The Miracle at Nain (Luke 7:11-17): Part 4 of 5

 

God Has Visited His People 

“But fear took hold of all, and they were glorifying God, saying, ‘A great prophet has been raised up among us,’ and ‘God has visited his people’” (Luke 7:16). [All Scripture references are the author’s own translation unless otherwise noted.] A sizeable gathering of local and out-of-town witnesses was present to irrefutably confirm the young man was in fact dead and then alive. This was not an everyday occurrence. The miracle was not done in secret. There were no skeptics in the crowd. Awestruck by what they had just experienced and afraid of what they did not understand (cf. 1:12, 65; 2:9; 5:26), they were both frightened and joyous at the same time (cf. Matt. 28:8). The fear (reverence, awe) of the Lord is powerful enough to dispel all other fears (2 Cor. 7:1; 1 John 4:18).

The theme of “glorifying God,” praising and honoring him, is prominent in Luke’s Gospel (5:25, 26; 7:16; 13:13; 17:15; 18:43; 23:47). Jesus spent his entire earthly life directing people’s attention upward to the heavenly throne (Matt. 9:8; 12:28; John 5:30; 6:38; 8:28-29; 11:40-42). His incarnation was the revelation and declaration of God himself (Matt. 1:23; John 1:18; 14:7-11). When receptive persons were near Jesus, listened to him, and saw his mighty works, they recognized the presence of deity (John 3:2; 9:33). They instinctively glorified God for both his greatness and his goodness (Luke 5:24-26; 19:37-38).

Just a short distance away, in his hometown of Nazareth, Jesus had observed, “no prophet is acceptable in his home place,” citing Elijah and Elisha as examples (Luke 4:24-27). Here, however, the people at Nain, familiar with biblical history and prophecy, proclaimed, “a great prophet has been raised up among us.” The Jews had long anticipated the coming of an eminent prophet of God, even the return of Elijah himself (Mal. 4:5; Luke 9:8, 19) and more notably a prophet like Moses (Deut. 18:15; John 6:14). Comparable to Elijah and Elisha (1 Kings 17:17-24; 2 Kings 4:8-37), Jesus had just displayed power to raise the dead. Unlike the prophets of old, he restored life on his own authority by merely speaking a word. 

After approximately four centuries of absence and silence, God had once again, as in the ancient past, remembered his people and through this great prophet had visited them. The verb rendered “visit” here is always used in the NT benevolently, never for judgment. Amid hard times in general and Roman oppression in particular, this was an atmosphere of heightened expectation and longing for divine intercession and redemption (Luke 1:68; 24:21). While their inference was not completely misdirected, they could not yet have fully realized who it was standing before them (cf. Luke 24:19-21). 

Early in the second century the Christian apologist Quadratus wrote to the emperor Hadrian concerning “the true miracles” of Jesus. He spoke of “those that were healed, those that were raised from the dead, who were seen, not only when healed and when raised, but were always present. They remained living a long time, not only while our Lord was on earth, but likewise when he had left the earth. So that some of them have also lived in our own times” (reported in Eusebius, Eccl. Hist. 4.3.2). How is it that even today many are still convinced by the abundant evidence concerning the Christ, while many others are not persuaded at all and reject him? 

--Kevin L. Moore

*Originally appearing as “Jesus and Power (Luke 7:11-17)” in the 2022 FHU Lectureship Book.

Related Posts: Miracle at Nain: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 5

 

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The Miracle at Nain (Luke 7:11-17): Part 3 of 5

And the Dead Sat Up 

“And [Jesus] drew near, touched the bier; so the ones carrying [it] stopped. And he said, ‘Young man, I say to you, arise.’ And the dead sat up and began to speak; and he gave him to his mother” (Luke 7:14-15). [All Scripture references are the author’s own translation unless otherwise noted.] Perhaps to avoid ceremonial defilement or the appearance thereof, Jesus did not touch the corpse but the apparatus (open coffin or stretcher) upon which the body was carried. The simple action halted the procession without disrupting the solemnity of the occasion. This is the first of three recorded accounts of Jesus exhibiting power to raise the dead (note v. 22). In the case of Jairus’ daughter, she was dead but not yet carried out (Luke 8:49-56). The widow’s son was dead and carried out but not yet buried. Lazarus was dead, carried out, and already in the tomb (John 11:14-44). From a deathbed, a casket, and a grave, Jesus raised them all back to life. He never preached a funeral but he interrupted a few!

