The Widow of Nain: Compassion's Gifts

Luke 7:11-15, As he drew near to the gate of the town, 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 the 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.

How I love Your tenderness here, Lord. You felt the anguish of this one lowly widow who had none to provide for her now that her only son had died. She was alone in the world and terrified. No one would have given her much thought, but You did. And You not only pitied her, You acted on Your compassion and became her Champion, giving her what no other human could––the life of her son!

Thank You, Jesus, that this is Your heart, Your nature! You alone give us those gifts we do not deserve yet need so desperately. I wonder if, as You returned this young man to his grieving mother, if Your thoughts turned to the fast approaching day when Your Father would see His own Son stretched out to die––and none would be there to restore the unity of the Trinity and return the Son to His own grieving Father. Yet though You, my Triune God, knew the anguish in store for You, You were not deterred for You knew that only through giving Yourself (even to the point of death) on our behalf could we humans know redemption.

Savior, You are He who wept so You could say to us "Do not weep." You are He whose tears wipe away our own. You are He whose death overcomes our death. You are He whose life restores us from our spiritual and physical graves. You are He who gave Himself to give us back to our Father.

Thank You for Your birth, Lord, though for You it was the first step to Your death. Thank You for acting in Your compassion, for becoming our Champion when we had no other, and for giving as no other can.