So also is the resurrection of the dead.
It is sown corruptible; it is raised incorruptible.
It is sown dishonorable; it is raised glorious.
It is sown weak; it is raised powerful.
It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body.
If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual one.
Mediterraneans of the first century, like many people today, believed vaguelly in an afterlife But they did not expect a Happy Hunting Ground, happily-ever-after, or Eternal Bliss. The Greek Odyssey and Roman Aeneid describe a dark, miserable place where the only relief is forgetfulness. Arriving souls drank from the River Lethe and became lethargic. They forgot they'd ever lived. When Odysseus visited his old friend Achilles, the shade declared he'd rather serve like a slave on earth than rule in Hades. In the Mediterranean afterlife of Jesus's day, royalty was reduced to peasantry but peasants were not raised to royalty.
Greek philosophy recognized the corruptibility of the human body, even before it dies. After death its fate is even less promising, as its parts dissemble and fall into humus. Can dirt be resusitated or resurrected?
Given that fatal insult to human dignity, we must be more than mud. There is a driving force, often recognizable in certain persons and in many instances, which animates the body, giving it identity, rationality, and purpose. It defies the disintegrating forces and enables even old, infirm people to lead vigorous lives. That force they called the soul, and most people recognize how powerful persons remain present long after they're dead. When the body dies, the soul resides somewhere else.
The Christian doctrine of resurrection fit neatly into that dualistic belief. On the Last Day the Lord will return the soul to a newly charged and extraordinarily healthy body. We insist on that when we recite the Apostles Creed, "I believe... in the resurrection of the body."
A modern, Christian philosophy, heavily committed to the sanctity and dignity of personal identity, recalls the Lord's calling Lazarus from the tomb. His moldering body heard that familiar voice speaking with astonishing authority, and came out. But it was a resuscitation, rather than resurrection, and it foreshadowed great things for those who believe in Jesus.
That same authority which called light out of darkness and everything out of nothingness, can certainly speak to dust and call those who belong to him by their names; with their identity, memory, and history intact. It can restore lost individuals to their families and nations. The Lord of eternity will not forget those who never forgot him despite the passage of time.
They have only to answer his call with the obedience of Abraham, Lazarus, and Jesus. "Here I am! I come to do your will."
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.