It has been interesting to follow the early ministry of Jesus in the gospel of Luke. How exciting it must have been to actually see Jesus and to be around as He healed the sick and actually raised the dead. There is an account of Jesus and a large crowd of followers approaching a city called Nain. As they came to the city gate a large funeral procession was leaving the city gate with a coffin to be buried outside the city walls, in the local cemetary. The two large crowds of followers and mourners blended into one. The dead person was the only son of a widow. Jesus felt compassion for the widow and, after telling her to no longer weep, He touched the open coffin. At that instant the pall bearers stopped. A funeral procession normally doesn't stop until it reaches the burial site. Imagine the shock and the amazement that rolled through the crowd when Jesus said: "Young man, I say to you, arise." .....and then the body came to life, the young man sat up in the coffin, still hoisted on the shoulders of men, and he started talking. Jesus gave the son back to the mother. The thought occurs that each of us who has come to know Jesus as Lord was once in a coffin, just like the young man. We were being carried through our days to a burial site outside God's city and it seemed the procession would not stop. But Jesus came near and touched us...He awakened us from death and we sat up and then climbed out of the coffin. We were forever changed as we realized who is the true giver of life and we returned to the crowds. Along with many of the mourners, we changed crowds and joined the crowd of Jesus' followers. We were on the way to a burial when Jesus came alongside and touched our coffin.
(from Luke 7:11-17)
blessings,
Rob Smith
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