Luke 7:11 Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went along with him. 12 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. 13 When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, “Don’t cry.” 14 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!” 15 The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother. 16 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.” 17 This news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding country.
When Jesus saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, “Don’t cry.”
I See Your Tears
Jesus saw the mother’s tears among the crowd. He saw her pain and her problem. We sometimes try to hide our tears in the crowd, but God sees it. We can be surrounded by many, and our deep hurts may be misunderstood and missed by many. Jesus saw it and valued it, and His heart was moved by it. He didn’t minimise her pain; instead, He saw how hard it must be for a widow to lose her only son. He didn’t want her to be ashamed of her tears because she was going through a difficult situation.
Have you been able to stand with others who have been afraid?
What do our tears say? Have you taken time to see the tears of someone in the crowd lately?
My visits as a chaplain to the Creekside Retirement Home in the city in which I live were always enjoyable. I would meet many of those elderly people that our society often carefully hides. Though amid the town, their tears can be unseen. While visiting them, I would often see their tears, and my heart would go out to them. I remember one afternoon as I was sitting with an older woman of 90 years of age, and as she was sharing about the death of her son some years ago, her eyes filled up. I drew my chair closer to her, looked at her, and could feel the pain that was still there. We stood silent for some time. Then we prayed together. It was a sacred moment for me. Tears of a mother don’t dry even after years have passed by. I understood that day that the tears of a hurting soul need to be seen.
I See You
Jesus saw a woman crying: He stopped for her, stood with her, and stood for her. He stopped everything for this woman and stood with her in all that she was going through and was afraid of after losing her only son. He saw how lonely she might have felt even in the crowd and didn’t want her to be ignored. So, he walked towards and with her. He knew a person in pain, fear, and hurt needs the presence of someone who can stand with the person to show that they are not alone, and they don’t have to walk this journey alone. Sometimes even amid a crowd, people need to know that they are not alone.
Are you feeling lonely these days? Have you been able to stand with others who have been afraid?
Being involved in student ministry, I often missed seeing the kids who I think come from privileged homes. I didn’t understand why a young man, or a girl, should create such drama when they have everything that money could buy and have parents who can afford to meet all their whimsical needs. Until I started spending more time with them, heard their cries, and saw them being lonely, afraid, and ashamed. Being present with them and hearing their stories helped me to see that, even though we can be surrounded with things, yet our hearts can be so empty. That day outside the city of Nain, Jesus saw the woman. By His presence He was telling her, “we are going to face this together.”
That day outside the city of Nain, Jesus saw the woman. By His presence He was telling her, “we are going to face this together.”
I See God
Jesus saw the widow who was crying and told her “Don’t cry” because he was showing her what God was seeing. Jesus was telling her even though her situation seemed tragic, God was on her side. The pain of the tragedy didn’t define her, but the God who saw her and who held past, present and the future was able to help her and do good things for her. And finally, Jesus was saying death didn’t have the final word because Jesus was going to conquer death—He had come to give eternal life to all those who believe in him. He provides us with a hope that is bigger than any situation that we face on this earth.
What are your fears? Do you have hope?
Jesus said, “I have come that you may have life and life abundantly.”
