The CROSSroads: Personal Lessons from Mark's Gospel by Rev. Mitch Schultz

Updated
2001-05-26; 14:34:22utc

Lesson thirty-nine MARRIAGE MADE IN HEAVEN (Mark 12:18-27)

"They will be like the angels in heaven." (vs.25)

When I pastored in Texas some years back a friend of mine who was an airline pilot would often return from a trip to tell me of some interesting experiences he had in witnessing to people. On this one occasion he told me of a fascinating discussion he had with one of his flight attendants who gave him a rather unorthodox view of what heaven would be like. My friend was completely taken back when she said this; "I have no interest whatsoever in heaven. In fact it sounds downright boring. I have no desire to go to a place where all people will do is stand around and praise God all the time." My friend was very tempted to ask her what it was about the alternative that was more appealing.

The story Mark leads us to next is one of those passages of scripture that force me to feel something I know I should not. It is not praising God I mind. That prospect excites me. What gives me a slight uneasiness about heaven is that my wife and I will apparently not enjoy the unique relationship of husband and wife as we do here - or will we? It bothers me slightly, right now, that there she will not be considered "my wife".

Now I realize the point of the story is not at all about marriage in the after life. The point of the story is about the Sadducees, who did not believe in the after life, use this analogy of marriage in heaven as a way of trapping Jesus in his own words. The Sadducees were a funny bunch. As members of the ruling class of that day, their denial of the after life left them with a very limited faith and theology, one that existed only for the here and now. They adhered strongly to the laws of the Pentateuch but nothing more.

Presented with this riddle about marriage in heaven Jesus quickly exposes the cracks in their beliefs. Utilizing the only authority they accepted, Jesus uses the Pentateuch to sufficiently argue that these five books had the marks of eternity written all over them. "Are you not in error, because you do not know the scriptures, or the power of God." (vs.24) Their own scriptures gave ample evidence to make a denial of eternity impossible. Moses, Abraham and all the Patriarchs have not been annihilated. They live. "Have you not read in the book of Moses, in the account of the bush, how God said to him, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'. He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken." (vs.26,27)

So I know this is the real point of the story but there is still that nagging uneasiness that I will not have a distinct relationship with my wife in heaven. How do I reconcile this while maintaining the belief that heaven will far surpass anything we enjoy here? I suspect the answer lies somewhere with my relationship to the Lord Jesus. It is important that at this present time in our life here that the relationship most important to us is not that our marriage but that union that we have with him.

I recently shared my concern with my wife, bemoaning the fact that we might not enjoy in heaven the unique bond of marriage we enjoy here. The twinkle in her eye led me to believe there was some humor intended in her response when she said, "Oh, that counts for everyone else, not us." My suspicion about relationships in heaven, in particularly that one relationship with my wife, is that it will far surpass in the absence of marriage what we have enjoyed here in marriage. Why? Because that relationship will be defined by my relationship with Jesus. It is the complete union with Christ that will give full depth and meaning to all our relationships in a way that far exceeds what we enjoyed here. Marriage will not be necessary to define that intimacy. So my conclusion is that my wife and I will enjoy something better than we have here because we will be in the fullness of the presence of Jesus. So will it also be with all relationships.

The power of this realization provides something important for the present. I do not need to wait till heaven for my relationship with Jesus to define and give meaning to my earthly relationships. The key to such depth in marriage and family is in our putting that union with Jesus first above all other relationships and, when we do, we will enjoy a new depth in these relationships. Our pastor, Les Morgan, put all this in perspective when he preached these words about the priorities of relationships. He said about his own marriage, "My wife is a great wife, but she makes a lousy God." The point is succinct. As much as I cherish my wife she can not take the place of the Lord Jesus in my life. I do not need her, although I do love her deeply. My existence does not depend on the quality or the longevity of our relationship. The relationship that matters is that one that will move on into the afterlife and it is the one with my Lord Jesus. In the next passage the Lord explains to us how we come to this level of intimacy with the Lord.

There's no marrying in heaven; that's why it's heaven.
Anon.

When will there be an end of marrying? I suppose, when there is an end of living.
Tertullian (c. 160–after 220)