and we are redeemed, and this verse asks us to reflect on what it means to believe in the God of the living.
Redemption goes hand in hand with restoration. What part of your corner of the world can you identify as needing restoration today?
--Jeanette Rojas
Reframe means taking a fresh look at an old story.
It’s a way of experiencing your world differently, even though the landscape may seem similar.