“We are not people who stake our lives on the order of this world, which will soon pass away. Rather, we are those who endure today by faith, hoping for that world—where death will be no more, perfect love reigns, and we will enjoy glory as the children of God.”

“We are not people who stake our lives on the order of this world, which will soon pass away.  Rather, we are those who endure today by faith, hoping for that world—where death will be no more, perfect love reigns, and we will enjoy glory as the children of God.”

 

 

 

 

“Then some of the Sadducees, who deny that there is a resurrection, came to Him and questioned Him, saying, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies having a wife, and he dies childless, his brother should take the wife and raise up offspring for his brother.  Now there were seven brothers; the first took a wife and died without children.  Then the second and the third took her, and in the same way all seven died, leaving no children.  Finally the woman also died. Therefore, in the resurrection, whose wife will she be?  For all seven had her as wife.’  Jesus said to them, “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage.  But those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage.  Nor can they die anymore, because they are equal to the angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.  But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed in the passage about the burning bush, where he calls the Lord ‘the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’  He is not the God of the dead but of the living, for to Him all are alive.’  Then some of the scribes answered, ‘Teacher,  You have spoken well.’  For they no longer dared to ask Him anything” (Luke 20:27–40).

 

 

(1)    First, as I read today's passage, Luke 20:27–40, in the Korean Bible, verse 40—"For they no longer dared to ask Him anything" (οὐκέτι γὰρ ἐτόλμων ἐπερωτᾶν αὐτὸν οὐδέν, ouketi gar etolmōn eperōtān auton ouden)—reminded me of Luke 20:26, which I meditated on yesterday: "They were unable to catch Him in what He said in the presence of the people, and being amazed at His answer, they became silent." (καὶ οὐκ ἴσχυσαν ἐπιλαβέσθαι τοῦ ῥήματος ἐναντίον τοῦ λαοῦ, καὶ θαυμάσαντες ἐπὶ τῇ ἀποκρίσει αὐτοῦ ἐσίγησαν, kai ouk ischysan epilabesthai tou rhēmatos enantion tou laou, kai thaumasantes epi tē apokrisei autou esigēsan).  Ultimately, I became interested in the fact that when Jesus spoke, His opponents were first amazed and fell silent (v. 26), and eventually reached the point where they no longer dared to ask Him anything (v. 40).

 

(a)    Luke 20:26 and 20:40 form an important progression that demonstrates how Jesus' opponents were completely overwhelmed by His divine authority and wisdom.  The following is an in-depth AI analysis of the original Greek, the context, and the theological significance of these verses (Internet):

 

1.       The narrative progression from verse 26 to verse 40

 

Verse 26 (The failure of the political trap): The Pharisees and Herodians attempted to trap Jesus over the issue of paying taxes to Caesar so they could accuse Him.  Instead, they were stunned by His wise answer and fell silent.

 

Verse 40 (The end of the religious controversy): The Sadducees, who denied the resurrection, attempted to ridicule belief in the resurrection through the hypothetical case of seven brothers and one wife.  However, after Jesus completely refuted them using the Old Testament (Exodus), they could no longer offer any rebuttal.

 

2.       Comparison of the Greek expressions and their theological significance

 

Verse 26: Silence born of astonishment and helplessness

 

"They were unable to catch Him in what He said... and being amazed at His answer, they became silent."

 

“οὐκ ἴσχυσαν” (ouk ischysan): "They had no power," "they were unable."  Their organized plot and human cleverness, intended to trap Jesus in His words and hand Him over for judgment, were completely rendered powerless before His wisdom.

 

“θαυμάσαντες” (thaumasantes): More than simple surprise, this describes being overwhelmed with amazement at an answer far beyond ordinary human wisdom.

 

“ἐσίγησαν” (esigēsan): They fell silent because they had no choice but to acknowledge their defeat. It is the silence of being completely disarmed.

 

Verse 40: The conclusion marked by reverence and fear

 

"For they no longer dared to ask Him anything."

 

  “οὐκέτι... οὐδέν” (ouketi... ouden): A strong double negative meaning "no longer... anything."  It declares the complete end of every attempt to challenge or undermine Jesus through debate.

