Sixteenth Sunday After Trinity, September 15, 2024
Sixteenth Sunday After Trinity, September 15, 2024
In the nature of this sin-broken world, we live in it as creatures of broken hearts. All the sorrow of our broken hearts collects in these simple words from the text, “the only son of his mother, and she was a widow” (vs. 12). You might recall that widows would be given over to their son’s care in lieu of their husband. Now, with her only son dead, the widow anticipated a paucity of care. She had no one dedicated to look after her. All she had to live on was being cast into the grave, irretrievably.
Jesus looks on her with compassion. Perhaps he looked upon her as he looked upon another widow who had cast all she had to live on into the Temple treasury, irretrievably (Lk. 21:1-4). In each case, his compassion motivates him to act. For the widow at Nain, he acts for her directly, speaking her son from death to life, and then he “gave him to his mother” (vs. 15). For the widow in the Temple, Jesus acts indirectly for her as he delivers all his people from religion’s deadly sacrificial system into life… delivers them into life… life in his name. Jesus provides for each widow all they have to live on.
There is yet another widow alluded to in this text. Think back, if you will, to the widow at Zarephath, the widow who cared for the prophet Elijah. In her house, the Lord provided all that she, her son, and Elijah needed to live on…. But then, the son died. Elijah beseeched the Lord on the son’s behalf and the Lord retrieved him from the bonds of death. Here is the connection. The exact same words are used of Elijah as are used of Jesus: he “gave him back to his mother” (vs. 15 & 1 Kings 17:23). The people in the crowd of witnesses—both the “great crowd” and the “considerable crowd” (vs. 11 & 12)—likened Jesus to a great prophet risen among them (vs. 16), a prophet great as Elijah had been.
This crowd, in contrast to those of Jerusalem over whom Jesus lamented (Lk. 19:44), this crowd knew the time of their visitation. Their God had come to them (and you) in the person of Jesus. Jesus has come taking your weaknesses, carrying your diseases, and healing your every ill (Mt. 8:17). He is all you have to live on.
Table Talk: Discuss the time of your God’s visitation bringing all you need to live on.
Pray: Father, grant me to hear your Word and receive the all-sufficiency of Jesus Christ who is my life. Amen
Luke 7:11-17
11 Soon afterward he went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a great crowd went with him. 12 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. 13 And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, Do not weep. 14 Then he came up and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, Young man, I say to you, arise. 15 And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. 16 Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, saying, A great prophet has arisen among us! and God has visited his people! 17 And this report about him spread through the whole of Judea and all the surrounding country.