On Line Bible Study - For the Week July 5-11, 2010

Lesson 447

Luke 7: ¹¹Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went along with him. ¹²As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out—the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. ¹³When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, "Don't cry."
¹⁴Then he went up and touched the coffin, and those carrying it stood still. He said, "Young man, I say to you, get up!" ¹⁵The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.
¹⁶They were all filled with awe and praised God. "A great prophet has appeared among us," they said. "God has come to help his people." ¹⁷This news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding country.

Undoubtedly this story is about the power of life meeting the inevitability of death. It is a story of Jesus stepping into the same script as Elijah and Elisha (see I Kings 17 and II Kings 4). A great prophet had appeared ... indeed.

But the line that catches me and stops me short is the simple, heartfelt compassion of Jesus expressed in the phrase: Don't cry.

Religion is about power and peace. It is about faith, faithfulness, meaning. It flows over the solid rock of theological truths; but ultimately it splashes up on the shores of human experience; and our speculative theologies gain credence and staying power to they extent they remain relevant, timeless.

Not given to excess emotion, I can listen to lots of bad news while making my morning coffee and not give it a second thought. But every now and then I get caught. I hear the report of some young soldier coming home in a casket, the reporter's voice drowned out by the sounds of pipes - usually playing Amazing Grace. It happened to me just this morning. Every now and then I can't help but feel my father-heart break for some parent who will never again see the smile of their daughter or son. I feel my knees buckle, and with absolutely no warning I begin to sob. I find myself praying - and hoping hard - that someone is there ... someone who has the capacity to love with the Love that made us - someone to put their arms around a grieving parent.

Only Luke tells the story of this "resuscitation" and there is controversy as to the authenticity of the text. (Did Jesus really do this? Are the details added to make a theological statement about him?)

Here is what I know ... with all my heart I hope to hear Jesus saying to me: Don't cry.

Here is what I believe ... for those who are crying now, Jesus is saying those words to you, perhaps with a tear in his eye.

The question: Who is this Jesus? Sometimes it is put to us at point blank range. Other times it comes at us through a story. Ultimately it arrives on the doorstep our lives because of some experience we are in the midst of. Too much emotion here? Maybe. Maybe not.