No Marriage in Heaven? Isn't that a Downgrade?

Yes, Jesus taught that marriage is an institution for the Earth. At one point, Jesus told some religious leaders that were trying to trap him with a riddle that "in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven." (Matthew 22:29–30)

Something seems wrong with this picture. We commit ourselves in love to one person. We grow more and more deeply together as we spend decades doing life as a married couple. Then bam! You're dead. That's it. Friends forever.

Many people find that picture less than attractive. If going to heaven is actually a relational contraction — less intimacy and depth of friendship than we experience in marriage now — I would agree with them. But I don't think that's the case.

This is going to sound a little weird, but here's what I think: when we go to heaven, it's not that we aren't married to anyone — it's more like we are married to everyone.

On Earth in human bodies we can really only maintain so many relationships and can, perhaps, only maintain one that is as close and intertwined as a good marriage, especially since we go through cycles of failure and forgiveness, moving apart and coming closer.

When we die, I think it's not going to be like our relational ability contracts. I think it's going to expand unbelievably. While we don't have the capacity on Earth to have deep intimate relationships with very many people, when freed from the limitations of our earthly body, we will have deep intimate relationships with everyone.

It's a kind of bandwidth issue. Early in the internet, we had very limited bandwidth. As our bandwidth expands, we can video conference with several people at once. In fact, the bandwidth of the internet to support multiple person simultaneous communication exceeds the ability of people to support simultaneous communication with multiple people.

So in heaven it's not going to be that there is less intimacy than now because you aren't married. It's going to be infinite intimacy and deep friendship with everyone such as isn't even possible on Earth.

That's what I think, anyway. I, of course, have some scripture to back it up. But this is a blog post not a persuasive essay.

Jesus was born... so what?

Jesus was born… so what? So was I.

I’m not dissing Christmas. The mystery of creator becoming creation, of the Word becoming flesh, is filled with the profound message of God’s amazing love for us. But being born and living is something we all do. Resurrection, now that’s a different story!

Paul wrote to the Christians in Corinth (and to us), “…if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:14 (ESV)) The importance of the resurrection of Jesus Christ cannot be overstated.

Sin separates us from God. Sin destroys shalom. Sin brings death, both large and small. The Bible records God’s long-term plan to restore shalom and reconcile people to himself, not counting their sins against them. Gods plan is to undo sin, a plan that goes all the way to undoing death itself. “The last enemy to be destroyed is death.” (1 Corinthians 15:26 (ESV))

Jesus is the one through whom shalom is restored. Jesus is the one who, through his death, reconciles us to our heavenly Father. Jesus is the one who undoes death. But if he hasn’t undone death, he hasn’t done the job we need him to do. “…if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.” (1 Corinthians 15:17 (ESV))

But Jesus has been raised from the dead! Paul shares the message and the witnesses succinctly: “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas [Peter], then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.” (1 Corinthians 15:3–8 (ESV))

Easter changes everything! Easter is the guarantee of all God’s promises. Easter is God’s, “Yes!” to us. The words of Jesus that call us to repentance and faith contain the promise that all is forgiven and God desires us to come home like the prodigal son. The resurrection is the demonstration of the power behind the promises. God has promised to undo death and shown us his power to do so in Jesus Christ.

Easter rocks! If you are in the Orlando area, you are cordially invited to our Easter Service & Brunch on Easter Sunday. It's going to be an uplifting celebration of the most important holiday of the year.

Envy & Greed, a poem

For a message on envy, I shortened and rewrote a poem by Victor Hugo called "Envy & Avarice." ("Recasting," I call it) I thought perhaps you might enjoy it.

Envy & Greed by Victor Hugo
Recast by John Rallison

Envy and Greed, twin sisters wandered seeking
Any soul that might be open to their reeking
In sullen, sulky silence moving shore to shore

Pale Greed was hugging close a shiny treasure box
Worried always at each glance upon its locks
Thinking always, “There’s not enough, enough, yet in my store!”

While Envy stared with jealous eye unblinking,
Of that shiny box and contents always thinking.
“She’s more than me, more, still forever more.”

When suddenly to their surprise
The God named Gift appeared before their eyes
He said, “Great gifts I have bestowed.
I come to give you gifts where none are owed.
Choose any gift, whatever you’d like best
With only this to bear on your request.
The first to speak receives their gift untroubled
But that gift to other sister will be doubled.

Imagine what a quandary was begun
In greed or envy, what would you have done?

Each sister thought, distressed to give the other more
Contemplating long, they tried Gift’s patience sore.
Then Envy spoke with loud, triumphant cry,
“Hah! I ask for blindness in a single eye!”

Billions of great things will happen today. Loved ones sharing life together. People creating wonderful works of every kind of craft and art. Simple acts of kindness between relatives, friends and strangers. If you read the news at the end of the day, you will hear about several bad things that happened today. Don't let your mind be infected by the fear-filled news. Enjoy the gifts of today.

