Love that leads to Resurrection

Luke 7:13a -And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her,

In our Gospel reading this week Jesus saw a woman mourning her adult son who had just died.  Not only did she have the grief of outliving her only child, she herself was a widow and now she had no one to take care of her as she aged.  This is when Jesus saw her and had compassion – He loved her.

and said unto her, Weep not. And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise. And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. (Luke 7:13b-15)

What is the result of being on the receiving end of God’s love?  Resurrection.

We have the literal resurrection here, but the resurrection of your own life comes as you bask and meditate on his love.  He bids us to come into his presence to know and to experience this love.  When this happens God touches us in places that go deeper than our circumstances and trials; deeper than our broken relationships and our hurts.

One of the most profound truths that you could meditate on for the rest of your life is that God is love.  Not that God DOES love, but that he IS love.

There are a lot of words that could describe God and his character: Faithfulness, Justice, Joyfulness, Peace.  These, however, seem to me to each be a subset of Love.

That is why even when scripture lists Faith, Hope, Love, it quickly follows up with “but the greatest of these is LOVE”. (1 Cor 13:13).  These other words and phrases just don’t cover all that God’s character is and how he treats us the world, and Himself.

When Jesus had compassion, or love, for the woman whose son had died, he brought resurrection to her life.  He can do this for you too.  It may not be a literal resurrection, but he can resurrect your marriage, your attitude, your prayer life, your children’s goals and purpose, or day to day experience.

Sometimes we have to go to him with pleading.  We see this in the example of the Centurion just before this story in Luke 7.  Scripture says the centurion came and they “pleaded with him earnestly” (Luke 7:4).  We sometimes have to do the same.  ‘Knock and keep on knocking’ and the door will be opened unto you (Matthew 7:7).

Other times it’s simply God moving into your space when you least expect it.  This was the case of the widow.  Her son was coming out in a bier, or a bed, before being buried.  It was right at the last minute, but Jesus stepped in.

Jesus can do that today for you as well.  Trust and move close to him, no matter your circumstance, and watch him bring Resurrection to your life.

Blessings and peace,

Rev. Todd