17 September Jesus is moved with pity for a widow and her dead son [Lk.7:11-17] 11 Jesus traveled south to the town of Nain accompanied by disciples and a crowd. 12 As he approached the town gate, a dead man was being carried out on a litter. He was a widow’s only son. A great crowd from the town was with the widow. 13 The Lord saw her and had pity. He said, “Don’t cry.” 14 He went up and touched the litter, and the bearers stopped. “Young man,” he said, “I tell you to get up.” 15 The dead man sat up and began to speak. He gave him back to his mother. 16 Everyone was startled. But they glorified God: “A great prophet has been raised up!” and, “God has visited his people!” 17 Reports of this excitement spread south into Judea and all around Galilee. Luke’s description of Jesus’ pity and the miracle that flows from it may remind readers of the story about Elijah pleading with God to hear his appeal for help, and then raising the recently deceased son of a widow (see 1Kgs.17:17-24.) Above, Luke said Jesus was struck with wonder by a centurion’s appeal for help and his trust in God’s compassion. Here, he tells us Jesus allowed himself to be filled with divine compassion in response to the plight of a widow [vv.11-13]. By acting on this compassion and telling the widow’s son to rise [v.14], Jesus was following the very command that he’d given to his disciples to act with God’s kindness (see 6:36.) Anyone who reads about this return from the dead may feel the same astonishment that Luke attributes to all the people (including the disciples) who witnessed it [v.16a]. And yet, if we imagine that the disciples mentioned in this scene had also been present to hear what Jesus taught about God’s blessings (see 6:20-25,) and if we suppose they believed that teaching, we may wonder why they were astonished when Jesus’ pity for a widow’s distress revealed that the merciful blessings of God are real. Is Luke hinting that the disciples, unlike Jesus, hadn’t yet let themselves be filled with God’s gifts of mercy, forgiveness, and love? We’re told by Luke the crowds in this scene were surprised into praise—they gave witness that God was in their presence in the person of a mighty prophet [v.16]. Then they reported their experience in every direction [v.17]. As they spread their report, do you suppose they emphasized their trust in God’s healing presence among us? Or did they share their shock at witnessing that presence?
Posted on: Mon, 16 Sep 2013 20:53:21 +0000
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