In contrast to the raising of Jairus’ daughter, where Jesus grasped the girl’s lifeless hand, or the raising of his friend Lazarus, where he shouted with a loud voice from a distance, here he simply spoke. Unlike Simon of Samaria, who claimed to be someone great and dazzled onlookers with deceptive illusions (Acts 8:9-11), the Lord’s approach, without pomp or show, was calm, humble, and direct. Even though Lazarus had been a believer and the young girl had a believing father, Jesus was apparently unknown to the widow and her son. Faith was not required to be on the receiving end of the miracle. 

Addressing the deceased as “young man” (neanískos) suggests he was younger than Jesus but probably not a small child (cf. Matt. 19:20, 22; Mark 14:51; 16:5). The Lord spoke to him personally, “I say to you,” as though he could hear, a direct address only Christ could speak to the living (Matt. 16:18; Luke 5:24), the nearly expired (Luke 23:43), and the already dead (Mark 5:41). In obedience to the single-word command (“arise”), the young man’s spirit immediately rejoined his physical body (cf. Luke 8:55; Jas. 2:26a). He “sat up,” not as an animated corpse but as one who “began to speak.” No record of what he said and to whom he spoke has been preserved. Of greater importance is the fact that Jesus proved to be the Lord of life (cf. John 1:4; 5:21; 11:25). He demonstrated power over death and the hadean realm, dispelling the fear of death and the sorrow of death (cf. 1 Cor. 15:55-57; 1 Thess. 4:13; 2 Tim. 1:10; Heb. 2:14-15). 

Rather than asking the young man to forsake all and join his immediate band of followers, Jesus “gave him to his mother.” Separated loved ones were reunited, a fractured home restored, despair and destitution replaced with security and promise. Jesus not only returned life to the widow’s son, he restored life to the young man’s mother. A crisis averted, a broken heart mended, sorrow turned to gladness, he provided comfort to the grieving and victory over death. It is of interest to note that nearly all biblical accounts of raising the dead were particularly beneficial to women (1 Kings 17:23; 2 Kings 4:36; 7:15; Luke 7:15; 8:51-54; John 11:22, 32; Acts 9:41; Heb. 11:35). 

Jesus would make provisions for the care of his own mother (John 1:12; 19:26-27). Being a follower of Christ obviously does not preclude other God-given responsibilities, including family duties (1 Tim. 5:8). How has the Lord continued through the ages restoring broken families, remedying hopelessness, and bringing comfort to the brokenhearted? How does he still provide victory over death? 

--Kevin L. Moore

*Originally appearing as “Jesus and Power (Luke 7:11-17)” in the 2022 FHU Lectureship Book.

Related Posts: Miracle at Nain: Part 1, Part 2, Part 4, Part 5

 

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The Miracle at Nain (Luke 7:11-17): Part 2 of 5

 

The Only Son of a Widow

“But as he approached the town’s gate, behold one having died was being carried out, the only son of his mother; and she was a widow. And a considerable crowd of the town was with her” (Luke 7:12). [All Scripture references are the author’s own translation unless otherwise noted.] To arrive at just the right moment must have entailed foresight, planning, and haste. The Lord was not summoned or approached, as on many other occasions (4:40, 42; 5:12, 15, 18-19; 6:17-19; 7:3-4; 8:41, 44; 9:38; 17:13; 18:38). He took the initiative. 

