And Jesus said to them: The children of this world marry and are given in marriage:
και αποκριθεις ειπεν αυτοις ο ιησους οι υιοι του αιωνος τουτου γαμουσιν και εκγαμισκονται
11 Church Fathers comment on this verse · 13 commentaries
The Lord challenges their foundational beliefs, asserting that there is no physical existence in that realm. With this fragile basis and misconception, He dismantles their teachings, stating, "Ye err, not knowing the Scriptures," indicating their misunderstanding of its significance. "The children of this age," referring to those who are born and procreate in this world, engage in marriage and various transgressions.
We have presented numerous points to counter the unbelief of the Jews. However, let us examine what Christ expressed to them: “The children of this world,” he states, referring to those who live a worldly and carnal existence, driven by physical desires, in order to procreate, "marry and are married."
The people of God. Let us examine what Christ conveyed to them: He referred to the sons of this age (Lk 20:34), meaning those who lead a life devoted to worldly pleasures, indulging in the flesh, marrying and being given in marriage primarily to bear children. However, those who have fulfilled a life of noble and virtuous deeds, and have thus achieved (Lk 20:35) a glorious and remarkable resurrection, will undoubtedly transcend the existence of this world. They shall dwell as is fitting for the saints and those who are already in the presence of God. They are akin to the angels and are considered sons of God (Lk 20:36).
Consequently, since all earthly desires and carnal pleasures have been cast aside and hold no place within them, they are compared to angels, engaging in spiritual service rather than earthly endeavors, embodying the dignity of the saints, and being bestowed with a glory akin to that of the angels.
The Sadducees were a Jewish group that denied the resurrection of the dead. Consequently, when they posed their inquiry, the Jewish people were left bewildered and uncertain, unable to respond. They held the belief that the kingdom of God could be attained through flesh and blood, meaning they thought the perishable could inherit the imperishable. The Truth arrived and was questioned by the misguided Sadducees, who posed this challenge to Him. The Lord, fully aware of the truth and wishing for us to embrace what remains unknown, responds with the authority befitting His majesty regarding what we ought to believe. The apostle articulated this understanding to the extent granted to him, and we should strive to grasp it as best we can.
What does the Lord convey to the Sadducees? You are mistaken, for you do not understand the Scriptures nor the might of God. In the resurrection, they neither marry nor are given in marriage; they cannot die any longer, for they are like the angels of God (Mt 22:29-30, Mk 12:24-35, Lk 20:34-36). The power of God is truly magnificent. Why is there no marrying or being given in marriage? Because they no longer face death. Where there are successors, the predecessors have departed. Yet in that realm, such decay will cease. The Lord Himself matured from childhood to young adulthood, for during His time on earth, He experienced the essence of human frailty; however, upon rising from the dead, shall we assume that He ages in glory?
Therefore, the Lord declares, They shall be like the angels of God. It is prophesied that we will be resurrected; we have just heard from the Lord that our resurrection leads to a life akin to that of angels, and the form of our resurrection was revealed through His own rising.
Of this present era, referring to this earthly existence.
Regarding the topic of resurrection and inquiries surrounding it, if one reflects carefully, it becomes clear that the Lord does not reject the institution of marriage and recognizes the realities of earthly desires in relation to the resurrection. When He refers to ‘the sons of this age,’ it is not to differentiate them from those of a future age, but rather to align with the phrase, ‘born in this age.’ As they are sons by birth, they both give life and receive it, for every individual enters this existence through the process of birth. However, once someone has transitioned from this life, this birth, which shares in temporal decay, no longer holds relevance.
Young women, be mindful of your journey and safeguard your identity. The reward awaiting you is immense, as is the honor of living virtuously, with chastity being its most remarkable blessing. Understand the essence of temperance, what harms it and what nourishes it. The Lord declared to the woman, "I will surely multiply your pain in childbirth; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be contrary to your husband, but he shall rule over you" (Genesis 3:16). Yet you are liberated from this decree: you need not fear the sorrows and pains particular to wives; you shall not dread the act of childbirth, for your husband is not your ruler; rather, Christ is your Lord and Head, standing in the place of your husband. Your experience and status in faith are identical.
The word of the Lord proclaims: “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage, but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage, for they cannot die anymore, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection” (Luke 20:34-36). You have already embarked on being what we are destined to become. You have reached the glory of the resurrection in this present age and are journeying through life without being sullied by the world. Remaining as pure maidens, you stand equal to the angels of God.
After the Pharisees were rendered speechless by His response, the Sadducees, part of the same Sanhedrin and pleased by the Pharisees’ humiliation, quickly sought to challenge Him on the subject of the resurrection of the dead, a doctrine they had dismissed due to the absurd conclusions they believed it led to. Just as the Lord had condemned the Pharisees, He directly addressed the core fallacy of the Sadducees’ argument. They referenced a story about a woman who had married seven brothers according to the law of man. The Lord demonstrated to the Sadducees that their misunderstanding was twofold: they failed to comprehend the Scriptures and the limitless power of God.
