April 1 – Reading Luke 7:1-17

Read and believe in Jesus.

“I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.”  Luke 7:9b

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The Gospel according to Luke 7:1-17

Review – Jesus taught about LOVE: our enemies and each other (possible only with the indwelling Holy Spirit). He gave three illustrations: 1) A man with a speck of sawdust in his eye, and ME with a log in mine. 2) Two trees, bearing good or bad fruit, and what our hearts produce. 3) And two homebuilders with different foundations (knowing Christ or not) and different results in a storm (safety or destruction).

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Vss. 1-10.

From teaching on the hillside, Jesus goes into the town of Capernaum.

There was a Roman Centurion living there who “loved Israel” and had, in fact, built the synagogue for the Jews.

(He reminds me of the Centurian, Cornelius, in Acts 10, who loved God, and after Peter preached to him, was saved and filled with the Holy Spirit, and many in his house.)

This Centurion is unnamed, but his faith is strong as well. Knowing how Jews feel about entering a gentile home, he sends some elders to “Rabbi Jesus” to ask for healing for his deathly ill servant.  They plead his cause earnestly, saying that “He’s worthy.” And Jesus goes with them.

But near the Centurion’s home, they are met by some of his friends with the message, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof.”

He tells Jesus that he’s a man of authority, and at his word, soldiers and servants obey. He sees Jesus with just such authority.  “Say the word and let my servant be healed.” And Jesus does. And from that moment, the servant is healed.

Then Jesus, marveling at this, turns to the crowd and says, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.”

(Matthew’s account says Jesus adds these words, “Many will come from the east and the west and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness.”)

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Vss. 11-17.

Soon afterward, Jesus, His disciples, and “a great crowd” go from Capernaum to a town called Nain, about 35 miles south-west of Capernaum.

As they got near the gate to the town, “a considerable crowd” was coming out of the city. It was a funereal procession. The only son of a widow was being carried out in an open bier to the graveyard.

Imagine the chaos when these two huge crowds met and mingled outside the gates to Nain.  But still … JESUS SAW THE WIDOW.  Yes, she was in black, but many mourners were too.  Yes, she was weeping, but mourners wept and wailed all around.  Jesus’s eyes and heart were drawn to that woman. Such empathy and compassion!

With no husband and no children to support her, she would probably become destitute, a beggar. Fear and despair mingled with her sorrow.

Jesus came near to her and said, “Don’t cry.”

Then Jesus TOUCHED the open coffin (officially in the eyes of the Jews, making Him “ceremonially unclean”). The procession stopped. Jesus said to the dead body of the widow’s son, “Arise.”  It was a command.

The dead man sat up and began to speak.

Imagine the astonishment! The fear! The people stumbling backward!  The rubbing of eyes in disbelief!

And gentle/powerful, kind/and kingly, Jesus “gave the boy to his mother.”

Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has arisen among us!” and “God has visited his people!”

That last statement was truer than they realized. Immanuel (God with us) was indeed there.

And yet another “report” about Jesus’ miracles went out through the surrounding country.

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(NOTE: The town of Shunem was just a couple of miles away.  This is where (800 years earlier) the great prophet Elisha stayed with a wealthy family when traveling.  The barren couple had asked him to pray for a son, and God answered his prayer.  Later, the couple’s son died, and when Elisha prayed, he was revived.   Surely, this was what was in the minds of the people of Nain when they said, “A great prophet has arisen among us!”   But so much greater was Jesus, the Son of God.)