I’ve always struggled with Jesus’ words in Mark 12, “When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven.”
My hang up? I like my wife and it’s hard for me to imagine not being married to her. I can recite the usual answer about temporal, earthly marriage being an image of the eternal, Heavenly/New Earthly marriage between Christ and the Church and all that, but I still struggle with it.
So, I was surprised when I saw the way Ben Witherington III answered this question in his book Jesus the Seer (which really isn’t about marriage – just one paragraph).
Here’s what he said: “the discussion (in Mark 12) is about levirate marriage, not all marriages, and in a deathless state there would be no more point to levirate marriage. Levirate marriage is unlike regular marriage because it only exists because of death: the obligation to raise up an heir for a deceased brother was felt to require such an institution. Furthermore, Jesus does not say there will be no more state of marriage in the kingdom; he says there will be no more new acts of marrying – no marrying (the male’s role in a patriarchal situation) or being given in marriage (the bride’s role). To this one may add that early Jews did not generally think that angels were sexless creatures… There is thus nothing in Mark 12 to support the notion that Jesus saw marriage as ceasing in the resurrection. What Jesus taught was that there would be no more change of status in the resurrection.”
I’ve not heard this take before. I’d certainly like for him to be right. The obvious question is “What about those who have remarried (whether due to death or divorce)? And what about the polygamous patriarchs?” Whose spouse will be whose?
2 comments:
I've puzzled over this one too. It's impossible for me to imagine having nothing more than a polite smile for my beloved when we pass each other on the streets of gold.
But our marriage is only an icon, not the real thing. In heaven I will be united to the true Bridegroom, and I won't need the shadow of himself he gave to me to help me through this vale of tears. I don't get this, and (sad to say) I'm inclined not to like it because I really, really, really like the husband I have right now. Sigh.
And then again, isn't there some kind of ontological factor to be taken into account? One-fleshness and all?
I think Brighton addresses this in his Revelation commentary and comes down on the side of some marriage-like arrangement existing in heaven. The logistics do seem tricky, though, what with second marriages and such. I'm reminded of my friend's grandma, buried between the two husbands who preceded her in death . . . is that going to be awkward when the trumpet sounds?
Thanks for your very interesting post!
Another thing I've wondered about: in the beginning, God said that it is not good for man to be alone. So he gave Adam (and all the rest of us) marriage. It wasn't good for Adam to be alone, even though God (our heavenly bridegroom) walked in the garden with him.
If a world without marriage is not good, and heaven is perfect, then how can there be no marriage in heaven? Even if there is marriage and no change of status in heaven, that means that those who die single will always be single. But if it is "not good to be alone," this seems to be a problem...
Post a Comment