economics and theology

Good afternoon friends,
Today's reading tells another story about opposition to the gospel. In this case the opposition comes from gentiles and its heart is economic. As often happens, the people making the criticism mask their economic concern with a concern about the appropriate worship of the Goddess Artemis. Often when we get upset the real causes can get mixed up with other things. The first step in resolving a problem is figuring out what the real problem is.

God bless,
Sam

Acts 19:21-34

21 Now after these things had been accomplished, Paul resolved in the Spirit to go through Macedonia and Achaia, and then to go on to Jerusalem. He said, ‘After I have gone there, I must also see Rome.’ ²²So he sent two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, while he himself stayed for some time longer in Asia.

23 About that time no little disturbance broke out concerning the Way. ²⁴A man named Demetrius, a silversmith who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought no little business to the artisans. ²⁵These he gathered together, with the workers of the same trade, and said, ‘Men, you know that we get our wealth from this business. ²⁶You also see and hear that not only in Ephesus but in almost the whole of Asia this Paul has persuaded and drawn away a considerable number of people by saying that gods made with hands are not gods. ²⁷And there is danger not only that this trade of ours may come into disrepute but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be scorned, and she will be deprived of her majesty that brought all Asia and the world to worship her.’

28 When they heard this, they were enraged and shouted, ‘Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!’ ²⁹The city was filled with the confusion; and people rushed together to the theatre, dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians who were Paul’s travelling-companions. ³⁰Paul wished to go into the crowd, but the disciples would not let him; ³¹even some officials of the province of Asia, who were friendly to him, sent him a message urging him not to venture into the theatre. 

³²Meanwhile, some were shouting one thing, some another; for the assembly was in confusion, and most of them did not know why they had come together. ³³Some of the crowd gave instructions to Alexander, whom the Jews had pushed forward. And Alexander motioned for silence and tried to make a defence before the people. ³⁴But when they recognized that he was a Jew, for about two hours all of them shouted in unison, ‘Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!’

resurrection and law

Good morning brothers and sisters,
Jesus is still teaching in Jerusalem when some Sadducees approach him with a question. Every era has its important theological questions and Jesus' time was no different. There was a division between two groups of religious leaders in Judaism: Pharisees and Sadducees. Sadducees often controlled the temple and followed only scripture. In other words they didn't believe in the resurrection of the dead or angels. Pharisees were famous for interpreting the law carefully and separating the people of Israel from their gentile neighbors, but they believed in some teachings that went beyond the scripture including a belief in the resurrection of the dead and the role of angels as God's messengers.

In this story the Sadducees come to question Jesus. True to form, they ask him a question that brings into question the logic of the resurrection. Jesus shows himself firmly committed to a belief in the resurrection, a belief Jesus will embody in his own life. For Jesus, while the future will have something in common with today, God's kingdom is also radically different. As often, we won't know what the resurrection will really be like until that last day. Until then we trust in God's love and work for greater justice in the world.
God bless,
Sam

Matthew 22:23-33

23The same day some Sadducees came to him, saying there is no resurrection; and they asked him a question, saying, 24“Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man dies childless, his brother shall marry the widow, and raise up children for his brother.’ 25Now there were seven brothers among us; the first married, and died childless, leaving the widow to his brother. 26The second did the same, so also the third, down to the seventh. 27Last of all, the woman herself died. 28In the resurrection, then, whose wife of the seven will she be? For all of them had married her.”



29Jesus answered them, “You are wrong, because you know neither the scriptures nor the power of God. 30For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. 31And as for the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was said to you by God, 32‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is God not of the dead, but of the living.” 33And when the crowd heard it, they were astounded at his teaching.