Thursday in Easter Week

I Corinthians 15:41-50

 Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.

This passage taken in isolation makes it seem that Paul is perhaps talking about a resurrection that is spiritual, not physical.  We must remember though about what Paul is in the midst of writing.  He has been telling us that we will share in Christ's resurrection, and have a body like is.  Now we have the body of dust, we shall have a body of heaven.  What is Christ's body of heaven like?  Look at the Gospel accounts of his appearances after the resurrection.

It is in many ways a spiritual body.  It appears and disappears.  It enters locked rooms.  But is is also a physical body.  It can be touched and felt.  It eats.  It bears the scars of his Passion.  The body of heaven, the body of Christ, which we will inherit will be both spiritual and physical.

It is Greek philosophy, not Christian belief, that says the physical is bad, that the material and spiritual and completely opposed.  In Christ the physical and spiritual is united, just as in him the divine and the human are united.

Our physical bodies are terribly tainted by sin, but they will be healed.  All that is corrupt in the physical, pershability, dishonor, weakness will be removed in favor of imperishability, honor and power.  It is in that body, our true human body, a body much more real than the one we have now, that we will inherit the kingdom of God.