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PRAYER OF THE DAY
Compassionate God, you have assured the human family of eternal life through Jesus Christ. Deliver us from the death of sin, and raise us to new life in your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen. (ELW, Sundays and Seasons)
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Lectionary 10/Pentecost 3
Gospel: Luke 7:11-17
Jesus' ministry bears witness to God's coming reign, where the lowly are shown mercy and the dead are raised. Here, Jesus ministers to a widow by raising her only son to life.
11Soon afterwards [Jesus] went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went with him. 12As he approached the gate of the town, 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. 13When the Lord saw her, he had compassion for her and said to her, "Do not weep." 14Then he came forward and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, "Young man, I say to you, rise!" 15The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. 16Fear seized all of them; and they glorified God, saying, "A great prophet has risen among us!" and "God has looked favorably on his people!" 17This word about him spread throughout Judea and all the surrounding country.
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MUSINGS
I have to admit it was difficult choosing between the widow of Zeraphath and the widow of Nain, both stories of not only healing, but people being raised from death to renewed life. Elijah raised the widow's son from death after seemingly whining for a bit and blaming God for killing the child. Lots of drama and action involved there.
But I landed on the Jesus story for one particular and perhaps strange reason. Following the return to life of the son and son's speaking, "Jesus gave him to his mother." This has always struck me in a simple yet particular way, that for Jesus, following healing and new life, an individual is returned to community and life as they have known it. Separated by death, he is returned to life and Jesus is intentional about that movement. From my perspective Luke and this narrative are saying something to us.
It seems to me that bringing life out of death is the ultimate healing. Yet is also seems to me that healing takes place in so many other ways and places and those moments also return us to community with new life. Think about the reception of forgiveness when offered in the liturgy of the church. In one instance the words are "As a called and ordained minister of the church of Christ and by his authority I forgive you all your sins, in the name of the Father and + of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." Isn't that healing? Doesn't that return us to the community cleansed and renewed?
Or recall the last time you were involved in a Service of Healing and heard these or similar words: "I lay my hands upon you in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, beseeching him to uphold you and fill you with all grace, that you may know the healing power of his love." Healed and renewed, we return to life filled with hope and promise.
Remember a relationship fractured, forgiveness offered and new life begun? The list may be endless. Here's the point, healing returns us to community, brings us back into relationship, restores what was to what will be by God's grace. It is not an end but rather a beginning, hope and promise.
In Christ Jesus our broken, shattered and sinful lives are healed not by what we say or do but rather by the crucifixion of the One who healed and brought life during his ministry. And, in resurrection life, brings healing to our brokenness, forgiveness for our sins and hope in the midst of despair.
Sometimes our prayers for healing focus specifically on physical realities and perhaps we miss the other healings that take place all along the way; in the absolution, at the table, in words of forgiveness offered. May the stories of Elijah and Jesus and the rich words of the psalm give us pause this week to consider where healing takes place in our lives in so many ways and, in so doing, sing with the psalmist with joy and gladness:
"You have turned my wailing into dancing; you have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy. Therefore my heart sings to you without ceasing; O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever!"
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