What does Luke 20:33 mean?

Explanation

Luke 20:33 presents a question posed to Jesus by a group of Sadducees, which is a part of a larger narrative discussing the resurrection.

The Sadducees, who did not believe in the resurrection, presented Jesus with a hypothetical situation about a woman who married seven brothers, each of whom died, one after another.

They asked Jesus whose wife she would be in the resurrection, since all seven had married her during their lifetimes.

The purpose of this question was to challenge the concept of resurrection by presenting a seemingly unsolvable dilemma about marriage and life after death.

The deeper meaning behind this verse relates to the understanding of life, relationships, and eternity, challenging the conventional perception of marital ties beyond this life.

Historical Context

The Sadducees were a Jewish sect that held significant power in the priesthood and had a conservative interpretation of the Torah, ignoring other oral traditions and writings.

They did not believe in the resurrection, angels, or spirits, as these concepts are not explicitly mentioned in the Torah, the first five books of the Hebrew Bible.

The question proposed to Jesus in Luke 20:33 is drawn from the leverite marriage law found in Deuteronomy 25:5-10, where a man is commanded to marry his brother's widow if his brother dies without leaving children, to carry on the dead brother's name.

This scenario is presented to challenge the idea that the resurrection Jesus speaks of could lead to confusing or chaotic outcomes, such as the marital status in the situation described.

Theological Insights

Different theological viewpoints approach this verse and its implications in diverse ways. For example:

• Traditional Christianity generally interprets Jesus' reply (which follows in later verses) to indicate that earthly institutions like marriage do not carry over into the resurrected life.

It also affirms the existence of the resurrection, contrary to Sadducee beliefs.

• Some scholars suggest that the passage points out the limitations of human understanding when it comes to eternal matters and that the laws and customs of this life do not necessarily apply in the afterlife.

Practical Applications

Practically speaking, this verse can remind believers to prioritize their relationship with God over earthly institutions, considering that earthly relationships might change in the afterlife.

It can also be used to encourage believers not to get too entangled in the technicalities of religious law at the expense of missing broader spiritual truths, such as the hope and transformation offered by the concept of resurrection.

Cross-References

Related verses in the King James Version of the Bible include:

• Matthew 22:23-32, where the same incident with the Sadducees is recounted.
• Mark 12:18-27, another account of the encounter with the Sadducees about the resurrection.
• 1 Corinthians 15:35-44, where Paul speaks about the resurrection body being different from the earthly body.
• Deuteronomy 25:5-10, which provides the leverite marriage law that gives context to the Sadducees' question.

Language Study

In the Greek text, the word used for "wife" is γυνή (gyne), which can mean "a woman, wife, or my lady" depending on context.

The tense of the verb "had" (ἐγένοντο - egenonto) is aorist middle indicative, implying an action that was completed in the past with a focus on the action itself rather than the doers of the action.

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

The Sadducees' question echoes dilemmas found in other ancient cultures where the afterlife and its relation to earthly life were also contemplated.

Ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans had complex beliefs about the afterlife that influenced their burial practices and societal norms.

However, the unique aspect of the Sadducees' challenge is that it was a direct confrontation to the emerging Christian belief in the resurrection, which was distinct from the general resurrection Jewish beliefs seen in the Pharisaic tradition.

Scientific Perspectives

Modern scientific perspectives primarily address the natural world and, as such, do not generally examine concepts like resurrection or an afterlife, which are considered metaphysical and beyond the scope of empirical science.

However, the question of what happens after death remains a significant philosophical and speculative issue in both the scientific community and public discourse.

Commentaries

Commentaries on this verse generally support the view that it was intended to question the plausibility of the resurrection by presenting a case that seems to result in a contradiction or absurdity under the assumption of life continuing the same way after resurrection as before.

Scholars such as John Calvin and more modern commentators note that Jesus redirects the focus away from worldly matters to the nature of the resurrected life, which transcends earthly concerns.

They emphasize that marriage, an earthly institution with specific functions like procreation and companionship, may no longer be relevant in the resurrection, where the nature of relationships is transformed.