Luke 20:27 - 40

  Luke 20:27 - 40

“…the Sadducees who say there is no Resurrection…” The Sadducees made up the ruling class of the Jews. They would cooperate with the Romans if it meant keeping power. They were wealthy, unbothered, and enjoyed the ‘good life’. They went so far as to shape their beliefs, and their faith practices to accomplish the goals of personal peace and affluence. For them Jesus represented a threat to their very comfortable lives. Jesus still represents a threat to a life of comfort and wealth.

In the American church we have Sadducees both in terms of rejecting the resurrection and wanting to make sure that Jesus doesn’t upset our lives of comfort and wealth.  Many who genuinely believe in the resurrection still don’t want Jesus messing with their wealth and comfort.  We build our lives with, on and around comfort and wealth, and our consumption is not restrained by sacrifice for the kingdom of God.  The only restraint on our consumption is our capacity to consume. Meanwhile our brothers and sisters and other parts of the world often live at a subsistence level or below. We placate our conscience with some given and imagine that our wealth is proof of God's approval. The most generous of all people give 10%. But rarely do we see among us those whose lifestyle or consumption is dramatically reduced so that more may be sent to the mission of the Kingdom. 

Had Jesus not represented a threat to the power and the perceived security it afforded the Sadducees, had His agenda not threaten their income and affluence the Sadducees would likely not have opposed Jesus. But every fiber of who He was and what He thought was a danger to their self centered lives and faith. Just as it is to us. We are not comfortable with Jesus because our lives do not conform to Him.  Our only solution is to make sure we don't really understand or take seriously what following Him means.

“Lord, never allow me to be comfortable in my comforts, but only in Your grace.  AMEN”