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2/11/19

Relationships in heaven and earth (living with God, loving-kindness to others)

During a recent Alpha class my friend Cody just found out that Jesus was physically resurrected some 2000 years ago. As we talked about heaven he was wondering what happens to our special relationships, do we have a wife, what if she remarries, who will be her husband. As he was genuinely asking I thought, Jesus addressed this specifically in Matthew 22. This whole discussion made to think more broadly about relationships_in_heaven.

Matthew 22:1-14,15-22,23-33,34-40,41-46
Kingdom of heaven like a great wedding feast for the king's son (1-14)
 - But the invited guest ignored them, went their own way, farm/business (5)
 - Others killed the messengers (6), king destroys murderers, invites anyone to come good or bad (7-10)
 - the king rejected a guest who wasn't clothed for the event (11-13)
 - Many are called few are chosen (14)

Pharisees try to trap Jesus with flattering words but Jesus knew their evil motives (15-22)
 - plot (15-16a), "teacher, your honest, teaching way of God truthfully, impartial" (16b-17)
 - Taxes? Jesus looks at the coin, whose name is on it? "Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, give to God what belongs to God" (19-21)

Sadducees think re-marriages and death during our lifetime will cause conflict at the resurrection (23-28)
Jesus says, "Your mistake is that you don’t know the Scriptures, and you don’t know the power of God. For when the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage. In this respect they will be like the angels in heaven.
But now, as to whether there will be a resurrection of the dead—haven’t you ever read about this in the Scriptures? Long after Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had died, God said, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ So he is the God of the living, not the dead.” (Matthew 22:29-32)
Pharisees asked about the most important commandment, Jesus says "love God, love people" (34-40)
Jesus asks them, "what do you think about the Messiah, whose son is he?"
  - "son of David"
 - Jesus: why does David under the inspiration of the Spirit call the Messiah 'my Lord'? (Psalm 110:1)
 - Since David called the Messiah 'my Lord,' how can the Messiah be his son? - no one could answer him, no one dared to asked more questions

Jesus rebukes teachers of religious law and Pharisees, do what they tell you, but don't follow their example (they don't practice what they teach).
Hypocrites
 - Crush people with unbearable religious demands, never lift a finger to ease the burden
 - everything for show
 - love honor from others instead of humble, service to God for the benefit of others
 - shut the door of the Kingdom of Heaven in people's faces, shamelessly cheat widows of property (Mark 12:40, Luke 20:47)
 - turn converts into twice the child of hell (15)
 - Blind guides, fools put money above people and God, careful to tithe but neglect justice, mercy and faith (16-26)
 - inside full of greed and self-indulgence, like a new tomb - beautiful on outside but dead inside (25-27

Outwardly you look like righteous people, but inwardly your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness. (28)


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