 

“ἐτόλμων” (etolmōn): An imperfect form of tolmaō, meaning "to dare" or "to have the courage."  It indicates that they no longer possessed even the moral or intellectual courage to question Jesus again.  Whereas the silence in verse 26 arose from embarrassment, the silence in verse 40 reflects awe and fear before Jesus' divine authority.

 

3.       Meditation summary and conclusion

 

Jesus' opponents confronted Him with their most difficult questions—one political (taxes) and one theological (the resurrection)—hoping to corner Him. Instead, their traps collapsed.  Jesus' answers first silenced them (v. 26), and ultimately left them so utterly defeated that they no longer even dared to oppose Him (v. 40).  This powerfully demonstrates that no human sophistry or clever strategy can stand before the Word of God (Internet).

 

(2)    Second, as I meditated on Luke 20:27–40 together with its parallel passages in Matthew 22:23–33 and Mark 12:18–27, I wanted to understand the overall flow of the narrative.

 

(a)    The following is an AI summary of the entire account of the Sadducees' challenge concerning the resurrection, as recorded in all three Synoptic Gospels.  This episode portrays how the religious elite, who denied the resurrection, attempted to embarrass Jesus but instead found themselves completely overwhelmed by His divine authority (Internet):

 

1.       The Sadducees' challenge: "Seven brothers and one wife"

 

Background: The Sadducees, wealthy aristocrats in Jewish society who denied the resurrection, angels, and spirits, approached Jesus.

 

Their question: Based on Moses' law concerning levirate marriage—where a man whose brother died childless was to marry his brother's widow to preserve the family line—they proposed an extreme hypothetical case.

 

Scenario: Seven brothers successively married the same woman, but each died without children. The woman also eventually died. At the resurrection, whose wife would she be?

 

Their purpose: They intended to mock belief in the resurrection by suggesting that, if the resurrection were real, heaven would become an absurd and contradictory place.

 

2.       Jesus' first response: The nature of life in heaven (correcting their view of the age to come)

 

His rebuke: According to Matthew and Mark, Jesus first rebuked them, saying that they were mistaken because they understood neither the Scriptures nor the power of God.

 

His explanation: Marriage belongs to the present age, serving the continuation of the human race under earthly limitations.  In the resurrected life, however, people neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like the angels, never dying again (Luke).

 

The central point: The kingdom of heaven is not merely an extension of earthly, physical existence. It is an entirely new order of spiritual life.

 

3.       Jesus' second response: Biblical proof of the resurrection (from Exodus)

 

His evidence: Jesus appealed to the very section of Scripture that the Sadducees themselves regarded as authoritative—the Pentateuch, specifically the account of the burning bush in Exodus.

 

His argument: When God revealed Himself to Moses, He declared, "I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob," using the present tense even though the patriarchs had long since died.

 

His conclusion: If Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had ceased to exist altogether, God would be the God of the dead. But God is "not the God of the dead, but of the living."  Therefore, from God's perspective, the patriarchs are still alive, and their future resurrection is certain.

 

4.       The conclusion: The crowd's amazement and the opponents' silence

 

Matthew: The crowds were deeply astonished by Jesus' teaching.

 

Mark: Jesus concluded by telling the Sadducees, "You are badly mistaken," bringing the debate to an end.

 

Luke: Some of the scribes responded, "Teacher, You have spoken well." After that, Jesus' opponents no longer dared to ask Him another question.  They had been completely defeated (Internet).

 

(i)        At this point, I became interested in learning more details about the "levirate marriage" custom—where, if an older brother died without children, his younger brother would marry the widow to carry on the family line.

 

·         Levirate marriage—the practice the Sadducees used as a debating point—was a unique family custom in ancient Near Eastern societies and Israel; in the Bible, it is referred to as the law of marrying a deceased brother's widow.  Here is a summary of the system's specific definition, purpose, and biblical background, compiled by AI (Internet):

 

1.    The essential principle of levirate marriage

Basic rule: If a married man died without leaving children—especially without a son—his brother was expected to marry the widow.

 

Status of the first child: The first son born from this union was legally regarded not as the biological father's son but as the deceased brother's son.  He inherited the deceased brother's name, family line, and property.  Any subsequent children belonged legally to the biological father.

