Chess Corner: At the Resurrection (Mark 12:18-27)
Nguyễn Trung Tây, SVD
□ Players: Jesus and the Authorities in Palestine
□ Jesus: Queen’s side
□ The Authorities: King’s side
□ The Authorities: The Sadducees! These people do not believe in the afterlife.
□ Jesus: A Jew, born in Bethlehem, raised up in Nazareth, Palestine
□ Location (Where the chess takes place): Jerusalem (perhaps, somewhere in the courtyard of the Temple)
□ Time: Around 30 AD
The Sadducees move a pawn first by stating a proposition,
— Moses commanded that if a man dies, leaving his wife with no child, for the benefit of his own brother’s family lineage and property, his brother must marry his deceased brother’s wife.
Perhaps, Jesus responds by saying,
— Yes, I can see your interpretation from Deuteronomy 25:5-10.
The Sadducees then move the second pawn,
— There is a family with seven brothers. The first (eldest?) brother married a wife and died without leaving her any child. The second brother married this wife and also died, unfortunately leaving this wife no child. The similar unfortunate phenomenon also happened to the third, the fourth, the fifth, the sixth and the seventh brother.
Jesus quietly moves his pawn on the chess board, responding to the Sadducees’ strategically second move of their own pawn.
The Sadducees make another move on the chess board,
— The woman eventually died.
Again, Jesus quietly moves his pawn, calmly waiting for the last move from his chess opponents.
The Sadducees no longer hold their breath. They checkmate Jesus,
— Master, at the resurrection, “whose wife will this lady be, for she married all seven brothers?” (Mark 12:18-27).
(The Sadducees must feel delighted in their heart, Oh! Happy day! Perhaps, they are singing aloud this song while waiting for the moment Jesus surrenders, gives up or declares, “All right! You win,” or something similar).
Jesus’ face, nevertheless, appears calm, very calm. He smiles while looking directly at the faces of his chess partners, one by one, while strategically observing all the items on the chess board. Then he gently moves another pawn from his chess board side by saying,
— When the human beings rise up from the dead (at their own resurrection), men and women of this world do not marry, for they are like the angels in heaven…(v.25). What are you talking about?
The bystanders at the chess game burst into laughter when Jesus ends the chess game by stating hisvown conclusion about the resurrection, “[Too bad!] You (the Sadducees) are quite wrong (not to believe in the afterlife) (v.27)”, while the loser Sadducees surrender the chess game by quietly disappearing into the crowd.
Food for the day: Have I ever wondered if I will rise up on the last day? If I have, will I become like an angel?
Nguyễn Trung Tây, SVD
www.nguyentrungtay.com
Nguyễn Trung Tây, SVD
□ Players: Jesus and the Authorities in Palestine
□ Jesus: Queen’s side
□ The Authorities: King’s side
□ The Authorities: The Sadducees! These people do not believe in the afterlife.
□ Jesus: A Jew, born in Bethlehem, raised up in Nazareth, Palestine
□ Location (Where the chess takes place): Jerusalem (perhaps, somewhere in the courtyard of the Temple)
□ Time: Around 30 AD
The Sadducees move a pawn first by stating a proposition,
— Moses commanded that if a man dies, leaving his wife with no child, for the benefit of his own brother’s family lineage and property, his brother must marry his deceased brother’s wife.
Perhaps, Jesus responds by saying,
— Yes, I can see your interpretation from Deuteronomy 25:5-10.
The Sadducees then move the second pawn,
— There is a family with seven brothers. The first (eldest?) brother married a wife and died without leaving her any child. The second brother married this wife and also died, unfortunately leaving this wife no child. The similar unfortunate phenomenon also happened to the third, the fourth, the fifth, the sixth and the seventh brother.
Jesus quietly moves his pawn on the chess board, responding to the Sadducees’ strategically second move of their own pawn.
The Sadducees make another move on the chess board,
— The woman eventually died.
Again, Jesus quietly moves his pawn, calmly waiting for the last move from his chess opponents.
The Sadducees no longer hold their breath. They checkmate Jesus,
— Master, at the resurrection, “whose wife will this lady be, for she married all seven brothers?” (Mark 12:18-27).
(The Sadducees must feel delighted in their heart, Oh! Happy day! Perhaps, they are singing aloud this song while waiting for the moment Jesus surrenders, gives up or declares, “All right! You win,” or something similar).
Jesus’ face, nevertheless, appears calm, very calm. He smiles while looking directly at the faces of his chess partners, one by one, while strategically observing all the items on the chess board. Then he gently moves another pawn from his chess board side by saying,
— When the human beings rise up from the dead (at their own resurrection), men and women of this world do not marry, for they are like the angels in heaven…(v.25). What are you talking about?
The bystanders at the chess game burst into laughter when Jesus ends the chess game by stating hisvown conclusion about the resurrection, “[Too bad!] You (the Sadducees) are quite wrong (not to believe in the afterlife) (v.27)”, while the loser Sadducees surrender the chess game by quietly disappearing into the crowd.
Food for the day: Have I ever wondered if I will rise up on the last day? If I have, will I become like an angel?
Nguyễn Trung Tây, SVD
www.nguyentrungtay.com