JESUS MEETS A WIDOW FROM NAIN, BURYING HER ONLY SON
(the story is found in the good-news from “Luke”)
“And on the next day he was going to a city called Nain and many of his disciples and a great multitude were walking with him.”
Jesus comes from Capernaum and enters Nain, which means that this is (probably) a city in Galilee. Multitudes and his disciples follow him. These are always two different multitudes: one is small – his disciples, while the other is great – the Israelites and people from the surrounding nations. Nothing happens until the coming to the gates of the city. And then:
“And when he came near the gate of the city, and behold they were carrying outside a dead man, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow, and a great multitude from the city with her.”
This is a human story, but of those which are the heaviest, when a widow loses her only child. That is, in that time this not only may mean poverty, but is also recognized as the greatest sorrow, when children go away before their parents. This woman will remain in sorrow for her husband and for her son for a long time, but this is a woman from Israel (they have the hope for the coming life). The lord does not mention whether she had faith, or not, it is only said that he had mercy for her. But we know from many other places that he responds to faith, and not to religion, or unbelief. In spite of this, this fact is hidden from us in this story.
“And the lord, when he saw her, had mercy for her and said to her:
– Do not cry.”
At the saying “do not cry,” the woman may also have obeyed, without being clear what exactly this means. But every person can recognize when someone comes to them with compassion or for some other reason. So she begins to wait, what the stranger will say or do, if she does not know Jesus, or if she knows who he is, what to expect from him.
“And when he came near, he touched the stretcher and the bearers stopped. And he said: “Young man, I say to you, rise!” And the dead one raised himself and sat and began to speak. And he gave him to his mother.”
We see that the compassion of Jesus is combined with might and power unknown to people. We have all seen healed people, that someone returns from the dead happens sometimes with wrong diagnoses or let us say for unknown reasons. But that someone returns from the dead by command of another person, this has never happened. And if we speak about the Bible, it has happened with the prophets (which is another story).
“And fear seized them all, and they glorified the god, saying: "A great prophet was raised up among us", and: "The god visited his people". And this word about him was heard in all Judea and in the whole region.”
This is what the people understand: a great prophet has risen up, they understand that the god has visited them. These are complicated themes, which we will leave for another time, but we can see the reaction of the god’s people: they recognize, at least partially, who Jesus is. There are other people who do not recognize and this also is for another conversation.
Let us pray: Thank you, god, that you know our sorrows and pains, and transgressions, and that you can forgive us everything according to your goodness. I believe in Jesus, that he died for us and came alive on the third day for us, and that he ascended into the sky, from where we wait for him to come again. Thank you heavenly father for your salvation. Amen.