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. The only problem is
Jesus wasn't a prophet. They didn't really understand who Jesus was. But that
didn't stop Jesus from performing a miracle.
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Allen Michaels:
7 When Jesus had finished saying all this to
the people who were listening, he entered Capernaum. 2 There a
centurion’s servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die. This centurion seems to be a devout,
kind, humble man-yet, all the same he is a centurion-not only a Gentile,
but a Roman soldier, and an instrument of Israel's oppression. 3 The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him,
asking him to come and heal his servant. Apparently, the centurion did not think
himself worthy of a personal meeting with Jesus, and perhaps thought Jesus
would not want to meet with a Gentile like himself, so he sent Jewish
leaders as his representatives to Jesus. We don't need to have the centurion's
fear today. We don't need to send a representative to Jesus-we can come to Him
ourselves. 4 When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, “This man
deserves to have you do this, 5 because he loves our nation and
has built our synagogue.” 6 So Jesus went with them. Jesus did not hesitate to go to the
centurion's house, and we half wish the centurion would have allowed Him. Would
Jesus have entered a Gentile's house? It was completely against Jewish custom,
but not against God's law.
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. 7 That is why I did
not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my
servant will be healed. The centurion fully understands that Jesus' healing power
was not some sort of magic trick that required the magician's presence. Instead
he knew Jesus had true authority, and can command things to be done and
completed outside His immediate presence. The centurion shows great faith in
Jesus' word. He understands that Jesus can heal with His word just as
easily as with a touch. 8 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.” The centurion also shows great sensitivity to Jesus, in
that he wants to spare Jesus the awkward challenge of whether or not to enter a
Gentile's house-as well as the time and trouble of travel. He didn't know Jesus
well enough to know that He would feel awkward in the least; but his consideration
of Jesus in this situation is impressive.
9 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.” 10 Then
the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well. The centurion knew that Jesus had true
power from God, not magic that had to be used according to some ritualistic
formula.
(TODAY’S)
Jesus Raises a Widow’s Son
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. The loss of her only son means that there
is nothing in her future except a life of destitute poverty and misery. 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.” Why does Jesus tell her to stop crying?
There is nothing wrong for a mother to weep at the funeral of her son; but
Jesus is showing her that her sorrow will be turned to joy. Jesus' words of
compassion to the mother would have been cruel if He did not have the power to
back them up.
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!” Romans 4:17 shows that this is what God alone
does-speak to the dead as if they were alive. God, who gives life to the
dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did. Jesus
could speak to something dead and bring life to it. 15 The dead man sat up and began to talk,
and Jesus gave him back to his mother. We must remember that this boy was not
resurrected, but resuscitated--he rose from the dead only to die again. God
promises that we will be resurrected, and rise from the dead never to die
again.
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.
Jesus
had a strange habit of breaking up funeral processions by raising the dead,
such as Jarius' daughter (Luke 8:41-56) and Lazarus (John 11:1-45). Jesus didn't like
death, and He regarded it as an enemy that had to be defeated.
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Tuesday’s reading for Luke 7:18-23
20 When the men came to Jesus, they said, “John the Baptist sent us to you to ask, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?’”
21 At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind. 22 So he replied to the messengers, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy[a] are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. 23 Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.”
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