Grief: Jesus & The Widow of Nain

00:00:00 Speaker 1: I will not leave you orphans. I will come to you John fourteen eighteen. Dear Lord, you are a God who sees us, knows us, and pursues us. We are not alone in our suffering, nor are we forgotten in our despair. Thank you God for your kindness and presence in our lives. Thank you for adopting us and calling us your children. To day we declare with boldness that we have nothing to fear. If you are for us, who can be against us? If you are guiding us, then who could possibly throw us off course? Give us boldness to believe in miracles, that you are a good father who wants good things for his children. In Jesus name, we pray. 00:01:03 Speaker 2: Amen. 00:01:05 Speaker 1: Thank you for praying with me to day. You're listening to the Jesus Podcast gospel stories delivered with drama and passion. Remain here for another story about Jesus visiting an outcast, someone forgotten by the world but seen by God. If you want to partner with us in our mission to bring the Bible to life in new ways, follow this podcast on whatever platform you're listening to. Doing so will keep you updated but also help us get discovered by more people. That way we can reach the whole world with the story of Jesus. Sarah buried her face in her son's chest. There was no rising and falling of breath. She couldn't feel any thump of a heartbeat. Her only son was gone. Sarah's entire body tensed with grief. Her hands trembled, and her legs lost all feeling as she crumbled on the floor. 00:02:10 Speaker 2: Beside her son. My boy, My boy. 00:02:22 Speaker 1: Sarah mouthed her goodbyes, but her voice broke under the sorrow. Sarah pressed her hands against her boy's face one final time. What will I do now? Sarah was a widow. Her husband had been taken years ago by the same sickness that claimed her son, her only son. She was a childless widow, a fate worse than death. Sarah not only grieved the loss of her husband and son, but was now forced to accept a future of struggle, hearting, and desperation. Her soft tears turned to wrenching sobs. She prayed that the Lord would receive her son's soul. She prayed for the long road of suffering ahead, Yet a prayer for her son to live again never left her lips. 00:03:23 Speaker 2: Dead was dead? 00:03:25 Speaker 1: After all, she didn't even think to ask for a miracle. Miracles never happened to someone like Sarah, especially in a place is forgotten as name. 00:03:45 Speaker 3: Loss is a natural part of life, but that doesn't make it easy. Grief can pull us into our deepest places of despair, a pit of darkness that seems impossible to escape from the comfort of Psalm seventy three six reads this, my flesh and my heart may fail, but God is my strength and my heart and my portion forever. When our grief seems too much to bear, know that our God in Heaven will lift us up as he consoles our weary hearts with his love. This is the Jesus Podcast, a year of stories showcasing the depth of Christ's love and the glory of God's truth. I'm Zach, your host frompray dot Com, and I'm so glad to be here with you today as we unpack the profound care that our God has for us and our heavy moments of grief. Today's story takes us to Luke seven. In the previous chapter, Jesus had just taught a group of his disciples several important kingdom principles. After this, he entered the city of Capernaum, blessed the faith of the centurion and healed his servant. Soon after, Jesus traveled to the city of Nine along with many of his disciples, and it's not long before he performs another miracle that speaks endlessly of his love for all people, including the outcast. 00:05:03 Speaker 2: Master. What are we doing so far away from Capernaum, We've even passed Nazareth. Where are we going? 00:05:10 Speaker 1: Nathaniel tried to keep pace with Jesus. They walked for miles out of Capernaum. The nicely paved Roman roads gave way to smaller dirt paths winding outside the region of Galilee. Very few people ventured out this far, but Jesus was on a mission. Nathaniel turned around and looked at the crowd that was following them. They were eager to see his miracles and hear more of his teachings, but Jesus' attention was elsewhere. His eyes were locked on the road. Maybe we should stop and give the people what they're asking for, maybe another sermon or parable. Jesus was still silent, striding forward, feet kicking up dust behind him. The crowd followed him, eagerly, waiting for something, anything to happen. Yet each mile made them all the more restless. Some retreated back to Coperningham. Others grumbled, but most remained silent and followed. The disciples kept pace behind Jesus, murmuring questions to each other. 00:06:31 Speaker 2: We're in the middle of nowhere. 00:06:34 Speaker 1: Matthew whispered to the others. 00:06:36 Speaker 3: The only people left on these roads are bandits and beggars. 00:06:40 Speaker 1: They summitted. A small hill below they could see the small town of Nane. 00:06:48 Speaker 2: The only place more insignificant than nowhere is Naane. 00:06:53 Speaker 1: Were here, Jesus said decisively. His eyes were like a hawk's, scanning the air for something specific. The wind whistled from behind the crowd toward the city. The disciples looked at Jesus. He was looking for something or some one. 00:07:14 Speaker 2: This is where he's been taking us Nane. 00:07:18 Speaker 1: The disciples and followers were beside themselves with confusion. Nane was on the fringes of Galilee, occupied by a few herdsmen and a handful of vagrants. 