The deceased, like Jesus, was a firstborn son and therefore consecrated to God (Exod. 13:1; Luke 2:23). At his father’s death, he became the head of the household with the solemn duty of caring for his widowed mother. As the only son, the responsibility was his alone. When he died, the widowed mother suffered a double tragedy, both the emotional loss of her closest loved ones and the material loss of her principal means of subsistence. In the first-century Mediterranean world, women who lost their spouses with no other family assistance were deemed “truly” widows (1 Tim. 5:3, 5, 16). In ancient Jewish culture, to lose a husband, especially prior to old age, carried the stigma of God’s presumed displeasure and accompanying shame (Ruth 1:13, 20-21; Isa. 54:4). 

This poor widow was truly alone. But she was not totally alone, as “a considerable crowd of the town was with her.” The prospect of professional mourners notwithstanding, there appears to have been a sympathetic and supportive community. The words of Zechariah, later applied at Christ’s death (John 19:37), would be appropriate here: “… and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve for him as one grieves for a firstborn” (Zech. 12:10b; cf. Jer. 6:26; Amos 8:10). 

Jesus took special interest in widows (Mark 12:40-44; Luke 18:3-5; cf. Jas. 1:27), as well as misfortunes involving an only child (Luke 8:42; 9:38). Stranded at the bottom of the socioeconomic ladder, brokenhearted and destitute, the tragic departure of this mother’s only son was met by the gracious arrival of God’s only Son. While the gathering of mourners may have offered a surface level of consolement, there was only one who could provide the deeper comfort of God. 

“And having seen her, the Lord was moved with compassion for her, and said to her, ‘Do not mourn’” (Luke 7:13). To have “seen” this grieving parent was more than a casual glance but included mental perception (cf. 5:20; 9:27; 18:24) that provoked an intense emotional response. The same cause-and-effect reaction is portrayed in the Lord’s parables featuring a good Samaritan and a prodigal son’s father (10:33; 15:20). The Greek verb translated “[he] was moved with compassion,” from the noun splágchna (“internal organs” or “inward parts”), describes a deep-seated, gut-wrenching emotion (Matt. 9:36; 14:14; 15:32; 18:27; 20:34; Mark 1:41; 9:22). In a throng of troubled souls, Jesus was especially moved by one in particular. 

Saying to the distraught mother, “Do not mourn,” might sound insensitive and inappropriate were it not for the identity of the one speaking. The designation “Lord” occurs throughout the Third Gospel, but here is the first time the inspired author himself, as narrator, uses it in reference to Jesus. It is a title of honor and reverence, indicative of authority and rule. Luke associates the term with divine power (5:17) and applies it as much to the Lord God as he does to the Lord Jesus (note 20:42-44). In fact, the Greek text of Luke’s Gospel begins by using the full definitive title ho kúrios (“the Lord”) to refer to the heavenly Father (1:6, 9, 28, 46, 68; 2:15, 22), then, beginning with our current text, makes application to the Father’s Son (7:13, 19; 10:1, 2, 39, 41; 11:39; 12:42; 13:15; 17:5, 6; 18:6; 19:8a; 22:61; 24:3). 

 

The seemingly callous directive signaled the Lord’s certainty of what was about to happen, reaching beyond the immediate circumstance and offering reassurance and hope (cf. 8:52; Matt. 5:4; Rev. 7:17). Jesus was not voicing empty words in a feeble attempt to console. He himself would weep at the gravesite of someone close to him (John 11:35). He rather backed up his words with his gracious presence and merciful actions. Death had cruelly severed a cherished relationship that he aimed to restore. 

 

As a church community, like the people of Nain, we ought to be known for weeping with those who weep and bearing one another’s burdens (Rom. 12:15; Gal. 6:2; Heb. 12:12). What do we say to someone whose loved one has died? What words are adequate or even appropriate? What is needed more than words?

--Kevin L. Moore

*Originally appearing as “Jesus and Power (Luke 7:11-17)” in the 2022 FHU Lectureship Book.

