Scripture: Luke. 7:11-12
A little later Jesus went to a city called Nain. His disciples and a great crowd traveled with him. As he approached the city gate, a dead man was being carried out. He was his mother’s only son, and she was a widow. A large crowd from the city was with her.
Thought for the Day: I find two separate ways of hearing this story from Luke’s Gospel (there are probably many more). First, it is clear that the story echo’s the story of Elijah who raised from the dead the son of a widow in 1 King 17. There were those who, during the ministry of Jesus, thought Jesus was the return of Elijah. This speaks to how Jesus was viewed by those in the first century, not only as a prophet, but as one who was bold in the face of those who would oppose the way of God. I also recognize how the story could be read from the vantage point of human loss, especially the pain associated with the death of a child. For those who have experienced such a death, this passage could raise some serious questions — if Jesus is bold, and if he raised the woman’s son, then why did Jesus not act boldly in my situation? These kinds of questions are some of the most agonizing and theologically troubling for people of faith. A simple pithy answer at that point is not helpful, and in fact, could even intensify the pain. These are two very different readings of the same passage, yet both of them are legitimate and have their place. One creates a sense of passion for the faith, while the other creates only more confused inquiry. You can understand why someone might be very energized by a passage of scripture, and someone else could be angered by the very same words. The Bible is a challenging collection of books and stories and other forms of literature.
Prayer: Gracious God, as you are always understanding, help me to be respectful of someone else’s life story that might read a passage of scripture very differently than I do. Let me listen first, and not jump to a – I’m right and they’re wrong – mentality. Amen.
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