00:07:32 Speaker 2: What's in Nane, Jesus, there is some one I need to speak to. 00:07:37 Speaker 1: Jesus stared at the town's gates. The procession of mourners dressed in black were marching out of the city with an open coffin carried on their shoulders. Beside the coffin was a woman. Her veil couldn't hide her sorrow. Her entire body shook with grief. Her tears fell from her face on to the dirt, leaving a trail of despair behind her. Jesus saw her, Jesus knew her. A deep well of sadness and compassion stirred within him. Love moved Jesus forward without pretense. He darted down the jagged path to the gates. The disciples ran behind him. 00:08:33 Speaker 2: They couldn't keep up. 00:08:36 Speaker 1: Jesus, with a heart overflowing with affection, stopped the procession and came to the woman. She looked up at Jesus, seeing her sadness reflected back in his eyes. He held her shoulders and looked at her. 00:08:54 Speaker 2: Do not weep. 00:08:55 Speaker 1: The words could have come across as insensitive to her grief, but there was a promise behind his command. He was asking her to pause and behold a miracle. Jesus turned to the coffin. The bears paused and lowered it slightly for Jesus to see the young man jesus jaw quivered and his chest rose with overwhelming sorrow. Death's cruel sting would not win. The Son of God reached out his hand and touched the young man on the chest. The disciples finally caught up and stood at a distance. All was still, with a single tear falling from jesus clenched jaw. 00:09:48 Speaker 2: He said, young man, hear me arise. 00:09:53 Speaker 1: All was quiet, and the gentle wind shifted its course from south to north. Every One stirred and exhaled in shock. As the young man rose from his coffin and looked at Jesus, the bearers nearly dropped him out of pure dismay. They set his coffin on the floor, and Jesus helped the young man to his feet. My boy, My boy, Sarah's voice boomed with joy. She ran to him and buried her face in his chest. The boy's cheeks were full of life, and strength returned to his body. His arms wrapped around his mother. The two of them wept while others watched in shock. God had seen Sarah. Although her tragedy was hidden from the world, it was seen by the son of Man. Jesus knew her, heard her and pursued her. Fear seized the villager's disciples and crowd. They were suspended in a space between reverence and terror. 00:11:06 Speaker 2: A prophet from God has reason among us. God has visited his people. 00:11:12 Speaker 1: Nine, the outcast city, had been visited by God. The compassionate heart of the Lord pursued an anonymous widow from an unknown town. Jesus didn't come to prop up the prominent. He didn't come to build crowds or reform governments. He came for the forgotten, the lonely, and the outcast. Nevertheless, words spread from Nine throughout Judea and the surrounding country. Jesus' fame was increasing. His actions gave hope to anyone who felt far off and cast aside. 00:12:00 Speaker 3: If you've ever experienced the loss of a loved one or known someone who has, you have seen just how earth shattering of a time of life it can be. Time seems to simultaneously stop and move at light speed. The deep seated pain we're going through feels like it may never leave us, at least not completely Caught up in a whirlwind of emotion, it could be hard to imagine that life moving forward will look at all optimistic, and while we may find some consolation from others, it could be hard to reach out when we're grieving. We're hurting. We're looking for comfort but don't know exactly how to find it. We want people to come alongside us. We want the hugs, we want the consolation, but also we feel vulnerable, we feel upset, so we don't want people too close because it hurts, and while others might be giving a space to heal, we end up feeling unseen, unimportant, or unattended to. But Jesus sees everyone, and he cares about those who have slipped under the radar. He doesn't want us to be caught in despair alone. He wants to help us. He wants to give us hope, and that's what this beautiful story is all about. Jesus doesn't wait for us to reach out to him, just like he does for the widow of Nain. He seeks us out, meeting us right where we are in our morning, wraps us in his arms and comforts us in the delicate and fragile state we find ourselves in. He looks upon us, holds us, comforts us, and leads us forward. It's a wonderful thought that God comes to find us in our darkest moments, that he would stretch out his arm to pull us from our suffering. When it seems like there's nowhere to go and no where to overcome our grief. Jesus is right there. Jesus is there to heal our hearts. He is present, He is near the crowds of a mass during Jesus's teaching, and they continue to follow him. And it's clear that the disciples have questions about Jesus's plan because Jesus had just drawn in a large number with powerful teaching. They're worried that the needs of the crowds aren't being met. They wonder if maybe Jesus should pause from their life long journey to give them more of what they came here for. They want to hear him teach, They want to see him heal. Jesus, why don't you give people what they're wanting? But Jesus's aim was of far more importance. He wasn't going to perform for them. He was going to show that every message teaching in parable was meant to translate into real world living. He wasn't just going to tell them to have compassion. He was about to show them what it actually looked like. As we grow as followers of Jesus through studying the Bible, it comes with an understanding that God wants us to use those very teachings to influence our thoughts and our actions. The spirit's job isn't just to reveal truth, but to empower us to put into practice. As you live out your faith, consider how Jesus looks at the world. We read this in Matthew nine thirty five through thirty eight. Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to the disciples, the harvest is plentable, but the laborers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers for the harvest field. Notice the flow of events that Jesus models. He travels, he teaches, and then he heals. It's not enough to simply acknowledge those who are hurting, nor is it enough to simply teach them about the love of Jesus. As his disciples, we're called to also help people. We're supposed to show them Christ's love. Jesus wants to use us to care for the herding, befriend the lonely, and bring comfort to the grieving and outcast. The gospel message doesn't just bring us hope for eternity. It doesn't just tell us that we have this get out of Hell free card and that we can step into heaven one day. The Gospel is meant to mobilize us here and now supposed to move us as people with compassion, who are willing to go to the furthest reaches of the world to actually bring hope and healing to people. As the Spirit of car works in our hearts, the people of God come alongside all of those who are in need of Christ's love and to show them the Gospel and bring transformation. As Jesus and his disciples approach the entrance to Nane, they stumble upon a funeral procession. What would already be a sad scene is made even more devastating when all the facts are laid out. There's a widow who has just lost her only son for all intents and purposes, her well being and security for the future have been jeopardized, and she has nowhere to turn to for hope. Imagine the immense weight of feeling like you've truly lost everything. She's lost her husband, she's lost her son, and as a result, she's going to lose her home, her livelihood, and her community. Imagine the immense weight of feeling like you've truly lost everything, like you're at the end of your rope. You're afraid, You're mad at God for letting this happen, You're lost, lonely, confused. As all of these emotions rush through the mind of Sarah, the last thing she expects is for her situation to change for the better. And this is the very reason Jesus sought her out. This woman is about to dissolve into anonymity and be forgotten forever, but Jesus actually traveled miles in the hot sun to. 00:17:13 Speaker 2: Seek her out. 00:17:15 Speaker 3: She was lost, but she's about to be found by God, the god who protects and provides. It's incredible that despite the crowds following Jesus, in the crowds of the town surrounding the widow, Jesus still navigates through them to get to her. Jesus wouldn't let minor inconveniences stop him from accomplishing the task at hand. He pushes through, and with a firm but tender command, he looks at Sarah and tells her not to weep. Now, this is not something that you should usually tell someone when they're grieving. When somebody's going through a hard time, the last thing you should tell them is hey, cheer up, because that never works, and you just come across as insensitive. But Jesus is actually doing something greater here. This was not a sign of insensitivity, but a word of assurance. When Jesus meets us in our grief, we can find peace that surpasses all understanding, as our hearts and minds take cover in his love before our circumstances even change. Simply being in the presence of Jesus begins a work in our hearts. But God doesn't leave Siruhn this place for long. He quickly turns to the men carrying the coffin of the young man and peers in gazingly upon the lifeless body, knowing that death is a cruel consequence from the sin of man, that plagued his creation. Jesus boldly cries out, young man, hear me arise with the same breath that filled Adam's lungs in the garden of Eden. In an instant, the power of Christ moves through the one's dead man and fills him to new life. This was the first. This was the first person that Jesus raised from the dead in his ministry, and it won't be the last. And it's also a symbol of what he is going to do in our lives. Jesus came to earth to bring life. While it may not be in the same way he brought life to the widow of Nain's son. This was a shadow of the new life that Jesus wants to give to everyone. We all must face the reality of death. It escapes no one, but death does not have the final word. The work Jesus accomplished on the cross is God's glorious solution for the problem of death. We read from the Apostle Paul and Second Corinthians. God made him who had no sin, to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God by becoming our sins and laying his life down for us, and rising from the grave by the power of the spirit, Jesus offers us new eternal life with him. The sting of death has lost its power in the face of the God who brings life. Find comfort in your grief today, Know that Jesus has sought you out. He sees you, he knows you, and it's his intention to bring you out of your despair and into new life with him.