 

2.    Three primary purposes of this law

 

In ancient Israel, this law served as much more than a marriage custom. It functioned as an important legal and social institution for preserving the covenant community.

 

Preserving the family line: To have one's family line extinguished was regarded as a great tragedy and a sign of misfortune. The law protected the deceased man's name from disappearing from among Israel.

 

Preserving the family's inheritance: The land that God had allotted to each tribe and family was intended to remain within that family.  Without an heir, the inheritance could pass to another family. The levirate law helped preserve the family's allotted inheritance.

 

Protecting the widow socially and economically: In the ancient world, a childless widow was among the most vulnerable members of society.  The law required the deceased husband's family to assume responsibility for her welfare, preventing her from falling into destitution or slavery. In this sense, it also functioned as an early form of social welfare.

 

3.    Biblical basis and examples

 

The law itself (Deut. 25:5–10): Moses formally codified this practice. If a brother refused to marry his deceased brother's widow, she could bring the matter before the elders, remove his sandal, spit in his face, and publicly declare that he had refused to build up his brother's house.  His family would thereafter be known as "the house of him whose sandal was removed."

 

A pre-Mosaic example (Genesis 38): After Judah's son Er died, Judah instructed his second son, Onan, to marry Tamar.  Knowing that any child would legally belong to his deceased brother rather than to himself, Onan deliberately prevented conception and was judged by God.

 

Its most beautiful fulfillment (The Book of Ruth): Boaz's redemption of Elimelech's family inheritance and his marriage to Ruth is the classic and gracious example of the levirate principle working together with the role of the kinsman-redeemer (goel).

 

4.   Why the Sadducees appealed to this law

 

The Sadducees' hypothetical case of seven brothers successively marrying the same woman was carefully designed to turn Moses' own law (Deuteronomy 25) into an apparent contradiction.  Their argument was essentially: "If the resurrection is real, then whose wife would she be?  Doesn't Moses' own law create an impossible situation in the resurrection?"  By appealing to the authority of the Law of Moses itself, they attempted to demonstrate that belief in the resurrection was logically impossible.  Instead, Jesus showed that their error lay in misunderstanding both the Scriptures and the power of God (Internet).

 

(3)    Third, I would like to meditate on Jesus' words to the Sadducees, who denied the resurrection: "You are mistaken, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God" (Πλανᾶσθε μὴ εἰδότες τὰς γραφὰς μηδὲ τὴν δύναμιν τοῦ θεοῦ; Planasthe mē eidotes tas graphas mēde tēn dynamin tou theou) (Mt. 22:29; cf. Mk. 12:24).  The reason I want to reflect on this is that I believe we, too, can easily fall into misunderstanding today because of our ignorance of both the Scriptures and the power of God.

 

(a)    Matthew 22:29 (cf. Mk. 12:24) is not merely a rebuke directed at the Sadducees two thousand years ago.  It is also a solemn warning and spiritual guide for us today, since we likewise are prone to misunderstand the true meaning of Scripture and to limit God's power through our ignorance.  Let us examine the original meaning of this verse and consider specifically why we, even today, can make the same mistakes as the Sadducees (Internet):

 

1.       An Analysis of the Original Greek

 

(Mt. 22:29) “Πλανᾶσθε μὴ εἰδότες τὰς γραφὰς μηδὲ τὴν δύναμιν τοῦ θεοῦ” (Planasthe mē eidotes tas graphas mēde tēn dynamin tou theou) ("You are mistaken, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God.")

 

“Πλανᾶσθε” (Planasthe): This is the passive form of the verb πλανάω (planaō), meaning "to be deceived," "to wander," "to go astray," or "to miss the mark."  In other words, although the Sadducees considered themselves intelligent and presented sophisticated arguments, Jesus declared that they had already wandered far from the truth and were pitifully lost.

 

“μὴ εἰδότες” (mē eidotes): The Greek word for "know" here refers to a deep, experiential, and essential knowledge. It is not merely reading the words of Scripture or possessing intellectual information.  Rather, Jesus is speaking of their complete failure to perceive God's heart and the spiritual mysteries contained within the Scriptures.

