Do not weep

 

Jesus raises the widow's son at Nain, modern icon.  20th cent.

 

 Now when He concluded all His sayings in the hearing of the people, He entered Capernaum.  And a certain centurion's servant, who was dear to him, was sick and ready to die.  So when he heard about Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to Him, pleading with Him to come and heal his servant.  And when they came to Jesus, they begged Him earnestly, saying that the one for whom He should do this was deserving, "for he loves our nation, and has built us a synagogue."  Then Jesus went with them.  And when He was already not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to Him, saying to Him, "Lord, do not trouble Yourself, for I am not worthy that You should enter under my roof.  Therefore I did not even think myself worthy to come to You.  But say the word, and my servant will be healed.  For I am also a man placed under authority, having soldiers under me.  And I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'Come,' and he comes; and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it."  When Jesus heard these things, He marveled at him, and turned around and said to the crowd that followed Him, "I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!"  And those who were sent, returning to the house, found the servant well who had been sick.

Now it happened, the day after, that He went into a city called Nain; and many of His disciples went with Him, and a large crowd.  And when He came near the gate of the city, behold, a dead man was was being carried out, the only son of his mother; and she was a widow.  And a large crowd from the city was with her.  When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, "Do not weep."  Then He came and touched the open coffin, and those who carried him stood still.  And He said, "Young man, I say to you, arise."  So he who was dead sat up and began to speak.  And He presented him to his mother.  Then fear came upon all, and they glorified God, saying, "A great prophet has risen up among us"; and, "God has visited His people."  And this report about Him went throughout all Judea and all the surrounding region.

 

- Luke 7:1–17 

 

 Over the course of the past three days, the lectionary has given us Jesus' Sermon on the Plain.  Yesterday we read its conclusion:  Jesus spoke a parable to them:  "Can the blind lead the blind?  Will they not both fall into the ditch?  A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher.  And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye?  Or how can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye,' when you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye?  Hypocrite!  First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother's eye.  For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit.  For every tree is known by its own fruit.  For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush.  A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil.  For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.  But why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do the things which I say?  Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like:  He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock.  And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock.  But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell.  And the ruin of that house was great." 

 Now when He concluded all His sayings in the hearing of the people, He entered Capernaum.  And a certain centurion's servant, who was dear to him, was sick and ready to die.  So when he heard about Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to Him, pleading with Him to come and heal his servant.  And when they came to Jesus, they begged Him earnestly, saying that the one for whom He should do this was deserving, "for he loves our nation, and has built us a synagogue."  Then Jesus went with them.  And when He was already not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to Him, saying to Him, "Lord, do not trouble Yourself, for I am not worthy that You should enter under my roof.  Therefore I did not even think myself worthy to come to You.  But say the word, and my servant will be healed.  For I am also a man placed under authority, having soldiers under me.  And I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'Come,' and he comes; and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it."  When Jesus heard these things, He marveled at him, and turned around and said to the crowd that followed Him, "I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!"  And those who were sent, returning to the house, found the servant well who had been sick.   My study bible comments that this centurion, a Roman Gentile, is unusual in his devotion to the Jews.  His characteristics are notable.  He displays compassion, love for God and for God's people, humility, and a great faith.  

Now it happened, the day after, that He went into a city called Nain; and many of His disciples went with Him, and a large crowd.  And when He came near the gate of the city, behold, a dead man was was being carried out, the only son of his mother; and she was a widow.  And a large crowd from the city was with her.  When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, "Do not weep."  Then He came and touched the open coffin, and those who carried him stood still.  And He said, "Young man, I say to you, arise."  So he who was dead sat up and began to speak.   And He presented him to his mother.  Then fear came upon all, and they glorified God, saying, "A great prophet has risen up among us"; and, "God has visited His people."  And this report about Him went throughout all Judea and all the surrounding region.  My study bible remarks that this is one of the three resurrections performed by our Lord as recorded in the Gospels (see also Luke 8:41-56, John 11:1-44).  They serve as confirming the promise given to the prophet Ezekiel that God will one day open the graves and raise all the dead (Ezekiel 37:1-14).  My study bible adds that many people have exercised authority over the living; but only the Son of God "has power over both the living and the dead" (as declares the Orthodox funeral service).  While Christ has power through His word alone (John 11:43), here He also touched the coffin to show that His very body is life-giving.  Also, this even prefigures Christ's Resurrection.  St. Ambrose of Milan comments that just as Mary would weep for Jesus at the Cross, but her tears would turned to joy by the Resurrection, here a widow's only son is raised from the dead, thus putting an end to her weeping.

I find myself so often moved by Jesus' relationships with women.  In Luke's Gospel is perhaps the most interactions with women we find in the Gospels, although the other Gospels do not contradict but also give examples of this.  Luke's Gospel alone contains the story of the widow of Nain.  In contrast to the times, Christ's interactions with women are compassionate.  We might say they show His great empathy.  And, like St. Ambrose of Milan, who is cited in his comments regarding the raising of the son of the widow of Nain, I can't help but remark to myself that they reflect something of Jesus' profound relationship with his own mother, Mary.  It is Mary who held the secrets of Christ's birth and divine origin and conception.  It is she whose intercession helped to bring about the first miracle or sign in John's Gospel, the wedding at Cana (John 2:1-11).  The kind of tenderness and understanding we seem to find in Jesus' treatment of this widow, in His first telling her, "Do not weep," is one that I find resonates through a relationship with His own mother.  If we consider Mary's position in her family -- a young wife taken into a family by an older man as she came from the temple a virgin, found to be pregnant, and raising the Son she bore, we might have some consideration of the closeness of Jesus and His mother.  To be sure, those who are called Christ's brothers and sisters in the Gospels are likely to be children of Joseph by an earlier marriage, or possibly cousins to Jesus (as cousins are still commonly called "brother" or "sister" in the Middle East).  But it doesn't take familiarity with the ancient world to understand the relationship between such a mother and her only Child, even within an extended family of many relations.  In the sense in which we can view Christ's compassionate and empathic treatment of women, including His great friendship with Martha and Mary, we might take a view on the salvation story and Mary, the mother of Christ's special place in that story, as containing this very important element of the character of Christ Himself.  The unique relationship between mother and Son is something astounding, almost startling, which stands out in the story of Jesus the Son of Man, born into the world of a human mother.  She takes on another facet of importance as we understand His human nature was taken from her.  All of these things express about our Savior than we normally might think about and consider, but they are important parts of the story of Jesus Christ.   And like everything else in the Gospels, nothing is here by accident or happenstance.  All of it contributes to the things God has manifested to us and for us.  So let us for today consider Christ's incredible compassion, found in His particular relations with women.  The same could be extended to His capacity to recognize the qualities found in the centurion in today's reading.  The centurion is part of the hated Roman occupying forces, a man in authority, and yet with all the qualities that make him someone of whom Christ can say to the crowd, "I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!"   For this man understands authority, and the proper relationship to authority.  As one in authority himself, he is humble before Christ.  In consideration of both encounters in today's reading, we could say about Jesus that He was made manifest in the small and humble, born into the world of a woman who might easily have been considered a scandal and simply put away somewhere and isolated from the society.  He is, indeed, the compassionate Lord, but He is also Lord of the meek and the humble, Deliverer and Savior of those who seek His protection, and who recognize His authority.