Luke 7:11-17 11 Soon afterwards Jesus went to a town called Nain, accompanied by his disciples and a large crowd. 12 Just as he arrived at the gate of the town, a funeral procession was coming out. The dead man was the only son of a woman who was a widow, and a large crowd from the town was with her. 13 When the Lord saw her, his heart was filled with pity for her, and he said to her, “Don’t cry.” 14 Then he walked over and touched the coffin, and the men carrying it stopped. Jesus said, “Young man! Get up, I tell you!” 15 The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother. 16 They all were filled with fear and praised God. “A great prophet has appeared among us!” they said; “God has come to save his people!” 17 This news about Jesus went out through all the country and the surrounding territory. Other readings: 1 Kings 17:17-24; Psalm 30:1, 3-5, 10-12; Galatians 1:11-19 LECTIO Can you imagine this scene in a small town near Nazareth? A large crowd, women wailing and a funeral procession is passing by. The chief mourner is an older woman. This poor woman has already lost her husband. Now her only child is dead and all her future security has died with him. She is left behind with no one to provide for even her most basic needs. Her grief is pain-filled and raw. Jesus joins the sympathetic crowd. No one asks him to intervene but compassion moves him to act. He touches the makeshift coffin, probably no more than a plank used to carry the dead body for burial. This tiny action made Jesus ceremonially unclean and would have shocked those around him. The procession comes to a halt. Jesus tells the dead body to get up. The young man sits up and starts to talk! Jesus “gives him back to his mother”. Luke repeats this exact phrase from 1 Kings 17:23 describing the miraculous raising of another widow’s son – this time by Elijah. The people don’t know who to look at first – the man raised back to life, his ecstatic mother or Jesus, who right in front of their very eyes has repeated the miracle performed by one of their greatest prophets, Elijah. Fear and praise grip the crowd at the same time. They echo the words of Zechariah’s prophecy about the Messiah (Luke 1:67-75): “God has come to save his people!” This event takes on added significance when seen in context. Read the verses before and after it in Luke 7. This miracle follows straight after the healing of the Roman officer’s servant, when Jesus was amazed at the officer’s great faith. Jesus demonstrated his authority over sickness and the servant was healed. In the verses after today’s Gospel reading two of John the Baptist’s disciples arrive. They have been sent by John to establish if Jesus is the long-awaited Messiah. Jesus simply tells them to report what is happening – people are being healed, the dead raised and the Gospel is being preached. Jesus knew John would make the connection with the Messianic prophecies he was fulfilling such as Isaiah 35:5. MEDITATIO Imagine you were one of the mourners that witnessed this once-in-a-lifetime miracle. What would you have thought about Jesus after seeing this miracle? The verses that precede today’s reading highlight Jesus’s authority over sickness. This miracle demonstrates that Jesus has authority over death. Why is this significant? ORATIO The widow didn’t ask Jesus to help her but he chose to intervene. Think about the times Jesus has intervened in your life to help you. Take some time to express your thanks and praise to God. The Psalmist gives his testimony in Psalm 30. Let these words inspire your prayers too. CONTEMPLATIO In Galatians 1:11-19 we read how God revealed Jesus to Paul so he could preach the Good News. Think about how God revealed Jesus to you and how you too might be able to share your faith with others. Lectio divina is an ancient tradition of reading and engaging with God’s Word. These outlines for the Sunday Gospel readings are published by the Bible Society. Download at biblesociety.org.uk/lectio. © 2008 United Bible Societies. Bible text Good News Translation, second edition. This column was first published last week. We apologise for the error.