The Gospel of Matthew
Seven Brothers, One Widow: Mt 22,23-33
The three episodes in the second half of the chapter all turn upon the interpretation of Scripture. In every case, Jesus' interpretation will be superior to that of his questioners, even by their own rules.
Resurrection is a late understanding of the afterlife. Daniel 12,2 is the only reference to it in the main Hebrew Bible. This dates to around 160BC. The understanding of new resurrected life after death arose as a consequence of martyrdom. For martyrs, death could not be the end.
Seven brothers taking in turn the woman as wife is based on Dt 25,5-10. If a man dies before his wife could have a son, then it was the brother's responsibility to marry her and have a son on behalf of his dead brother. Thus the inheritance would be protected. A good example is the story of Tamar in Genesis 38. There may in this example be an allusion to Sarah in the book of Tobit who had lost seven husbands to a demon.
Verse 28 shows that the Sadducees understand resurrection to be a return to the life of this world.
Jesus first response in verse 29 concerns the power of God. In verse 30 he teaches that this power gives rise to a new transformed life at the resurrection.
His second response in verse 29 concerns the interpretation of Scripture. Here he trumps the Sadducees' allusion to Deuteronomy by quoting Moses at the scene of the burning bush in the book of Exodus. In some sense, Jesus says, the ancestors Abraham, Issac and Jacob continue to be alive and present. We can note the stress on God as a God of the living.
Matthew then adds a conclusion in verse 33 where he brings in the crowd. Their response is to be amazed at Jesus' teaching and the way is able to treat difficult issues.
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