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Exegetical Paper

Luke 7:11-17 – Jesus Raises a Widow’s Son

Many supernatural deeds are attributed to Jesus Christ in the Christian texts. Jesus is the son of God and is considered as a flesh having God inside Him. God gave the power of performing many acts that a normal human being is unable to perform. These acts of Jesus Christ are the miracles that he did for the help and assistance of humanity some way or the other. Resurrection, faith healings, forgiveness of sins, exorcisms, and control over nature are the major of his supernatural deeds.

Jesus did many miracles which helped the common people of the society. Raising a widow's son is a very important occasion on which a dead person is called back to life by Jesus in a town named Nain. It was a small village on the east of the Jezreel Valley. This farming village had just 189 people in total at that time, and now it has almost 1500 habitants. When Jesus, along with his companions, went to that town, he saw a funeral procession that was coming out. A widow's son had died. It was his funeral. A large crowd from the town was with her, and she was in a wrecked condition as she was spouseless and now childless as well. Jesus saw her condition, felt very sympathetic, and pity for her. He went and touched the coffin of the young man. He instructed the young man to come back to life and arise. The dead young man sat up and started talking. Jesus returned him back to his mother. All those who witnessed this were filled with joy and content. They praised the Lord and claimed that God has visited them. The whole country got this news about the miracle of Jesus CITATION Siz99 \l 1033 (Sizer).

This miracle depicts the compassion and power of the Lord. The primary purpose of Jesus's miracles was to glorify God. Hope is offered through this particular miracle. The woman had lost all her hope, as she had nobody left in her life. Jesus raised up her son and brought her hope back. This shows that the prayers of any individual do not go overlooked by God. It may take time, but someday we get them listened to and fulfilled. God cares for his men and listens to their prayers. It is demonstrated by Jesus that he has power over death, and he can do miracles. He does not need to go through any customs or long procedures for his supernatural deeds. He just says, and it happens. The people at the incident were amazed, and their amazement brought them close to God. They praised God and his blessings. Thanking God for his goodness can bring us in touch with his spirituality. The compassion of Jesus was so strong that it flowed life into a dead man. The difficulties in the path of life sometimes lead us to believe that we are being neglected by God and he is not noticing our prayers and desires but the woman of Nain is a perfect example of God's love for his men. The way Jesus reached out to the common people and helped them is an illustration of the glory of God CITATION Wil17 \l 1033 (Wilson).

The supernatural acts performed by Jesus tell how God is actively involved in all the matters of the world, whether those matters belong to some high profile person or a common person. The compassion of Jesus and the love of God both are real and are there to heal and restore humanity. The miracle of Jesus was a claim about Him and His teachings. It was evidence that Jesus is God in human flesh, and how does God respond to the human sufferings. It is a depiction of the love of God for us and the way He brings physical and spiritual healing to us. Upon seeing the woman's face full of tears and disappointment, Jesus felt her pain and healed her by bringing her son back to life. If Jesus had not done this, the future of the woman would be dark and blank. She would have been reduced to begging for food unless some relative would not have come for her aid. By raising her son back to life, Jesus not only lessens her pain but also restores her chances of surviving in the society. The stories of Elijah and Zarephath's widows came into the minds of the people as soon as they witnessed this miracle of Jesus. The miracles or supernatural deeds of Jesus Christ were not just random acts; they carried messages for the people of the world. The people soon dropped the idea that Jesus was a prophet and started giving reverence to the divinity of Jesus. They believed that Jesus is someone different, and He has God present in Him; he belongs to a succession of faith and is actively engaged in their lives.

The meaning that can be interpreted through this incident is that human beings have a strong relationship with the Creator. God shares a bond with humans in many different ways. He loves those who spend miserable and difficult lives as well as those who cope really well with the difficulties of their lives. God is a presence in our lives and is involved in our matters in some way or the other. Jesus, through his supernatural deeds, assures us that we should not be afraid and anxious because God is always with us, and He cares for us. People exclaimed, "A great prophet has appeared among us." This exclamation shows that the people were really happy to have a divine figure that would drag them out of their miseries and would share their pain to heal them. This miracle is an assurance that if someday God seems to be far away or distant, remember He is planning something great and glorious for us. The message carried in this miracle is believing the words of God when he instructs the humans to trust Him in every situation of life as He is always there to help and soothe the sorrowful hearts of the individuals. Another interpretation of this miracle can be the presence and involvement of humans in the times of sorrow of the others. We should try to seek opportunities for helping others and feeling compassionate for those who are in need. Gentleness and understanding are the two ways to relieve others from the pain they are going through. Many people in the world now a days are going through several conditions such as broken marriages, joblessness, hopelessness, anxiety and depression etc. The only thing one can do for them is trying to heal them and restore their faith so that they do not question or doubt the presence of God. We can counsel and support them to show some love and concern.

The miracles of Jesus Christ are the most glorious and significant events in the history of humankind. It tells that all humans are equal in God's eyes. He has the same love and care for both the rich and the less privileged people. God has instilled all of His qualities into man. Jesus was sent for the reformation of the humans, and every human should try to follow the footsteps of Jesus to create peace in society CITATION Obi14 \l 1033 (Obiorah).

Works Cited

BIBLIOGRAPHY Obiorah, Mary Jerome. "“Do Not Weep” (Luke 7: 13): In the Footstep." Open Journal of Philosophy 4 (2014): 207-215. <https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/e97c/111df215dee34fb0dd2551ca4f18476b4879.pdf>.

Sizer, Peter. THE WIDOW OF NAIN. November 1999. 27 September 2019. <http://www.orthodoxresearchinstitute.org/resources/sermons/sizer_widow_naian.html>.

Wilson, Keith J. In Times of Discouragement, Remember the Widow of Nain. 19 april 2017. 27 september 2019. <https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/liahona/2019/04/in-times-of-discouragement-remember-the-widow-of-nain?lang=eng>.