God has come to help his people (Luke 7:16).
As Jesus approaches the small Galilean town of Nain, he
happens upon a funeral procession exiting the town gates and heading for the
nearby cemetery. He is touched by the plight of a woman wailing over her lost
son. She is a widow, cared for by her adult son until his untimely death. Not
only does she know the grief of losing both her husband and her only son, she
is now faced with the bleak prospect of living out her years alone and in
poverty.
Jesus’ heart goes out to her, possibly thinking of his own
mother and her impending loss. This compassionate stranger approaches the
coffin, lays his hands upon it, and speaks unexpected words: Get up! The young man rises, and is given back
to his mother. The crowd is amazed: God has come to help his people.
Is there an implied indictment here of the prevailing
religious system and its leaders? Since the witnesses are surprised God cares
enough to reach out to a grieving mother, apparently helping people wasn’t a
high priority for God’s self-proclaimed representatives in Israel, the priests
and Pharisees.
In 2 Corinthians 5:19-20, Paul writes that we are God’s
ambassadors of reconciliation. That means it’s our assignment to bring help,
hope and the good news of Jesus Christ to those with whom we come into contact.
Through us God wants to love our neighbors.
TODAY’S MEDITATION
Would your friends be surprised
that God care about them? How can you show God’s favor to others?
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