Don't Cross Streams Alone

Last summer my family vacationed in the mountains in northern Georgia. I really like to hike and so decided to take a day hike all by myself. It was wonderful, peaceful and enriching for my soul. Then I came to a stream. It wasn't a big stream — just a little thing I could cross by hopping on a couple of rocks and landing dry on the other side. But suddenly I felt anxiety that was much more intense than I would have expected that crossing a stream would have generated in me.

I have hiked and crossed streams many times with no incidents or accidents. The difference, this time, was that I was alone. I was several miles from the nearest anything. Rocks can be unexpectedly slippery. I could fall and bruise something, break something or even knock myself out with no one around to help. I thought of my family. They depend on me. What would have been a non-event turned into a careful crossing. Because I was alone.

We are not made to be alone. We are hardwired/created for connection. Little bumps in the road can become major events if you feel like you have to go it alone. You don't. Take time for connection. Make and build friendships.

It can be dangerous to form deep relationships, to build love, trust and vulnerability with other people. You will probably get hurt from time to time. But the danger of building those relationships is nothing compared to the danger of living life alone. English poet, John Donne, wrote "No man is an island, entire of itself." Jesus told his disciples, "This is how people will know you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:35) Both recognize mankind's need to live in relationship to others.

It's all about connection. We fear it and we need it. I'm not suggesting you find a stranger and spill your guts. I am saying that you, like every person on earth, need connection. Finding that connection takes time. Finding people with whom you can safely be vulnerable is a slow process. You find a friend. You share little things over time. Is this person safe? Is the vulnerability reciprocated or are they giving me the airbrushed version of themselves?

Real relationships are the gold of life and very much worth the risk. It's a dangerous thing to seek out deep relationships. It's more dangerous not to.

When It's Time to Get to Work

A couple of days ago, I wrote about how God's Sabbath instruction had freed me to really relax on Sunday afternoon instead of worry about all the things on my todo list (read it here). Last Monday I experienced the other side of that coin.

I work from home. I wasn't feeling very good. I had the house all to myself. Nobody but me knew how I would spend the day. There's nothing wrong with taking a day off if you need one, of course, but I was really just feeling low energy and unmotivated. Then I remembered Exodus 34:21, which had given me the freedom to relax on Sunday: “Six days you shall work, but on the seventh day you shall rest. In plowing time and in harvest you shall rest."

There it was: "six days you shall work." It didn't say "six days you shall feel motivated," or "six days you shall find yourself deeply invested in work you are finding invigorating." It just said, "six days you shall work."

That was just enough to get me going. I started plugging along. The day was never easy, but I did my work. I felt more like a plow horse than an artist most of the day, but I did my work. Even though it was tough in the middle of the day, when I looked back at the end of the day, I had to admit it was a pretty productive day after all and I did some pretty good work, to boot!

This, again, reminds me of Jesus' own example of the power of the scriptures in our lives. When tempted by Satan, Jesus didn't go all zap-bam-miracle-man on Satan. That would not have provided an example we can follow. He brought the scriptures to bear on the situation. The scriptures brought the power to overcome and move forward.

Have you ever intentionally and in faith brought the scriptures to bear on a situation? It really can make a difference. Not like pixy dust that suddenly makes everything all sparkly and magical. But it does bring the power of God into the situation. Try it. It works.

Reading Sherlock Holmes in Faith

To me, one of the most amazing things in the Bible has always been the command to take a Sabbath (to the LORD). The Israelites were commanded by God to not work on one day per week.

Exodus 34:21 (ESV): “Six days you shall work, but on the seventh day you shall rest. In plowing time and in harvest you shall rest."

The amazing thing is not that God required that his people rest, but that there were really no exceptions. It's planting season. The weather is just right. Got to get the crops in the ground. BUT you cannot work seven days in a row. It's harvesting season. The crops are ready to be gathered in. They are ripe and continue to ripen. Get that produce harvested. BUT you cannot work seven days in a row. So one day per week, even during the planting and harvesting seasons, the Israelites had to cease from work.

That is amazing. But God had a point. It is not just "take a break." It is a Sabbath to the Lord. The Sabbath isn't just about rest, it's about trust. God commanded them not to work so that they would never forget that life is more than food, drink and clothing... much more. He commanded them to take the step of trust — to make the specific, intentional decision not to work because, as important as it is, work is not the most important thing.

That's where Sherlock Holmes comes in. I've been reading and enjoying these great mysteries. Sunday afternoon I was laying on the couch reading when I started to feel like there was work I should be doing. I can't even remember what it was. Maybe it was blogging? Whatever it was, the point is this: Life is more than work. Even if you are a pastor. God tells us to have enough faith to not work sometimes. One day per week as a matter of fact. I'm not always good at that, but I was on Sunday! I desire to live a life faithful to my God. Sunday afternoon I decided that the most faithful thing I could do was trust God enough to let the work go and enjoy some quiet time reading Sherlock Holmes... which I did.

You might want to read my other blog post on this same Bible verse about getting to work! Read it here.