35 But someone will say, “How are the dead raised? What kind of body will they have when they come back?” 36 Look, fool! When you put a seed into the ground, it doesn’t come back to life unless it dies. 37 What you put in the ground doesn’t have the shape that it will have, but it’s a bare grain of wheat or some other seed. 38 God gives it the sort of shape that he chooses, and he gives each of the seeds its own shape. 39 All flesh isn’t alike. Humans have one kind of flesh, animals have another kind of flesh, birds have another kind of flesh, and fish have another kind. 40 There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies. The heavenly bodies have one kind of glory, and the earthly bodies have another kind of glory. 41 The sun has one kind of glory, the moon has another kind of glory, and the stars have another kind of glory (but one star is different from another star in its glory). 42 It’s the same with the resurrection of the dead: a rotting body is put into the ground, but what is raised won’t ever decay. 43 It’s degraded when it’s put into the ground, but it’s raised in glory. It’s weak when it’s put into the ground, but it’s raised in power. 44 It’s a physical body when it’s put into the ground, but it’s raised as a spiritual body.
Reflection
Have you ever heard someone say something along the lines of “Body and Spirit”? There’s actually fitness programs, gyms, and spas with this kind of branding. The two are so intricately connected. In this time of COVID, you may have heard people say things like, “I may not physically be with you, but I am with you spiritually”.
When I’ve done what I need to take care of my body (like eating healthy, exercising, going outside), I would definitely say that I feel well spiritually. When I’m nourishing myself spiritually (engaging in theological discussions, praying, fasting, reading my daily devotionals), it’s as if these things also make my body feel better.
In the Gospels, after Christ is resurrected, many have trouble recognizing Him. It isn’t until He shows his crucifixion scars or breaks bread that His spiritual body can be recognized as His physical body once was.
What kind of body will they have when they come back?
I sometimes wonder what my spirit looks like. In heaven, would everyone see me differently? What about us lives on without decay? Who someone is changes what they look like and how people feel around them. Kindness, innocence, love, generosity can all be seen. As we journey towards Christian Perfection, as we continually try to be more and more like Christ, the seed of a body that we have grows and changes in its own unique ways. Though there are parts of us now that will decay, there are parts of us that will live on in glory and power.
By Rachel Callender
For Pondering & Prayer
Think of 5 aspects about yourself you would want to live on forever. Is it your helper spirit? The way that volunteering energizes you? Your love for hospitality? What makes up your spirit?
Prayer: Holy Lord, through the resurrection of your Son, Jesus Christ, you have freed the world from the confines of death. You have created us each with bodies that have sustained us through so much yet you also have blessed us with an eternal spirit. May your Spirit wash through our spirits to be a beautiful reflection of your love and mercy. Amen.
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