Thursday 26 November 2015

Daily Reading: Luke 7v11-17 'Reaching the wrong conclusion'

The passage is staggering isn't it.  Just stop and picture the scene for a minute or two.  There's the noise; wailing and weeping.  The faces you can see with tears, strain and grief etched on every one.  There is the weight of loss and the finality of death; the death of a loved one, the death of relationships, the death of hopes and dreams.  Don't rush past it, sit for a minute and imagine the scene, the rawness of the emotions, the utterly hopelessness.

It is only as we do so that we really see the wonder of what Jesus does here.  Because into it all walks Jesus, he sees the grieving mother and his heart goes out to her.  The Son of God is moved by the plight of this mother in her loss and grief.  But he is not moved as you and I would be moved, he is moved to act, to bring life where there is death, to bring joy where there is grief, to bring hope where there is only despair.  Because he is God the Son.

It is only as we picture the scene and feel the emotions that we will react as the crowd does, filled with awe and praised God.  But unlike the crowd who get their response both right - the awe and praise - and wrong - in their conclusion that he is a prophet - we know that Jesus is so much more than just a prophet.  Truly and in the most amazing, mind blowing way possible "God has come to help his people."  But by doing far more than raising one widows son amazing though that is.  His actions here give us a glimpse into the heart and purposes of God, whose heart goes out to us and who is moved to act to conquer death.  This scene gives us a glimpse in microcosm of what God in Christ has done for us, it allows us to glimpse the wonder of his Kingdom, where sin and death are no more.  No pain, suffering, loss, grief, tears, where a relationship is never cut short.

What difference does it make?  God cares, as we go about our day, as we face loss, suffering, grief God cares.  He is not distant and indifferent but watching and concerned.  He is not inactive he has already won and secure the victory, we live as his people waiting for his return trusting day by day, minute by minute in his care and concern for us.  That one day just as with the mother he wiped away her tears he will do the same for us not temporarily but permanently and it will all be worth it.

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