An Eternity to Smile

Luke 7:11–17

“Now it happened, the day after, that Jesus went into a city called Nain; and many of His disciples went with Him, and a large crowd. And when He came near the gate of the city, behold, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother; and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the city was with her. When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, ‘Do not weep.’ Then He came and touched the open coffin, and those who carried him stood still. And He said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.’ So he who was dead sat up and began to speak. And He presented him to his mother. Then fear came upon all, and they glorified God, saying, ‘A great prophet has risen up among us;’ and, ‘God has visited His people.’ And this report about Him went throughout all Judea and all the surrounding region.”

The Sorrow of Death

In this passage, we are given a picture of the great compassion that our Lord Jesus has for His people, as well as His great power over His enemies, the greatest of them being death. And in this story, His compassion and power are put on display, magnified, and seen all the brighter because they are contrasted with such an awful circumstance.

The story begins with Jesus encountering a funeral procession at the gates of the city. This was surely not an uncommon commotion, but we are provided two details that make this funeral stand out as all the more sorrowful. First, we read that this dead man was the only son of the mother who accompanied his coffin. Second, we learn that this woman was a widow as well, she had already lost her husband. The implication being that she is now quite alone in the world, having lost not only her only son but likewise her primary support. 

All death is sorrowful. All death is painful for those who are left with empty chairs where their loved ones once sat. But when death arrives early, when death is what we call from our perspective “untimely”—there is an extra ache in our hearts because it is a painful reminder that something is very wrong here. 

We are gathered here because this child not yet born has already fallen asleep. Death has entered where there was meant to be life and growth. And it is not unbelief or wrong to know deep down that this isn’t right, that our world has been broken under the curse of sin. 

Christ’s Compassion

But in the deepest darkness, the love of Christ shines all the brighter. When Jesus saw the woman weeping, we read that He was moved with compassion for her. The word here for compassion in the original language metaphorically refers to his organs or inward parts—literally meaning that in his innermost being He was moved. He felt the pity and sorrow in His gut. 

Our Lord is not stoic or indifferent to the suffering of His people. He is moved at the sight of our pain. But notice the direction in which He is moved. He does not flinch or turn aside. But rather, He pursues and comes close. In this story, Jesus takes the initiative. Luke does not say that the woman saw him or sought him out. He is not asked for. Rather, Jesus took notice of her and took action. He moved towards her and entered her story, to the point of even touching the coffin containing her son—an action that would have made him unclean according to Jewish law (Num. 19:11). 

Likewise, right now in this very moment, we know that Jesus is ever-closer. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and His compassion for His people never wanes. As Lamentations 3:32 says, “Though He causes grief, yet He will show compassion according to the multitude of His mercies.” How much compassion will our Lord show? How long will He extend His comfort to you? It says as much as “the multitude of His mercies”—which is another way of saying forever, for His mercies are new every morning (Lam. 3:23). 

Christ’s Power & Promise

Now, Jesus does not merely tell the woman, “Do not weep,” and then moves on in His journey. His words to her regarding her tears were not callous instructions, but an invitation to watch and believe. For He then immediately commanded her dead son to arise—and he did. And so here we see Christ’s great power alongside His compassion, that in His very Word there is authority over death. This story then points us to Christ’s promise, that all who die in Him will one day be raised to life everlasting. 

Your beloved child was only with you here briefly. You never saw their radiant smile, heard their beautiful voice, or enjoyed their personality. But the reason why you can have hope even in your sorrow today is because just as Jesus died and rose again, so too will this child be raised on that Last Day.

There is a time to weep, and even when the tears stop the ache will never leave. But we know that just as Christ turned to this mother and said, “Do not weep,” He will one day wipe every tear from your eyes Himself, and there will be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying, nor pain, for all will have been made right and new (Rev. 21:4). 

This child is not lost, but they have simply pressed on to their reward ahead of you. We do not know why, but we know the One who is good and works all things for good for those who love Him (Rom. 8:28). This then means for you, dear family, that just as the widow’s son was restored to her by Christ, so too will this child be restored to you. And you will have all eternity to smile with them, for our Lord is so very kind. 

In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.