Related Posts: Miracle at Nain: Part 1, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5

 

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The Miracle at Nain (Luke 7:11-17): Part 1 of 5

The word “power” can describe any number of things, like physical strength, political influence, military might, mechanical energy, and various natural phenomena. But there is an ultimate power that transcends them all, emanating from heaven and wondrously displayed on earth. As Jesus went about doing good throughout his earthly mission, he routinely exhibited power over sin (Luke 4:13; 5:20), demonic forces (Luke 4:41; 6:18), nature (Luke 5:4-9; 8:24), sickness (Luke 4:38-40; 6:19), and disability (Luke 5:18-25; 7:22). Early in his Galilean ministry, in an episode recounted only in Luke’s Gospel, he manifested power over death. 

He Went to a Town Called Nain

Following the healing of a centurion’s servant at Capernaum, Jesus directly headed south. “And it happened afterwards, he went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd were traveling with him” (Luke 7:11). [All Scripture references are the author’s own translation unless otherwise noted.] Textual variation of a single letter in the Greek text raises the question of whether this was “soon afterward” (ESV) or “the day after” (NKJV). Either way, we get the impression he was in somewhat of a hurry. 

A distance of approximately 32 miles (52 km) separated the fishing village of Capernaum, on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee, from the small farming village of Nain in Lower Galilee. It was about six miles (9.5 km) southeast of Nazareth at the base of the Hill of Moreh. Today, with modern roads and motorized vehicles, the trip from Capernaum to Nain would take about an hour. The average person in the first century would have needed a couple of days to make the journey by foot, especially considering the terrain. Capernaum is about 682 feet (208 m) below sea level, whereas Nain is around 700 feet (213 m) above sea level, an arduous, uphill climb. 

Even though the abrupt expedition was not an easy excursion, Jesus was accompanied by “his disciples and a large crowd.” Their commitment to Christ and eagerness to be with him and learn from him is evident. The obscure village, mentioned nowhere else in scripture, was out of the way, off the beaten path. One did not simply pass through Nain or end up there unintentionally. It was not a densely populated, bustling metropolis or strategic location for a major soul-winning campaign. It was, however, the home of a person in need. Jesus appears to have made a special trip to this unremarkable place to do a remarkable thing for an otherwise unnoticed, disadvantaged soul. 

Already in the account we get an informative glimpse of true discipleship. Do we stay close to the Lord when life’s journey is inconvenient and hard? Will we follow his lead to go out of our way to help someone in need?

--Kevin L. Moore

*Originally appearing as “Jesus and Power (Luke 7:11-17)” in the 2022 FHU Lectureship Book.

Related Posts: Miracle at Nain (Part 2), Part 3, Part 4, Part 5

 

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Did the early church practice socialism?

Socialism is a political and economic philosophy that advocates community ownership and distribution of resources, typically controlled by the governing authorities. Does Acts 4:32-35 provide an example of socialism being practiced in the early church, and does it set a precedent for all Christians to follow? The passage reads:

Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common. And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all. Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, and laid them at the apostles’ feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need. (NKJV)

Contextually, multiplied thousands of Jewish people from distant lands had travelled to Jerusalem to celebrate Pentecost (Acts 2:1, 5), a large percentage of whom had learned and obeyed the gospel to mark the beginning of Christ’s church (vv. 41, 47; 4:4; 5:14). Rather than returning home, however, they remained in Jerusalem for continued instruction and fellowship (2:42) until they were later forced to disperse (8:1-4).

In the meantime, how were their physical needs to be met? A community spirit prevailed, coordinated first by the apostles and then by other godly men, that included selfless generosity and mutual sharing (2:44-45; 4:32-33; 6:1-3). This was a unique situation not necessarily applicable to more normal living conditions.

The scriptures teach a balanced message of bearing one another’s burdens (Gal. 6:2), while each is to bear his own load (v. 5). Accountable, able-bodied persons are expected to work, not be an unnecessary burden on others, and provide for themselves (2 Thess. 3:7-13) and for their families (1 Tim. 5:8), while also helping the needy (Eph. 4:28). But the economic model of socialism is not biblically enjoined.

--Kevin L. Moore

Related Posts: 

 

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