Restoring life

From today's reading:   As [Jesus] approached the gate of [Nain], a man who had died was being carried out. He was his mother's only son, and she was a widow; and with her was a large crowd from the town. When the Lord saw her, he had compassion for her and said to her, 'Do not weep.' Then he came forward and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, 'Young man, I say to you, rise!' The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother.  Luke 7:12-15

This is just a little story - only 4 verses long - and often overlooked by casual readers.  But it is an important story in telling us what Jesus is like.  Now I'm sure that during the time Jesus and his disciples traveled around they saw a number of funerals, so why is this the only one mentioned?  The story has more to do with the mother than anything else.  The mother it says is a widow and that this was her only son.  

That information is very important because it tells us that the woman is now without support - no one to take care of her or to provide for her.  She will be left on the street to beg for whatever scraps people might give her.  But it also says that Jesus had compassion for her - Jesus cared that she was left alone.  He cared that her heart and her life were broken by the son's death.  So he restored her life by restoring her son.

This is one of those little stories that is meant to comfort us; to let us know that Jesus cares about those things that have the ability to crush us.  Jesus cares and is willing to step into the gap to take care of us.  Thank you, Lord, that you restore our life when we seem to have lost everything.  Thank you, Jesus, for your loving care that surrounds us and lifts us up when we are down.  Amen.