Theological Debates and Faith

This is the English-translated outline of the sermon preached by Rev. Musubi Tabuchi to the congregations of Ashiya Christian Church and Unfinished Community on Sunday, November 9, 2025, drawing from Luke 20:27-38

Not that long ago, the term “theological debate” was used on the floor of Japan's Diet, but what does that term mean? Does it mean arguing just for the sake of arguing? Or perhaps it is harsher than that, referring to debates that lack any real substance or practical conclusions—meaningless discussions? The debate among the Sadducees in today's Gospel of Luke seems quite similar to that. They applied Jewish theological thought to a hypothetical problem—seven brothers marrying the same woman to produce an heir—and then superimposed the idea of resurrection onto it.

Jesus' response seemed to be simple: leave that answer to God.

Within Judaism during Jesus' time, differing viewpoints led to the formation of several different sects, different schools of theological thought. The well-known Pharisees were conservative, emphasizing the Old Testament commandments (the Law) above everything else. In contrast, the Sadducees are often described as holding a more rational, practical interpretation, hence their rejection of concepts like resurrection. In this passage, these people bring up resurrection precisely because they fear that it contradicts the Law of Moses—a classic theological dispute.

Jesus on the other hand, does not deny human resurrection, but he takes the stance that arguing about resurrection is meaningless unless we first grasp the vital importance of being alive for God right now. In this sense Jesus is even more realistic and rational than even the Sadducees. Before worrying about what comes after death, why not consider the meaning of being alive now and God's involvement in that? Without doing that, pondering what happens after death is utterly meaningless. The very fact that we can contemplate resurrection stems from our ability to truly feel God's love for us through Jesus right now, in this moment, while we are alive.

Let us pray:

Loving God, because we can firmly grasp that You are with us, we can entrust our future to You as well. May You love and protect us today, keeping us secure within the love of Jesus.

We pray this in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ,

Amen.