Sandy’s Devotional:
Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went along with him. 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. When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, “Don’t cry.” Then he went up and touched the bier they were carrying him on, and the bearers stood still. He said, “Young man, I say to you, get up!” The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother. 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.” This news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding country. Luke 7:11-17
Two large crowds met each other at the town gate. One crowd was weeping and mourning because of the death of the only son of a widow. The other crowd was excited and joyful as they entered town with the Messiah. One group experiencing ultimate sorrow. One group experiencing ultimate joy. JESUS SAW HER - the grieving widow and mother. Jesus always sees the brokenhearted, the vulnerable, and the hopeless. In her society, having lost both husband and son, she faced not only sorrow, but social isolation and poverty. In this precious story, we see Jesus’ heart going out in mercy and love to her. He is the Lord of Compassion and the Victor over death. His heart brings comfort to those who mourn. How glorious to know that our God of Mercy sees and cares about every one of the suffering, marginalized women who come to the gates of Be’ad Chaim. Often the women who turn to us for help are grieving from fear, rejection, broken lives, and disappointments. May God reveal His deep compassion, through our team and His Spirit, to each one as Jesus showed to the widow of Nain.
