From: Luke 7:11-17
The Son of the Widow in Nain Restored to Life
[11] Soon afterwards He (Jesus) went to a city called Nain, and His
disciples and a great crowd went with Him. [12] As He drew near to the
gate of the city, behold, a man who had died 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. [13] And when the Lord saw her, He had compassion
on her and said to her, "Do not weep." [14] And He came and touched
the bier, and the bearers stood still. And He said, "Young man, I say
to you, arise." [15] And the dead man sat up, and began to speak. And
He gave him to his mother. [16] Fear seized them all; and they
glorified God, saying, "A great prophet has arisen among us!" and "God
has visited His people!" [17] And this report concerning Him spread
through the whole of Judea and all the surrounding country.
Commentary:
11-17. "Jesus crosses paths again with a crowd of people. He could
have passed by or waited until they called Him. But He didn't. He
took the initiative, because He was moved by a widow's sorrow. She had
just lost all she had, her son.
"The evangelist explains that Jesus was moved. Perhaps He even showed
signs of it, as when Lazarus died. Christ was not, and is not,
insensitive to the suffering that stems from love. He is pained at
seeing children separated from their parents. He overcomes death so as
to give life, to reunite those who love one another. But at the same
time, He requires that we first admit the pre-eminence of divine love,
which alone can inspire genuine Christian living.
"Christ knows He is surrounded by a crowd which will be awed by the
miracle and will tell the story all over the countryside. But He does
not act artificially, merely to create an effect. Quite simply He is
touched by that woman's suffering and cannot but console her. So He
goes up to her and says, `Do not weep.' It is like saying, `I don't
want to see you crying; I have come on earth to bring joy and peace.'
And then comes the miracle, the sign of the power of Christ who is
God. But first came His compassion, an evident sign of the tenderness
of the heart of Christ the man" ([St] J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 166).
15. This mother's joy on being given back her son reminds us of the joy
of our Mother the Church when her sinful children return to the life of
grace. "The widowed mother rejoiced at the raising of that young man,"
St. Augustine comments. "Our Mother the Church rejoices every day when
people are raised again in spirit. The young man had been dead
physically; the latter, dead spiritually. The young man's death was
mourned visibly; the death of the latter was invisible and unmourned.
He seeks them out Who knew them to be dead; only He can bring them back
to life" ("Sermon", 98, 2).
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text
taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries
made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of
Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock,
Co. Dublin, Ireland.