Compassion (10.09.2005)

Read about The Widow of Nain – Luke 7:11-17

THE SETTING

Location

• "Nain" sounds like Hebrew word for pleasant – Jacob's promise to his son Issachar (the tribe that settled in that region) is that "he sees how pleasant is his land" (Genesis 49:14,15)
• Located on the southern side of a hill overlooking the valley of Jezreel

Time

• About 6:00 pm since funerals were usually in early evening, and a journey from Capernaum would put Jesus in Nain in the early evening

Crowds

• In Greek, the funeral crowd is called "considerable." Nain had a population of about 300 to 500 at the time and all were expected to come.
• In Greek, Jesus’ crowd is called "a great multitude." The same language is used of the crowd at the feeding of the 5,000.

Keep this picture in mind as we look at how Jesus showed love and compassion for the widow: two large crowds were merging together as the funeral procession was leaving the city gates and Jesus' followers were heading toward the city gates. There were thousands of people and emotions were probably high on both sides as those with the widow felt sorrow and those with Jesus felt excitement as they followed Him all the way from Capernaum.

LOVING LIKE JESUS

Looking (v.13 – "When the Lord saw her ...")

• In the midst of that crowd, Jesus recognized the widow in her time of need. He was not distracted by His surroundings, and He did not disengage even though He was likely very tired from His journey and needed some rest.
• Before we can show compassion toward others, we must be aware of them and their needs. How easy it is to look past people when focused on other things or on our own needs!

Compassion (v. 13 – "... his heart went out to her ...")

• "Compassion" – deep awareness of the suffering of another coupled with the wish to relieve it (American Heritage Dictionary)
• What exactly was this widow suffering? Besides the loss of a child (which would be suffering enough), this 1st century widow is facing a life of great uncertainty. Without a husband or a son, she will have little or no support to sustain her. The loss of an only son was seen as particularly tragic in that time -- so much so that the destruction of all of Jerusalem was worthy of the same wailing (Jeremiah 6:25-26). On top of that, at that time, the death of an only son was often seen as punishment for the sins of the mother. So while she is sorrowful for the loss of her child and fearful of her future, she may also have felt some degree of shame or guilt. Needless to say, the widow was in a world of hurt.
• Table Talk: When have you truly felt compassion toward others? Examples given in class included Operation Compassion (helping Katrina evacuees), the Houston Project, mission trips to other countries, reaching out to students after the death of a teacher, and others.

Comfort (v. 13 – "... and he said, 'Do not cry.'")

• Today's culture tends to discourage people from telling others how they should feel about situations in which they find themselves. The assumption is that everybody is free to feel how they want to feel.
• In this case, however, Jesus is telling her not to cry based on certain expectations, not wishful thinking. (Those are words that Pastor Gregg used later that night in the 6:30 pm message. I assume he won't mind my using them here, too!) Jesus knows what is just about to happen -- He is about to bring her son back to life. There is no need to cry, and He knows it.
• When we as believers extend comfort to others, we do so with the authority and certainty of God's Word and His promises. And the presence of the Holy Spirit -- the Great Comforter -- is with us, too. We extend comfort knowing without a doubt that things will be OK. There is no need to cry.

Helping (v.14)

• It is often said that people with little power often overstate their power, and those with much power often understate their power. With a simple understated touch of the coffin, Jesus stopped the funeral procession and went about helping the widow by bringing her son back to life. His power and authority were real, and He used them to meet her needs.

Focusing On The Person (v.15)

• After bringing the son back to life, Jesus presents the son to the widow. Why? Because Jesus' focus was not on the act itself -- the miracle of raising a person from the dead. Rather, His focus was on the widow -- just like it was from the moment He saw her in the funeral procession. He could have brought the son back to life and walked away, knowing that the mother and son would be reunited amidst the amazed onlookers in the crowd. But that is not His style. At the heart of His ministry were the people in need -- not the acts of service themselves -- as the following diagram illustrates:

This overall process of how Jesus loved others is evident in the overall story of the Gospel, too. God looked and saw a world in need of a Savior. His compassionate heart went out to us as He sent His only Son. Throughout His ministry, Jesus comforts us knowing that the Cross is not too far away -- that the Messiah the world has been looking for is here. Through His death on the Cross, He helps us in our need for salvation, paying the price for our sins. ("He helps us ..." -- talk about an understatement!) And now, He continues to focus on the people -- knowing each one of us by name.

PRAYING GOD'S WORD
Use the following passages to pray God’s Word back to Him, either on your own or with others:

• May all of us in the Real Deal, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. (1 Peter 3:8)

• This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. In your hearts do not think evil of each other.' (Zechariah 7:8-10)

• The King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' (Matthew 25:34-36)

BEING THE REAL DEAL
Here are some ways to apply this message from God’s Word:

• Ask God to open your eyes and show you those around you who are in need and how you can best show compassion toward them (family members, co-workers, neighbors, friends, etc.)

• Sign up to volunteer with an organization that helps people you otherwise would not have much interaction with (elderly, homeless, HIV/AIDS patients, children, etc.)

• When watching the news, ask God to give you fresh eyes and a fresh heart toward people who are suffering around the world; ask God to enable you to see them as His beloved creations