New Life For The Dead

New Life for the Dead

Widow Of Nain

Read: Luke 7:11-17

Joanne fought back tears as she hung up the phone. She remembered how her little boy used to talk about loving Jesus, and how much he enjoyed Sunday school. By his teen years, Justin wanted nothing to do with church. As Joanne watched her son grow more hostile toward spiritual discussions and become trapped in an ungodly lifestyle, she felt as if her heart would break. Once again, she closed her eyes to pray for Justin in spite of her feelings of hopelessness. Her son’s faith seemed to be dead.

The widow from Nain also grieved over her son. Her only son and her sole means of support and protection had died. Without a close male relative, she would probably end up as a beggar. Besides grieving the death of her dearly loved son, she must have felt as if her own life were over. Jesus saw her sorrow and her need, and “his heart overflowed with compassion” for her.

Jesus touched the coffin and told the young man to get up. The boy sat up and began talking, and Jesus gave him back to his overjoyed mother. The widow must have been amazed when Jesus restored life where there was only death and replaced despair with hope. He did this out of love and mercy, without being asked.

Jesus always sees our grief, whether we’re heartbroken over the death of loved ones or over their spiritual condition. We can trust him to bring hope into hopeless situations. Jesus always spoke directly to the person he raised from the dead, and he can speak directly to hardened hearts that resist God. The same Savior who gave new life to a widow’s dead son can surely renew the faith of a twenty-first-century mother’s prodigal son.

“Young man,” [Jesus] said, “I tell you, get up.”

Luke 7:14