 

2.       Two Misunderstandings That We Are Prone to Today

 

Jesus diagnosed the Sadducees' fundamental error in two ways: ignorance of the Scriptures and ignorance of God's power.

 

①        Misunderstanding Through Ignorance of the Scriptures (Intellectual and Spiritual Ignorance)

 

The Sadducees' error: They had memorized and carefully studied the Pentateuch, the books of Moses. Yet they failed to perceive the Scriptures' ultimate message—the promise of eternal life and the resurrection. Instead, they interpreted Scripture only through the lens of their own theological framework and vested interests.

 

Our modern misunderstanding: We, too, may read only the biblical passages we prefer while ignoring the grand narrative of God's kingdom and salvation.  We can become absorbed in literalistic arguments without seeing the larger picture of God's redemptive plan.  Whenever we use the Bible merely to support our own beliefs or ideologies, we become like the Sadducees—people who know the Scriptures and yet still misunderstand them.

 

②        Misunderstanding Through Ignorance of God's Power (Experiential and Spiritual Ignorance)

 

The Sadducees' error: They viewed reality only within the limits of human physical existence—marriage, death, and the constraints of time and space. Thus they reasoned, "If there is a resurrection, then surely people must continue marrying in heaven just as they do on earth. Doesn't that create a contradiction?"  In other words, they confined God's infinite power within the small box of human reason.

 

Our modern misunderstanding: Living in a society dominated by materialism and scientific naturalism, we also often say, "That's impossible."  "Given my circumstances, even God can't change this."  Whenever we limit God's power in this way, we fail to believe that He is sovereign and able to give life to spiritually dead souls or transform broken lives into an entirely new order of existence—a glorified, spiritual body.  Every such moment is a misunderstanding of God's power.

 

3.       Conclusion of the Meditation: The Way Out of Misunderstanding

 

The Sadducees studied the Scriptures, but they never truly encountered God.  As a result, they became lost (planasthe).

 

If we are to escape this same spiritual ignorance, we must approach Scripture not to display our knowledge but to humbly hear the living voice of God.  At the same time, we need faith that completely trusts God's supernatural power—a power that works far beyond the limits of our own reason and experience (Internet).

 

(4)    Fourth, I would like to receive the lesson that comes from meditating on Jesus' words: "Those who are considered worthy to attain that age and the resurrection from the dead" (οἱ δὲ καταξιωθέντες τοῦ αἰῶνος ἐκείνου τυχεῖν καὶ τῆς ἀναστάσεως τῆς ἐκ νεκρῶν; hoi de kataxiōthentes tou aiōnos ekeinou tychein kai tēs anastaseōs tēs ek nekrōn) (Lk. 20:35).

 

(a)    First, Jesus contrasts "that age" (τοῦ αἰῶνος ἐκείνου, tou aiōnos ekeinou) (v. 35) with "the sons of this age" (οἱ υἱοὶ τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου, hoi huioi tou aiōnos toutou) (v. 34). What is the significance of this contrast?

 

1.       Analysis of the Original Concept: Two Ages (Aiōn)

 

The Greek word αἰών (aiōn), translated as "age" or "world," does not primarily refer to the physical universe (kosmos).  Rather, it denotes a particular age, era, or spiritual order existing within the flow of history.  Thus, Jesus is employing the central concept of Jewish apocalyptic thought—the doctrine of the two ages—to contrast the two dimensions in which believers live.

 

This Age (τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου; tou aiōnos toutou)

 

           Meaning: The present age in which we now live.

 

Characteristics: It is governed by sin and death and is marked by weakness, limitation, and corruption. Because death exists, people marry and are given in marriage in order to preserve the human race. Marriage belongs to the order of this present world.

 

That Age (τοῦ αἰῶνος ἐκείνου; tou aiōnos ekeinou)

 

Meaning: The age to come—the kingdom of God in its fully consummated form.

 

Characteristics: It is the eternal, spiritual world brought to completion through Christ's resurrection and His second coming.  Since death and corruption no longer exist there, the earthly institutions established for this present world—including marriage—are no longer necessary.  It is an entirely new order of existence.

