Flung into the Arms of God

When I was small, my three older brothers and I shared a shiny black two-wheeler bicycle. Gregg was eight, Rex and Scott were six,  I was the little sister. Gregg fit the bike well. My feet could barely reach the pedals. My dad had run behind me and taught me how to ride. I loved the freedom of rushing in the breeze. Except . . . I didn’t know how to stop. I would pedal up the driveway, ride into the grass, launch into the air and fling myself onto the lawn. It was a test of my agility. It was a test of my five-year-old courage. 

The Sadducees give Jesus a test. A woman shared seven brothers as husbands in this life (Lord have mercy!); when she dies, whose wife is she? It is a trial of mental acuity for the man they consider 

just a yokel from Galilee. Jesus cleverly flings their expectations into the air. He speaks of the freedom of heaven, like rushing in the breeze. There will be nothing to hold us back; we will be free among the living, to spend eternity praising God. 

The Greeks put seven Maccabean brothers to the test—would they eat pork and abandon their religion? Or would they refuse and die a horrible death? One after another, the brothers offered themselves to martyrdom. It was a test of spiritual fortitude. How firmly did they believe? Their mother, after watching her first six sons die, encouraged her youngest lad also to hurl himself toward resurrection. 

Life is full of tests, especially the final one. We pedal as hard as we can, but we are not in charge of the brakes. We don’t know when our lives will stop. Do we have the courage to trust in the resurrection?  Are we willing to launch into the air and fling ourselves into the arms of a loving God? 

Consider/Discuss 

• Many life experiences do not come with an instruction manual (and sometimes too many and conflicting ones)—the birth of a child, the loss of a spouse, the rebellion of a son or daughter, the moment of death. These are often bigger experiences than we know how to handle. What have you gone through in life that you’ve had to grow into? How did God walk with you through that? 
• Launching into the unknown can be filled with fear. We could get hurt.  Those we love could get hurt. What kind of unknowns are you stepping into right now? 

Living and Praying with the Word 

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, one God, you are with us here, now,  surrounding us with your love. This day we ask you to handle this  test: ____________. Please take this trial and transform it. Give us the  strength to handle our lives. You are our strength. You are the source  of our fortitude. Take our troubles and surround us with your peace.  When we get to the final test of death and leap into the unknown,  give us the courage to fling ourselves into your loving arms.