“The resurrected Jesus is STILL the Son of Mary. The Bible assures us that the evidence of Jesus’ time on earth is preserved in that resurrected body in that He showed the nailprints and scars. If Jesus remembers that, then He remembers His earthly mother.”
“Yo, Joe, your earthly wife asked me to remind you to pray for her.”
“Joe, not being omniscient would have little likelihood of knowing his wife’s prayer, but no one says he cannot be informed of it.”
Pastor, that is a nice sentimental view of heaven captured in many of the old time hymns and Southern Gospel songs but I don’t think it corresponds with the way scripture portrays relationships in heaven. Believers are “reborn” from above. It is not our earthly pedigree that counts. Jesus gave us a glimpse of relationships in heaven when he said:
Mat 12:48-50, “Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.”
or when he said to Mary and John:
Jhn 19:26-27, “When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own [home].”
It is the same with the most profound of earthly relationship:
Mat 22:30, “For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.”
There are no exclusive familial bonds between creative beings in heaven for Jesus occupies all of the affections.
Col 1:16-17, “ For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether [they be] thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. “
Eph. 1:22-23, “And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.”
Honoring father and mother is a temporal command “that your days may be long upon the earth”.
Are you suggesting that I won’t know loved ones in heaven? And that they’ll not be important to me?
It is a question I’ve pondered long and hard, because it’s a question that parishoners are wont to ask of a pastor.
My sense is that just because they don’t give in marriage in heaven doesn’t mean my memory banks will be wiped clean. If that were the case, there’d be no point in having the Lamb crucified there. There’d be no point in wiping tears from our eyes.
Is Jesus yet resurrected? Is that resurrected body yet real or did it get done away with? Was it not the old body renewed? And did not Mary have somewhat to do with that?
This is not an issue of statues or beads. This is a real life bible question, and I’m on the side of our knowing each other, our memories being intact, and our salvation being a realized eternal gift.
Otherwise, what is the difference in terms of our identity between heaven and nirvana? Either way, you wouldn’t know who you had been.
AMEN!
Thank you so very much for sharing your insights, dear brother in Christ!