Worthy?

I was reading the passage in Luke's Gospel where Jesus fields a question from the Sadducees about the resurrection. What struck me about the passage had more or less nothing to do with the topic they were discussing. What got my attention was in verse 35, “but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age...”

Worthy? I was stopped for a moment. Who is worthy to attain the resurrection and the glories and splendor of the throne of God? No one is worthy of the riches that await the children of God. What then, I asked myself, could Jesus have meant?

So I read the verse several more times and let it roll around in my head for a while. Then my thoughts settled upon, not the word “worthy”, but it's modifier “considered”. Jesus was not speaking of those who are worthy in an absolute sense because he modifies “worthy” with “considered”. Those “considered worthy”. That only marginally improved the situation. Who would consider himself worthy? Only someone who has underestimated both the glories of God and the utter depravity of his own wickedness.

But the modifier “considered” does help some. It brings in the idea of assessment. For one to consider something, one must evaluate that thing in light of some criteria. So upon what criteria, what standards, what benchmarks, are we to make such an assessment. If that assessment is to be made on our own good works and whether or not they are complete enough to justify calling anyone “worthy” then the situation hasn't changed. We all still come up short.

But anyone who has heard and believes the Gospel should know that this is not how salvation works. It is not any good works of our own that save us. It is God's grace that saves us. Grace purchased by the blood of Christ. The punishment we deserved was laid upon Him. And His perfect righteousness was granted to us.

Ah, and there it is. With Christ's flawless life of righteousness imputed to us, His glorious perfection credited to our account, then, and only then, can we be “considered” worthy because He is worthy. It is beautiful how even Jesus' seemingly insignificant word choice can lead one straight to the heart of the Gospel with just a little bit of reflection.