Had they truly grasped even the texts they accepted—both in their literal meaning and in their intended significance—they would have recognized the essential link between the religious truths contained within them and the belief in the eternal existence of the soul. Additionally, if they acknowledged God’s omnipotence, they would not equate the future existence of humanity to the present forms and relationships, but would rather accept that God can transform existence into a glorified and exalted state. He then clarified that the afterlife must align with the existence of higher beings. To support this understanding, He referred to the phrases frequently found in the writings of Moses, specifically, “the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” How could God maintain such a profound relationship with these revered individuals and accord them such significance and honor, calling Himself their God, if they were merely fleeting beings, rather than creations destined for eternity?
The Gospel accounts do not clearly indicate that the Sadducees collaborated with the Pharisees in this instance. It is plausible that upon witnessing J. Christ’s humiliation of the Pharisees, they took delight and sought to have Him mock the Pharisaic belief in the resurrection of the dead (which held that all Israelites would be resurrected with the advent of the Messiah to live again in the promised land). At the very least, J. Christ's response was satisfying to the scribes (Luke 39), and the Sadducees’ defeat through His words served to bolster the Pharisees (Matthew 34).
The Sadducees contended that due to the law concerning levirate marriage (Deuteronomy 25:5-6), which allows a woman to have multiple husbands during her lifetime, the concept of resurrection life, as held by the Pharisees, appeared implausible; thus, they deemed it necessary to either dismiss the reasonableness of this law or reject the possibility of resurrection altogether. Since the law bestowed by God could not be seen as unreasonable, the law itself seemed to imply that resurrection from the dead was a fantasy. Their objection stemmed from the Pharisees' overly corporeal understanding of post-resurrection life. In response, Jesus Christ remarked that the Sadducees (as well as the Pharisees) were unaware of the Scriptures, clarifying that after the resurrection, “they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like the angels of God in heaven” (Matthew 30). Because their argument rested on the notion that a decayed human body could not rise again, the Lord pointed out their ignorance of “the power of God” and demonstrated through the Scriptures (Exodus 3:6) that life exists beyond the grave, affirming the reality of the resurrection of the dead.
Jesus responded, "The reason you do not comprehend the promise of Eternal Life is that you misunderstand its nature. You mistakenly believe that in the afterlife, individuals will engage in the same earthly pleasures as here. However, this is not the case: those who are privileged to be called sons of God upon their resurrection will be transformed to be like angels, living in a higher, spiritual existence. Like the angels, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage, and death will have no power over them."
Their prideful expertise faced a fitting setback. With his characteristic serenity, Christ responded, indicating that their beliefs about the resurrection and eternal life were erroneous due to their misinterpretation of the Holy Scriptures. In this world, people marry and are given in marriage because of their mortality, as marriage is essential for the preservation of mankind.
The narrative presented by Luke regarding the inquiry from the Sadducees and the response given by the Lord aligns closely with the accounts provided by the first two Gospel writers, with only minor variations in phrasing. For further reference, see Matthew 22:23-33 and Mark 12:18-27. In these interactions, ‘Moses showed when he called’ can be interpreted as ‘Moses proclaimed,’ indicating that he transcribed the divine words of the Lord given to him at the Tabernacle. Here, God identifies Himself as the God of the patriarchs of Israel. Moses, having received divine commandments from God, referred to Him as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
When it is noted that ‘some of the scribes’ reacted positively, it is likely that they were not Sadducees, who would be less inclined to voice approval for the Lord’s wise rebuttal. Rather, these scribes might have been Pharisees who, while having attempted to challenge the Lord alongside the Sadducees, found some satisfaction in witnessing their rivals being disproven. As recorded in Matthew 22:34 and following verses, after a scribe acknowledged that the Lord had effectively answered the Sadducees, he openly commended Him subsequently (Mark 12:32). This commendation may concern the same scribe along with others of similar thought, as Luke recounts that after the Lord addressed the Sadducees, they said, ‘Master, you have spoken well.’ The Lord's adept scripting of the resurrection of the dead from the Scriptures was so convincing that even His adversaries honored Him on this occasion (Luke 20:40-44).
As for the Lord's inquiry about the Messiah's lineage—His identity as His Son—Luke presents this aspect consistently with the accounts of Matthew and Mark. For reference, see Matthew 22:41-46 and Mark 12:35-37. After the Sadducees were confounded, no one dared to question Him further, as noted by both Matthew and Mark, who report that a scribe sought clarification regarding the greatest commandment in the law (Matthew 22:35-40, Mark 12:28-34). Luke, however, does not include the exchange between the Lord and the scribe concerning the commandment, emphasizing instead that the inquiry about Christ's identity was initiated by the Lord Himself. Consequently, Luke highlights that they refrained from further questioning Him, placing this observation after the Lord’s response to the Sadducees about the resurrection.
Regarding the phrase ‘How then is He Son unto him?’ Luke does not elaborate on the impact of the Lord's question on the audience, but this gap is addressed by Matthew and Mark; Matthew states that no one could provide an answer, while Mark notes that the crowd was attentive and delighted by His teachings.
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 13 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS