It seems to me an important take-away from this Gospel is that Jesus did not run away from the controversy of the day, nor did he interpret Scripture in a literal sense. What Jesus did do was take a broad view, and used arguments that the people of that time and of that place could understand. Jesus talked to them in their own language, in terms they could understand and showed them that Scripture is not something frozen in time and place but rather is alive: and that God is talking to us through Scripture.  

This Gospel has gotten me thinking about Jesus taking a moral issue of his day and age (the care of widow's and the importance of descendents) and using Scripture in a way not recognized by the strict constructionist Sadducees, thereby refocusing the debate. Jesus took a "moral values" argument away from the Sadducees. We hear about "moral values" a lot in our society: in politics, from our government, from Anglican bishops from Africa, and from neighboring churches threatening to leave The Episcopal Church based on their literal, strict constructionist understanding of Scripture. I wonder, are these folks the modern day Sadducees?  

We hear about "moral values" a lot. But the "moral values" we hear so much about are narrowly defined and confined to matters having to do with sex and sexual concerns: gay marriage, same-sex blessings, ordination of openly gay and lesbian individuals, abortion and, an off-shot of the abortion debate, stem-cell research. The people who trumpet this narrow list of "moral values" are missing the fact that moral concerns are really a lot broader. Moral concerns include (to name but a few): care for the poor, war and peace, fair access to health care, the right to a real working wage, fair and safe working conditions, care for the homeless and equality and inclusion for all persons. Don't moral concerns also encompass the budget deficit, and Social Security, and our relations with other countries and other cultures? Isn't capital punishment a moral issue, especially for those who claim to value the sanctity of every human life? Goodness, the hypocrisy Jesus was critical of in his day and age certainly exists today. The present day Sadducees are in need of reminding that a literal, strict constructionist view of life and of Scripture leads people to a closed-horizon, to a narrow-view of the world. Jesus is clear that this is not God's intention. The doors are flung open wide by Jesus.

The good news being proclaimed by Jesus in today's Gospel is that God's love for us is beyond measure, beyond our understanding. We "are like angels and are children of God". Our selection from Job highlights this love beyond understanding. Job's deep strength and faith are clearly heard when he sings out "For I know my Redeemer lives." A man tormented still has faith to know the Redeemer lives and that God loves him.