When a Funeral Becomes a Party

When I was little, one of my favorite Bible stories was of Jesus raising Jarius’ daughter from the dead. Now that I’m a mom, my new favorite story is our passage for the day—Jesus raising the widow’s son. The story is simple and sad. A widowed mother attends the burial procession of her only son and as the mourners leave the town with the young man’s body, they meet Jesus. He stops the funeral march, tells the mother not to cry, and raises her son from the dead! With only a few words from Jesus the funeral becomes a party!

I love how Jesus, His tender heart filled with compassion, He tells the mother, “Don’t cry.” So often we want to say those words to a grieving friend, “Don’t cry. It’ll be OK. Things will get better.” From us, they’re well-meaning platitudes, but from Jesus, “Don’t cry,” is a promise of hope. He has come into the world to defeat Death completely, and even before the cross, He wields ultimate authority over it. As the Living Son of God, Jesus commands Death as one would command a dog, and Death gives up its prey, releasing the young man from its clutches.

This is the God we serve, the only God who can restore what is broken and bring hope to the destitute. Although Jesus is not here in person to raise people from the dead, He can still take something as terrible as death and use it for good. As I pray for Ukraine, and think of the suffering of the people there, I'm encouraged to read about Christians who are sharing the Gospel and hundreds of people are coming to Christ. People who normally wouldn't go to church are realizing how fragile life is and they're open to hearing the truth, perhaps for the first time.

This passage ends with the amazed onlookers exclaiming, "God has visited His people!" (Luke 7:16). Their words were more accurate than they could know. Jesus was God in the flesh, visiting with them. And God is with you today. I don't know what's happening in your life right now that leaves you discouraged or broken. I do know that in His timing, Jesus can speak into that sorrow and turn death into life. It may take years (it's taking years for me), but the healing can come. And I sincerely believe that when Jesus walks into the dead places of our lives, His presence brings life and light and hope. Let's rejoice today with the widow and her son because "God has visited His people!"

Lenten reading for today: Luke 7:11-17

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