For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control.  2 Timothy 1:7

He is not God of the dead but of the living. You are greatly misled. Mark 12:27

To you I raise my eyes, to you enthroned in Heaven. Psalm 123:1

Certain truths require no defense.

You can almost hear the confidence, and the sadness, in Jesus’ voice as he answers the Sadducees, whose narrow focus on the Law made it impossible for them to accept the resurrection.

The resurrection of the dead is a tenet of our Christian faith. When we repeat the Nicene Creed, we close by saying, “We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come.” Often, we might say those words without giving them thought. But what if we were challenged to explain the resurrection?

The question the Sadducees put to Jesus is a bit like asking if we’ll drive Hondas or Toyotas in Heaven. If, as today’s Psalm suggests, we lift our eyes as well as our hearts to Heaven, we might see beyond the confines of our literal understanding.

Jesus, with a spirit of power and love and self-control, tells the Sadducees that they’re missing the point. But He doesn’t make a big deal out of it. He doesn’t try to win them over. He says, simply, that they are greatly misled. (Some translations have him saying they are “wrong.” I prefer “misled” because I do not believe that Jesus was choosing to contend with the Sadducees.)

This passage offers me an example of how to have quiet confidence in my faith, keep my vision clear and leave behind any idea of arguing with those who disagree. Who needs to do that, anyway?