2.       The Lessons from the Contrast Between "the Sons of This Age" and "Those Worthy of That Age"

 

①      A Contrast in Citizenship and Values

 

"The sons of this age" are those who live as though the values and order of this present world are all that exist.  The Sadducees belonged to this category.  Because they could not see the eternal reality of that age, they attempted to interpret the coming resurrection according to the limited framework of earthly marriage—as illustrated by the case of the seven brothers and one wife.  Believers, however, although they presently live in this age, ultimately belong to that age.

 

②      A Contrast in Life's Purpose and Priorities

 

The sons of this age devote themselves to earthly achievements, possessions, and physical relationships such as marriage.  Why?  Because they believe that death is the end, or because they regard this earthly life as the ultimate standard.  Those who look toward the age to come, however, do not mistake earthly things for eternal realities.  They understand that institutions such as marriage and material possessions have been given only temporarily to accomplish God's purposes in this present world.  Therefore, they neither cling to them nor make them idols, but instead pursue the eternal values of God's kingdom.

 

③      A Contrast in Hope and Comfort

 

This present age is ruled by tears, separation, sickness, and death.  The tragic story presented by the Sadducees—the seven brothers who all died childless—perfectly illustrates the misery of this present world.  But Jesus directs believers' eyes toward that age.  There, death will exist no more. God's people will be like the angels and will enjoy everlasting glory as His children.  Therefore, even amid the suffering and deprivation of this present life, believers possess a sure hope that prevents them from falling into despair.

 

3.       Conclusion of the Meditation

 

Jesus' contrast confronts us with an important question: "Are you living as a child of this age, or are you living with your hope fixed on that age?"

 

If we are to avoid limiting God's power by confining ourselves—as the Sadducees did—to the framework of earthly common sense and human reason, we must lift our eyes in faith and behold the glory and order of that eternal age (τοῦ αἰῶνος ἐκείνου) proclaimed by Jesus (Internet).

 

(i)       Here I would like to reflect more deeply on what is meant by “the glory and order of that age (τοῦ αἰῶνος ἐκείνου) proclaimed by Jesus.”

 

·            The glory and order of “that age” (τοῦ αἰῶνος ἐκείνου) proclaimed by Jesus is not merely an extension of this present life or a slightly improved version of it.  Rather, it refers to an entirely new dimension of existence in which God's spiritual reign is perfectly realized, completely free from the physical limitations of this world ruled by sin and death.  Based on what Jesus Himself revealed in today's passage (Lk. 20:35–36), the following are three aspects of that glory and order (Internet):

 

1.       The glory of immortality over which death has no power (v. 36): "For they cannot die anymore."

 

The order of this world: The strongest and saddest reality governing this world is death.  Even the story of the seven brothers and one woman cited by the Sadducees ultimately arose because of death.  Everyone on earth grows old, becomes sick, and eventually bows before death.

 

The glory of that age: The age proclaimed by Jesus is one in which the very order of death has been abolished.  Those who receive resurrected bodies will never again suffer from disease, decay, accidents, or the fear of death.  They will forever possess incorruptible life, overflowing with glorious vitality.  This is the greatest glory of that age.

 

2.       The order of spiritual relationships that transcends physical marriage (v. 35): "They neither marry nor are given in marriage."

The order of this world: Marriage and the family in this present life are beautiful institutions ordained by God for the preservation of the human race and for mutual support among frail human beings.  Yet earthly marriage also involves exclusivity, possession, and physical limitations.

 

The order of that age: In the resurrected world, there will no longer be any need for childbirth to preserve the human race; therefore, the institution of earthly marriage will have fulfilled its purpose and pass away.  Instead, all believers will enjoy the most perfect and pure spiritual union in God.  Rather than the limited love shared between one man and one woman, all the redeemed will experience perfect fellowship of love with one another and with the Triune God.  This is the highest communal order established in eternity.

 

3.       The glory of being God's children who behold Him face to face (v. 36): "They are equal to the angels and are children of God, being children of the resurrection."

 

Equal to the angels [ἰσάγγελοι (isangeloi)]: This does not mean that believers become angels.  Rather, it means that they will share the angels' spiritual status and privilege: no longer bound by space and time, beholding God's glory without obstruction, and worshiping Him with joy day and night.

