As Jesus [and the great crowd] drew near to the town [called] Nain, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow, and a considerable crowd from the town was with her. And when the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.” Then He came up and touched the bier, and bearers stood still. And He said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. Fear seized them all, and they glorified God saying, “A great prophet has arisen among us!” and “God has visited His people.”
Stories are powerful.
Jesus is often found telling stories and He is often the center of amazing stories.
One thing you can do with stories is to see them from the different perspectives. Imagine being the great crowd that was following Jesus after seeing Him heal many and teach with authority before coming into contact with this dead young man and his mother.
Imagine being the considerable sized crowd mourning with the widowed mother who now has lost her only son that then meets this other huge crowd led by Jesus. One crowd led by death, one crowd led by life.
Imagine being Jesus, seeing death and sadness and fear, being moved with compassion into action.
Today, though, we’re going to read a letter written from the perspective of the woman and the young boy.
“My husband died very early in our marriage. I loved him dearly. He was good to me. We always wanted more children, but he died shortly after I gave birth to our firstborn son.
That left me with a small family, but a family nonetheless. I loved my only son above all things, I thought.
If we could make it until my son could work, he would provide for us, he would protect us. I hoped in him above all things, I thought.
And then, he got sick just as he was beginning to provide for me and protect me. He got weaker and then death.
On the day of his funeral, I was surrounded by a considerable sized crowd, but I was lonely.
It was the middle of the day, but there nothing but darkness in my heart and soul.
I was alive, but death is what seemed to define me.
Need and lack seemed to be my identity.
Defenseless, without protection, without family, without people to love, without ones to be loved by – that was who I was, I thought.
And then, a Man came with a great crowd following Him, too.
His feet led Him to me.
His eyes looked at me and I could see into His soul compassion, mercy, pity, and kindness.
His hands touched the coffin that carried my only son, and stopped both crowds right in their paths.
His voice spoke, “Young man, I say to you, arise!” And my son got up and began to speak!
I had been placing my hope in my son, but now my hope was changed onto this Man.
I thought I had loved my son above all things, but then I saw Jesus loved me! And he brought out of me a love for Him!
I was loved and I loved.
I had death in me, but His words, His touch, His compassion spoke life into me.
I had thought I had no family, no husband, no provider, no protector, I had thought I was alone, I had thought poverty was my lot.
But because of this man, I knew I had a family much larger than before – that I was provided for, protected for, that I was never going to be alone again and that I had a richness in being with Him and Him with me that nothing could separate me from.
And I got my son back. I got my son back! I knew now that it would only be for a little while, but I got my son back! And then, there would be a time when I would get my husband and son back forever.
Life was different after I saw Jesus bring life out of death.
And it’s not just me. Listen to what my son has to say.”
“Dad died before I ever got to know him. All I had was mom and all she had was me, we thought.
“I loved her above all else. She hoped in me and I didn’t want to disappoint her. I was going to provide for her, protect, be her family and she mine.
And then I got sick.
I feared death above all else, I thought.
I had to hold on! I had to get well. I had to stay alive for her! I had to save myself!
But I couldn’t. There was something so powerful in me that could not be reversed.
Darkness crept in. And then the silence of death.
Until I heard a commanding voice, “Young man, I say to you, arise.”
My body and my soul had to listen to this voice. It wasn’t my will that brought me back from the dead. It was this voice!
And I got up, and I saw the man from whom the voice came from. And I said:
‘Savior! Life-giver! Protector! Provider! God who has visited His people!’
And, I got my mom back! It was only for a little while, but now I knew there would be a time when I would my dad back and mom back forever!
Life was different after being called out of darkness into light, out of death into life.”
And so dear saints, you who were dead in your trespasses and sins, God, being rich in mercy, loving you, out of compassion for you, has made you alive together with Christ – by grace you have been saved. (Ephesians 2:4)
And by grace, you will live forever with all those who are in Christ.
You will get them back.
And as we wait, the Lord visits us again to place our fear, love and trust back where it belongs. And that’s a true story!