Last Sunday, we focused on Jesus’ actions on the Sabbath – he took exception to the Pharisee’s critique that all work must cease on the Sabbath, even the “work” of healing the sick and the lame. Jesus disagreed and felt that compassion and love must guide the choices of God’s followers – healing is an expression of love for one's neighbor.
This morning, we focus on Jesus’ work as a healer. Jesus didn’t discriminate when he healed – he didn’t reserve his miracles for the “right” kind of people: faithful Jewish men. Jesus was motivated by love and compassion for all people.
Listen now to two stories of Jesus’ healing work as we read Luke chapter 7 verses one through seventeen:
Scripture Luke 7:1-17
When Jesus had finished saying all this to the people who were listening, he entered Capernaum.
There a centurion’s servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die.
The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant.
When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, “This man deserves to have you do this,
because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue.”
So Jesus went with them.
He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to him: “Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof.
That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed.
For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.”
Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well.
Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went along with him.
As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out—the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her.
When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, “Don’t cry.”
Then he went up and touched the bier they were carrying him on, and the bearers stood still. He said, “Young man, I say to you, get up!”
The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.
They were all filled with awe and praised God. “A great prophet has appeared among us,” they said. “God has come to help his people.”
This news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding country.
Here ends this reading of the word of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God. Amen.
Let us pray…
Message Raising the Widow’s Son
This morning, we focus on two stories of Jesus’ miraculous healing. Although these stories took place hundreds of years ago and despite our advanced medical knowledge, we still haven’t figured out how to overcome death – we still experience illnesses and accidents… we still contend with the problem of mortality – in order to be alive, we all will die.
In my work as a pastor, I have observed that when people we love are dying, most of us want to do everything possible to keep our loved one alive….even if they have been ill for a long time…even if they are old….even if they have multiple things wrong. One of my early learnings as a pastor is that most of us don’t feel like we have enough time with those we love – I distinctly remember a situation when I was consoling a grieving woman who was devastated because she thought she would have more time with her father – how could God be so cruel as to take her 98 year old dad so soon?
The first story we read this morning concerns a powerful Roman centurion. He commanded 100 soldiers in the Roman army. He was used to people following his orders. And, he had probably tried to do everything possible to help his servant heal…. before he called for Jesus, he probably consulted doctors and nurses and faith healers and priests….he probably tried every treatment they knew of to heal his servant…yet his servant was dying anyway.
Jesus was perhaps his last resort – and the little he knew about Jesus caused him to presume Jesus would need persuading to come to visit his servant. The scripture states that he sent some of the synagogue elders to plea for Jesus to come. But, the man still feared he was unworthy of Jesus’ attention. He invited Jesus to heal his servant from afar, because he believed Jesus’ command could heal the servant. His faith in Jesus was astonishing – and was not misplaced. Jesus did indeed heal his servant.
In the story that follows, Jesus and his disciples travelled to Nain. Nain was southwest of Capernaum…..it was not close enough to Capernaum for word to have traveled there about Jesus. When Jesus and his friends approached the town, they met a funeral party carrying a newly deceased man out of the town–burial was to take place outside the town’s walls. The man was the only son of his widowed mother – Jesus knew his death would leave his mother destitute. Jesus had compassion for the woman, so he restored her son to life. The people of Nain did not know Jesus – they did not know about Jesus – and they didn’t know of his powers. None of them asked Jesus to restore the dead man to life, yet Jesus represented the compassionate love of God. Jesus was moved by his love to resurrect the man and return him to life….and so he was healed and alive once again.
Jesus didn’t reserve his miracles for the right kind of people – he healed people regardless of how faithful they were. Jesus healed the servant of the Roman centurion – he may not have been Jewish. He may not have been Middle Eastern. He may have been someone who worshipped Zeus or Anubis. HE may have been gay or German or weird. We don’t know what he was like because JEsus didn’t ask. Jesus just healed him.
Jesus healed the dead son of the widow woman. Again, the man may have died of a horrible disease. He may have died of a self-inflicted injury. He may have been murdered. We don’t know why he died because Jesus didn’t ask. Jesus just healed him and restored him to life.
When Jesus walked the earth, he came for everyone. When people were ill, Jesus healed them. When people were hungry, Jesus fed them. When people were thirsty, Jesus gave them water. When people died, Jesus didn’t ask questions before he restored them to life.
We are commanded by our faith to be like Jesus. When are called to offer our gifts to others because we have love and compassion for them….we are called to feed the hungry, heal the sick, house the homeless, visit the prisoner….even if the people don’t look like us….even if the people don’t worship like us….even if the people don’t share our sexual orientation…even if the people don’t have the right documentation or permission to be here. Jesus didn’t ask if people were worthy of healing, he just healed them. Jesus didn’t ask if people were worthy of life, he just raised them from the dead.
Jesus was motivated by love, compassion and caring. Let us be the same….to be motivated by our love, compassion and care for each other and for everyone who is in need.
Amen.
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