Luke 7:11-17 Soon afterwards [Jesus] went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went with him. As he approached the gate of the town, a man who had died was being carried out. He was his mother’s only son, and she was a widow; and with her was a large crowd from the town. When the Lord saw her, he had compassion for her and said to her, “Do not weep.” Then he came forward and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, “Young man, I say to you, rise!” The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. Fear seized all of them; and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has risen among us!” and “God has looked favorably on his people!” This word about him spread throughout Judea and all the surrounding country.
Not preaching on this text on Sunday - but I will have to work with it a bit this week.
I like this line, which I probably stole from somebody - one of you? I used it to open a sermon on this text a few years ago. . .
"Tell me, do you think that Jesus raised this young man from the dead so that he could go on with the same old life?"
A good question.
I wonder at what the dead man talked about. . . certainly not being dead. Certainly not about how being dead wasn't that bad. . .
I do wonder though.
I wonder at what the dead man talked about. . . certainly not being dead. Certainly not about how being dead wasn't that bad. . .
I do wonder though.
I closed the sermon with another good question. . .
"So, tell me what you think. Did Christ raise you from the dead so that you could live the same old life? No, that really isn't possible, is it?"
to that we might say “amen”
2 comments:
I am struck by the confrontation of processions. The death march moving away from town as the procession Jesus (life) comes in to town. The violence and oppression of the march of law, unbearable law, is stopped by the seemingly simply word of resurrection and his touch.
From a listserve I'm on:
"He is God overruling death with resurrection, God’s judgment on sinners with God’s mercy. Lest we think this contravention of God comes cheaply or easily, we need to remember that it comes through the cross. In the cross Christ embattles not only the reality of human sin, not only the fact of death, but the very law of God that justly puts sinners to death."
This play on opposing marches might be fun to work out.
I wonder if "confrontation" is the right term here. It seems more like, two ships passing in the night, or maybe - two parades heading in opposite directions...
Does that really change what you've said though?
What a thing to contend, that the cross battles the law.
As my 8 year old would say hnnnnn?
The cross may well do that. It surely contends with the laws that WE like to hold so dear. . .
fun to consider. . .
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