Year C Trinity 1 - Luke 7:11-17

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

The Pied Piper Pub in Broadwater was built in 1958 and has the distinction of being the only pub to have been opened by Her Majesty the Queen.

Can you remember a time when someone important visited Knebworth or Stevenage, your place of work, or school, even your home?

"God has come to help his people." verse 16. This is what this passage is about. Indeed this is what the gospel is about. God has visited this planet in Jesus.

What does this account tell us about Jesus?

1) He had compassion, verse 13. The NIV translates this "his heart went out to her" but literally this means, "his bowels yearned". The bowels were seen as the seat of emotion, then.  Most translations correctly use the word "compassion" to describe what Jesus was feeling. The woman's husband had died, and now her son.  She was going through extraordinary emotional pain.  You don't expect to bury your children. But also she would have faced financial difficulty, because both men would have supported her.

We have a God who has compassion.  On the poor, the sick the bereaved.  He weeps with those who mourn loved ones who have died in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cumbria, and in Knebworth.

Jesus said, "Don't cry." Such words would have been meaningless coming from anyone else...

2) He paid no regard to religious rules. He touched the coffin.  This would have made him ceremonially unclean, unable to participate in the religious life until he had gone through  a process of cleansing.

Jesus came to earth and mixed with those considered 'unclean' and hopeless. This reminds us that no-one is outside the reach of Jesus. We are not. And so are those that we may think are beyond hope and 'not good enough'.

This does not mean that Christians have a freedom to disregard God's law.  God's law is still an expression of his perfect will for us. But we should not be held back from doing what God wants us to do by religious expectations, or practices that are not from God. Rules had built up in Judaism in Jesus' day that were man made, not God made.  There are rules and traditions in the church today that are man made, too.

As well as going against the cleanliness laws, what Jesus did would have also exposed him to the prospect of ridicule. Imagine, talking to a corpse! But...

3) Jesus has power over death.  Jesus is God and man. He is the agent of creation and therefore able to grant life back to a corpse.  Colossians 1:15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.

In the Old Testament reading for today we have Elijah praying to God and God giving life back to another widow's son.  We have a God who gives life and who can give life back to those who are dead.  God raised Jesus from the dead.

Jesus is also able to grant life to those who are spiritually dead. On the cross he defeated death and gave a new, living, certain hope to those who follow Him. That willingness to follow Him is, itself, a free, undeserved gift of God. He only has to say the word and someone, dead in their sin, will rise to a new life in Him.  In today's Epistle, Paul talked about how he came to trust in Jesus.

16 They were all filled with awe and praised God."  This was a revelation of the power and compassion of God in Jesus.  They called Jesus a 'great prophet'. A prophet is a spokesman for God, but Jesus was a lot more than that. He is God and man. He has come to show God's compassion, to minister to those who are unclean.  He has conquered death and has opened the way to God.  He gives life to those who are dead. As those who have experienced his power in our own lives and the lives of others we should not fear death. We should also show God's compassion to those in need.

17 "This news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding country." The news spread because people told others about this visit from God!  Paul mentioned in the Epistle that he was called by God to preach the gospel to non-Jews.  

We are also called to tell others about who Jesus is and what he has done for us and them. We have to work with God's Holy Spirit to bring people to trust in Jesus.  Unless we are prepared pray for others and tell them about Jesus, to invite them to church or social events, how can they hear and experience the love of Jesus?

God has come to help his people.

Let us trust in that help, relying upon Jesus for everything..  

Let us show to a needy world the compassion of Jesus.

Let us tell a dying world of the life that Jesus gives

7:11 And it came to pass the day after, that he went into a city called Nain; and many of his disciples went with him, and much people. ¹² Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her. ¹³ And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not. ¹⁴ And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise. ¹⁵ And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother. ¹⁶ And there came a fear on all: and they glorified God, saying, That a great prophet is risen up among us; and, That God hath visited his people. ¹⁷ And this rumour of him went forth throughout all Judaea, and throughout all the region round about.

Can you remember a time when someone important visited your home town, your place of work or schooling, even your home?

"God hath visited his people. " verse 16. This is what this passage is about. Indeed this is what the gospel is about. God has visited this planet in Jesus.

What does this account tell us about Jesus?

1) He had compassion, verse 13. The woman had not only lost her son, but also, previously her husband. She was going through, not only the emotional pain, you don't expect to bury your children. But also she would have faced financial difficulty, he would have supported her.

Jesus said, Weep not. Such words would have been meaningless coming from anyone else...

2) He paid no regard to religious rules. He touched the coffin. With a dead body in it this would have made him ceremonially unclean, unable to participate in the religious life until he had gone through a process of cleansing.

Jesus came to earth and mixed with those considered 'unclean' and hopeless. This reminds us that no-one is outside the reach of Jesus. We are not. And so are those that we may think are beyond hope and 'not good enough'.

It would have also exposed him to the prospect of ridicule. Imagine, talking to a corpse! But...

3) He has power over death. Jesus is God and man. He is the agent of creation and therefore able to grant life to a corpse.

Colossians 1:15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. ¹⁶ For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.

Jesus is also able to grant life to those who are spiritually dead. On the cross he defeated death and gave a new, living, certain hope to those who follow Him. That willingness to follow Him is, itself, a free, undeserved gift of God. He only has to say the word and someone, dead in their sin, will rise to a new life in Him.

There is a great story behind The Greatest Story Ever Told that involves director George Stevens and John Wayne in the role of a Roman centurion. His one line in the picture was: "Truly, this man was the Son of God." After a couple of attempts at the seemingly simple line, Stevens gently told him, "Duke, what we need in this line is something more. Look up at the man and give us some awe." Wayne nodded affirmatively, Stevens signaled the cameras to roll, and Wayne said, "Awww, truly this man was the Son of God."

This anecdote probably never happened, but when John Wayne heard the story he even admitted to friends and associates that it made a great tale.

¹⁶ And there came a fear on all: and they glorified God, The word for fear suggests awe or reverence rather than terror. It might be better translated ( NIV )16 They were all filled with awe and praised God. This was a revelation of the power and compassion of God in Jesus.

They called Jesus a 'great prophet'. A prophet is a spokesman for God, but Jesus was a lot more than that. He is God and man. He came to minister to those who are unclean. He has power over death. As those who have witnessed his resurrection power in our own lives and the lives of others we are called to tell others with compassion about who He is and what he has done .