 

Children of God (υἱοί εἰσιν τοῦ θεοῦ): Through the resurrection, our identity as God's children will be fully revealed in glory.  The authority of sonship, which is hidden amid suffering in this life, will be openly manifested in that age as believers reign as a royal priesthood, inheriting and enjoying all the riches of God's kingdom.

 

Conclusion of the meditation: The lesson for us today

 

The Sadducees could not see the eternal glory of that coming age.  Therefore, they judged the world to come solely by the limited framework of earthly marriage—asking, "Whose wife will she be?"

 

The glory and order of that age revealed by Jesus call us to loosen our grip on this present world.  They teach us that earthly possessions, success, and even human relationships are not eternal.  We are not people who stake our lives on the order of this world that is soon passing away.  Rather, we are people who endure today by faith, hoping for that world—where death will never exist again, perfect love reigns, and we will enjoy glory as the children of God.

 

(5)    Fifth and last, I would like to meditate on Jesus' words: "He is not the God of the dead but of the living, for to Him all are alive" [θεὸς δὲ οὐκ ἔστιν νεκρῶν ἀλλὰ ζώντων· πάντες γὰρ αὐτῷ ζῶσιν (Theos de ouk estin nekrōn alla zōntōn; pantes gar autō zōsin)] (Lk. 20:38).  What is the meaning of this statement, and what lesson does it teach us?

 

1.       Analysis of the central meaning

 

①      "The God of the living" (θεὸς ζώντων)

 

Jesus quoted from the Pentateuch (Exodus 3), the very portion of Scripture that the Sadducees regarded as having the highest authority.  When God introduced Himself to Moses, He referred to the patriarchs who had departed this world centuries earlier by saying, "I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob," using the present tense.

 

If Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had completely ceased to exist after death, then God would paradoxically be the God of dead corpses. Instead, because God is the living God, Jesus powerfully declared that those who are in covenant with Him are still alive in God's presence.

 

②      "For to Him all are alive" (πάντες γὰρ αὐτῷ ζῶσιν)

 

“αὐτῷ” (autō): means "to Him" or "from His perspective."

 

Meaning: From the human viewpoint—the perspective of this present world—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are dead and buried.  But from God's perspective and within the realm of His sovereign rule, they are still living.  To the eternal God, who transcends time and space, those who died in the past, those living in the present, and those yet to be born are all vividly alive before Him.

2.       Three spiritual lessons this passage teaches us today

 

①      A transformed perspective on death for believers (Death is not the end)

 

For Christians, physical death is not the annihilation of existence or the absolute end.  It is simply the transition from the order of "this age" (τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου) into the eternal order of "that age" (τοῦ αἰῶνος ἐκείνου).  Therefore, when we think of faithful believers who have physically died, we should not regard them as those who have disappeared, but as those who are still alive in God.  This truth gives believers who have lost loved ones in the faith the greatest comfort and the sure hope of the resurrection—a hope the world cannot offer.

 

②      The faithfulness of God's eternal covenant (God never forgets)

 

God says, "I am the God of Abraham," because His covenant with Abraham is still in effect.  God never forgets those who trusted Him during their earthly lives.  Even after death, He preserves their souls alive in His presence.  Every tear shed for God, every act of service, and every expression of faithfulness in this life remains forever alive and remembered by God.

 

③      The responsibility to live Coram Deo ("before the face of God") today

 

The statement "to Him all are alive" means that even at this very moment we are living in continual relationship with the eternally living God.  Those who, like the Sadducees, do not believe in the resurrection or the life to come live only for physical desires and earthly privilege.  But believers who know that they are alive before God live each day with the awareness that God, whose eyes are like blazing fire, sees every word, every action, and every motive of the heart. Consequently, they strive to live each day in holiness, anchored in eternal values.

 

Conclusion of the meditation

 

The Sadducees reduced God to little more than the God of history who merely remembers figures of the past.  Jesus, however, revealed that God is the living God, who is even now in fellowship with them and continues to sustain their lives.

 

The God we believe in is not the God of a dead religion or a God confined to the written page.  He is the living God who is actively at work in our lives today.  When we believe that we ourselves are eternally alive in Him, we are able to overcome the despair of this world and the fear of death (Internet).