Luke 20
Sub-headings in the Bible aren't necessarily inspired, but I really like this one in the Message, between verses 26 and 27: "All intimacies will be with God." Jesus is asked what is essentially a legal question about marriage, and he answers it with a glimpse into heaven. In the next life, God occupies His rightful place in human relationships. All people will know God and be known by Him without hindrance or obstacle.
Some may be disturbed by this passage; after all, the promise of being reunited with people we love is one of the main reasons we look forward to heaven. I don't read Jesus as saying that human relationships don't matter. I read him as saying that all relationships will be different because God will be central in all of them. Matters of remarriage will not hinder relationships. Unresolved conflicts in this life will not be relevant. All the things that made relationships difficult in this life will be swept away. We will still love the people we love, and they will love us--not less but more, in a way we may not have experienced in this life.
We have an opportunity now to catch a glimpse of that life to come. When God is central to our marriages, our relationships with our kids, relatives, friends, neighbors, and even strangers, those relationship are better and more meaningful.
Sub-headings in the Bible aren't necessarily inspired, but I really like this one in the Message, between verses 26 and 27: "All intimacies will be with God." Jesus is asked what is essentially a legal question about marriage, and he answers it with a glimpse into heaven. In the next life, God occupies His rightful place in human relationships. All people will know God and be known by Him without hindrance or obstacle.
Some may be disturbed by this passage; after all, the promise of being reunited with people we love is one of the main reasons we look forward to heaven. I don't read Jesus as saying that human relationships don't matter. I read him as saying that all relationships will be different because God will be central in all of them. Matters of remarriage will not hinder relationships. Unresolved conflicts in this life will not be relevant. All the things that made relationships difficult in this life will be swept away. We will still love the people we love, and they will love us--not less but more, in a way we may not have experienced in this life.
We have an opportunity now to catch a glimpse of that life to come. When God is central to our marriages, our relationships with our kids, relatives, friends, neighbors, and even strangers, those relationship are better and more meaningful.
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