11 Soon afterward He was on His way to a town called Nain. His disciples and a large crowd were traveling with Him. 12 Just as He neared the gate of the town, a dead man was being carried out. He was his mother’s only son, and she was a widow. A large crowd from the city was also with her. 13 When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said, “Don’t cry.” 14 Then He came up and touched the open coffin,[d] and the pallbearers stopped. And He said, “Young man, I tell you, get up!” 15 The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother.16 Then fear came over everyone, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has risen among us,” and “God has visited His people.” 17 This report about Him went throughout Judea and all the vicinity. Luke 7:11-17
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love that He had for us, 5 made us alive with the Messiah even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace! Ephesians 2:4-5
You have received free of charge; give free of charge. Matthew 10:8
My Words…
I Praise You
Lord, You know there is nothing more painful for a mother than attending the funeral of her child. Long ago, You crossed paths with a grieving mother bringing her dead son to his tomb. Coincidence? I doubt it. You had never met her, yet You knew her. You knew she had already endured the loss of her husband. Now, with the death of her son, she would be at the mercy of her friends and neighbors for her very existence. In the open coffin lay her boy, stagnant blood in his veins; his skin, gray and cold; his eyelids, closed over sightless eyes. You asked her to do something unheard of in this situation: “Don’t cry.” With a touch and a command, You sent death fleeing from Nain. As much as I love my 21st century life, I would give it all up to have been a Nainite that day! (or is it Nainian?) The townspeople witnessed a cold, stiff body warming up and gaining color right before their eyes. The young man’s chest rose and fell as air once again passed through his lungs. His eyelids opened, and he saw the crowd. He sat up and spoke. I wonder what he said. Maybe, “Why am I wrapped in cloth and smelling of spices?” The mother’s heart experienced a resurrection of its own – one moment, heavy as stone, the next, light and leaping in her chest. Everyone must have cheered, danced, and hugged as they witnessed the Son of God throwing his glory around Nain! And I would guess that many fell on their faces at Your feet. I can see in my mind’s eye the joyful mother smothering her son with kisses, holding him close, not wanting him out of her reach. The young man’s friends probably asked him, “Hey, what’s it like being dead?” It’s so like You, Lord, to turn a funeral dinner into a celebration of new life.
Forgive me
Forgive me when I take for granted the grace You bestowed on me. It’s the same grace You poured out on the dead son of Nain. I should be experiencing the same joy that young man and his mother experienced. I was dead, but now I am alive!
Prayer for all of us
You see me writing this sitting in an airport – people all around me. Those who are not staring at their phones are hurrying to be somewhere. I see dreadlocks, yarmulkes, walking canes, head scarves, tattoos. It’s breakfast time, but a line has formed at the Pizza Hut counter. We are a bizarre bunch. But we’re Your bizarre bunch. You love us all, complete with dreadlocks, yarmulkes, walking canes, head scarves and tattoos. I board the plane and greet the man seated beside me. He ignores me. But You love him, too. We are Your people, and we pray for Your daily blessing of love and mercy. How we need it!
Thank you
I’m sure the mother in Nain struggled with how to thank You for Your act of compassion toward her and her son. She was given a gift beyond worth, and the most eloquent words strung together would never be enough to express her gratitude. I’m in the same boat. But You don’t want words, do You? You want action – on my part. I have freely taken. As a response, I must freely give.
More Praise
I lift perfect praise to the God who raises the dead! It’s not a magic potion or true love’s kiss – it’s the power of The Almighty at work! I was once stone cold dead, but now I live – saved by grace. Hallelujah!
