Greater Glory, Living Hope

Date: Sunday, November 9, 2025 – Proper 27 (32)

Readings: Haggai 1:15b-2:9 | Psalm 98 | Job 19:23-27a | 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17 | Luke 20:27-38

Haggai’s call to rebuild the temple meets Jesus’ debate with the Sadducees about resurrection—a pairing that lifts our eyes from earthly discouragement to eternal hope. In Haggai’s time, the people returned from exile to face ruins and disappointment. They compared their present efforts to a golden past and felt small. Into that fatigue, God’s promise came: “Be strong… for I am with you,” and, astonishingly, “The glory of this present house will be greater than the former.” Glory would not be measured by polished stone but by God’s faithful presence among a people who kept building when it was hard.

Centuries later, Jesus faced a trick question about marriage in the age to come. He refused the trap and instead proclaimed the deeper truth: the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is not the God of the dead but of the living. Resurrection is not wishful thinking; it is the heartbeat of God’s covenant love. The Lord who stirred Zerubbabel and Joshua to rebuild is the same Lord who will raise His people to new life.

Our culture, like theirs, often measures worth by visible success or outward splendor. Yet God’s glory is revealed in restoration, both of temples and of hearts. Christ’s resurrection declares that no loss or ruin is final. In every crumbled dream or weary effort, the Spirit whispers: “Keep building; I am with you.” That promise reframes our disappointments, infusing ordinary obedience with eternal significance.

Perhaps you are rebuilding after grief, mending a relationship, or returning to a calling that feels modest compared to someone else’s platform. Take heart. The Lord of hosts shakes the nations not to terrify but to fill the world with peace. Hope does not deny the rubble; it sings over it. Lift your eyes: the foundation you lay in faith will outlast what shines today, because the risen Christ is its cornerstone.

Devotional Prompts:

• Where do you see God rebuilding what once seemed ruined?
• How does resurrection hope shape the way you face discouragement?
• What might “greater glory” look like in your life today?
• What faithful “brick” can you lay this week?

Prayer:
God of renewal, You raise what has fallen and breathe life into what seems lost. Strengthen my hands to rebuild with hope. Set my eyes on the risen Christ, and let Your glory fill my work with peace. Amen.