We continue our series on the supernatural acts of the Lord Jesus during His time on earth. Today, we focus on the resurrection of a widow's son:
11Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went along with him. 12As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out--the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. 13When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, "Don't cry." 14Then he went up and touched the coffin, and those carrying it stood still. He said, "Young man, I say to you, get up!" 15The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother. 16They were all filled with awe and praised God. "A great prophet has appeared among us," they said. "God has come to help his people." 17This news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding country (Luke 7:11-17).
Widows and fatherless children have always been those whom God has given special care and compassion. His heart reaches out to them in their time of need. James, the half-brother of the Lord Jesus, wrote, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world” (James 1:27). It is a harsh world for unmarried mothers and their children. They are among the most vulnerable in our society. God has a heart for the defenseless, and His eye is always on them:
A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling (Psalm 68:5).
Let's try to visualize the scene of the widow from the town of Nain. In verse 11, we observe a large crowd following the disciples. Just as they approached the town gate of Nain, a funeral procession was coming out. The widow did not request a miracle; Jesus performed it without any solicitation from her. Author Ken Gire notes, “It is a miracle performed without human prompting. Without intention of imparting lessons to the disciples. Without regard for demonstrating divinity to the skeptics. It is a miracle drawn entirely from the well of divine compassion. So free the water. So pure the heart from which it is drawn. So tender the hand that cups it and brings it to this bereaved mother’s lips.”
God does not always require faith before He moves supernaturally; He acts out of His compassion, grace, and mercy. This widow was helpless and alone in the world, with no one to provide for or protect her. She did nothing to earn or deserve Jesus' attention except to be someone in need. Like this widow, we have done nothing to merit God's favor. When we were lost in sin, Christ died for us and drew us to Himself.
Verse 13 states, "his heart went out to her, and he said, "Don't cry.'" Luke employs the strongest Greek word available to convey Jesus’ compassion. When translated, it refers to the innermost parts of the body, the viscera (the heart, liver, and lungs). It characterizes an emotion that evokes a physical response: gut-wrenching compassion. Jesus was unconcerned about becoming ritually unclean as He stepped forward to touch the coffin (v. 14). People are the primary focus of the Lord. There was a more significant law at play, the law of love and compassion.
He spoke with authority, “Young man, I say to you, get up!” In every account in the Gospels where Jesus attended a funeral, He raised the deceased. There was Lazarus in John 11, the centurion's servant in Luke 7:1-10, and Jairus, the ruler of the synagogue, whose daughter was raised from the dead (Luke 8:40-56).
Awe filled those present (v. 16-17), signifying astonishment at such an event. An unusual presence of God descended upon them, evoking awe that God was indeed visiting His people. How could this happen? This man was dead! Imagine the praise that arose as relatives and the mother herself received her son back from the dead. Picture the pain of losing your only son and then the joy of holding the one you thought was lost to death. Then a beautiful word about Christ was spoken: “God has come to help His people!” (v. 16). We are most like our Lord when we step into the shoes of those who are poor and hurting, ministering God’s grace with hearts of compassion, eager to do what we can to alleviate their pain and needs. Keith Thomas
Taken from Study 14, The Faith of the Centurion, found in Luke 7:1-17 in the series The Gospel of Luke.
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