A Family of Martyrs
Why do you believe in the resurrection of the dead?
In the time before the Roman conquest of Palestine, an editor abridged a longer work about a Jewish uprising. We know this book as 2 Maccabees. The book chronicled the events during the oppressive rule of the Seleucid dynasty. While they ruled Syria, the Seleucid kings descended from the generals of Alexander the Great. Greek in language and culture, the dynasty tried to unite the subjects of their empire around that same language and culture. Conservative Jews resisted the foreign influence. The Syrian government pressed on with draconian measures. And a revolt broke out that eventual succeeded.
The martyrdom of the Jewish mother and her seven sons takes up chapter seven. The dialogue between the king and the sons revealed pre-Christian spirituality among many Jews. Justice was in the hands of God. The righteous would receive their reward, if not in this life, in the next. Hence many among the populace believed in the resurrection of the dead. This narrative gave the oppressed Jews a reason to keep kosher laws even in the face of death.
These verses clearly show the belief in the resurrection predated Jesus and the early Church. While the story was told to heighten the bravery of the martyrs, it does tell us why generations have held onto the doctrine of resurrection. God is just. He will reward the faithful and punish the evil at the end of time.
Does a belief in the resurrection comfort you like the mother of the seven martyred sons? How?
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