Scripture: Soon afterward he went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a great crowd went with him. As he drew near to the gate of the town, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow, and a considerable crowd from the town was with her. And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.” Then he came up and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has arisen among us!” and “God has visited his people!” And this report about him spread through the whole of Judea and all the surrounding country. Luke 7:11-17 ESV
[Click here to read the entire chapter.]
Observation: Recapping Friday’s Daily Focus, we read of Jesus calling his first disciples: Simon (Peter), Andrew, James, and John. Here, we learn that Jesus had preached to a crowd who eagerly pressed toward him. So he approaches Simon and directs him to take him offshore so he might continue teaching the people with adequate spacing. Upon concluding his talk, Jesus tells Simon to row to a greater depth and let down his nets. Simon expresses his doubt based on his unsuccessful catch the previous night, but he follows orders, and much to his surprise, the nets teem with fish that begin to tear them apart. So Simon signals James and John to bring their boat alongside to haul in the overflow that nearly swamps both boats. Overwhelmed, Simon falls to Jesus’ knees, begs Jesus to leave, and confesses he is sinful. But Jesus reassures Simon and tells the four they have a new life mission: fishers of men. Once ashore, the four leave it all behind to follow Jesus.
For today’s reading, we jump to the next story found only in Luke’s Gospel: Jesus raising a widow’s son in Nain. En route to Nain, followed by his disciples and a growing crowd of well-seekers, Jesus meets a funeral procession leaving the town gate. Luke tells us the deceased is the only son of a widow, and many residents were attending the ceremony. Jesus, as he often reacted to those grieving, feels compassion toward the widow and consoles her. Then he turns toward the bier and touches it, at which point the bearers halt, and he commands the young man to “arise” (v.14). Immediately, life infuses into the corpse, and the son sits up and speaks—at which point Jesus presents the son to his mother.
Luke provides an epilogue regarding the villagers’ response: gripped by fear, they glorify God, saying he has visited his people and that Jesus is a great prophet. And the word about Jesus spreads through and beyond Judea to the far extent of Israel.
Takeaway: The historical town of Nain lay a few miles southeast of Nazareth on the other side of the Hill of Moreh from Shunamen, where Elisha raised the son of the Shunammite woman (2 Kings 4:8-17). It stands to reason the people of this region retold the story to future generations as a matter of pride of God visiting his people through Elisha’s raising of a widow’s son. So nine centuries later, it happens again, but with the Son of God this time. And while they clearly understand that God has visited them, they fail to comprehend that Jesus is God incarnate, the Messiah Elisha anticipated.
Luke also provides a few details that reveal aspects of Jesus’ character. First, Jesus displays compassion for the vulnerable. This widow, losing her only son, would likely become destitute, for she would be unable to earn a living. Secondly, while we would typically not tell someone grieving the loss of a son to stop crying, only Jesus could compassionately speak to the widow’s heart and remove her tears by giving her a reason to rejoice (immediately raising her son from the dead). Thirdly, Jesus subjects himself to ritual defilement by touching the bier. But only he could declare what is clean and unclean. Lastly, Jesus, like Elisha, reunites the mother and son. And even though he emphasizes the spiritual family of God, he cares deeply about restoring familial relations.
Our takeaway? If Jesus cares, we care. We are called to reach out to the vulnerable as did the early church toward widows and orphans (see Acts 6:1-7; 1 Timothy 5:3; James 1:27). And we should get our hands mucky serving others. Granted, Christ will not lead most of us to defile ourselves, but for some, he does (e.g., the healthcare community during a pandemic or a missionary like Father Damien, who volunteered to live in and serve a community of lepers and eventually died of the disease, read this article to learn more). Regardless, Christ calls all of us from time to time to move beyond our comfort zones and care for others we might not otherwise associate with. And lastly, we should uphold the family unit. Marriage is the first institution blessed by God, and subsequently, children. So while Christ does not direct most of us to engage in a reconciliation and restoration ministry to families, he does expect the church body to uphold and support its families by whatever means and resources are available. And when we care for those whom Christ cares about, all who witness will praise our God who has visited them and will spread the word.
Prayer: Father God, we thank you for your Son who reached out to us and all who are vulnerable, defiling himself with our sins so that we might become your righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21). So would you please help us to pay it forward and care for those you and your Son care about. Particularly, would you fill us with your love that casts out fear (1 John 4:18) so that we might follow your Holy Spirit’s lead in moving beyond our comfort zones to serve those that might make us feel uneasy or put our health at risk? And may our faithful service bring you glory and grow your kingdom. Amen.
Rev. Gordon Green, M.Div., M.A. Counseling