As a Hospice Chaplain I often officiated at funerals. I met about 150 new people each year, most of whom died. While I buried the young on occasion, most were up in years, many of whom had lost contact with a church or pastors. Some had moved to be close to family and never established a new connection. So I was the logical choice to do a funeral service.
I found out quite quickly that quirky things often happen at funerals. But as strange as some things I’ve experienced, I’ve never seen what took place in the town of Nain one day as Jesus was walking by. Luke 7:11-17 tells the story of Jesus and his disciples as they approached the town gate. He arrived just in time for the funeral. They were burying the only son of a widow.
Luke reports that when Jesus saw her, “his heart went out to her.” Then he touched the coffin and told the dead young man to “get up!” The dead came to life and started talking.
And with that, the funeral was over. The mourners were now rejoicing. The onlookers were filled with awe. Everyone was praising God. And He did all that without being asked!
When I get to glory, I want to ask this woman and her son what it was like when they went home that night, when they were first alone. What did they talk about? How did they feel? How did this one miracle change their lives? Did they follow Jesus after that? How did they feel when He was crucified?
They surely must have believed when they heard He was raised from the dead. If anyone believed that was possible, these two must have.
