1-3-2014

Good Morning to All,

    Luke 7:15; “And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother.”

    This verse is from one of the more touching stories in the Bible.  It is from the story of the widow from the town of Nain.  She was a widow and she was in the process of burying her only son.  This was not only an emotionally destructive event; it was also an economically destructive event.  It was most likely that any property that her husband had left to her son would now go to the brother of her dead husband.  So unless he was willing to share, she was out of luck and out in the cold.  So with the death of her son, she was completely destroyed.  She had no future; she was isolated from everything she had that would support her.  Everything that she counted on was gone.

    As the funeral procession was going out of town, Jesus and his disciples were coming into town.  The two groups met and Jesus had compassion on the widow.  He restored the young man to life and gave him back to the widow.  He gave the man life and he gave the widow hope.  He had compassion and gave life and hope.  There is a lot to draw from this story but for today let’s look at it this way.

    As most of us read the stories of the Bible, we like to figure out who we would be in the story.  I’d like you to be the dead man for a moment.  That is what we are.  We are dead in sin.  We suffer from the torment of sin and we have no future for we are truly dead.  Yet Jesus, through his death and resurrection gives us life.  He gives us salvation.  We now have eternal life and the grace that He gives us to live.

   Yet too often we stop there.  Too often, we think, “I’m saved” and then we turn and walk away.  Yet we should remember that as Jesus gave the man his life back, Jesus also gave him back to his mother.  We should see this as part of our calling as Christians.  Jesus gave the man life and then gave him back to his mother; presumably for him to continue to care for her.  Jesus didn’t just free the man from death; he freed the man from death and then gave him a purpose.  Jesus gives us life but he also gives us a purpose.

   He leaves us in this world for a while, for a purpose.  We are to show, share, and be his love in this world.  He empowers us to be his hands, his arms, his voice in this broken and sin filled world.  He wants us to be active in this world.  We know all the phrases; “Be witnesses”; “love one another”; “the least of these my brethren”  We know that Jesus has given us life but do we remember that he gives us back to the world for a while?  Do we remember we are to be the light in this world?  So as you begin this New Year, remember that you were given back to make a difference as well.

Father of grace, lead us to be your light in this world.  Keep us mindful that we are to be about your business as we wait for our eternal glory.  Use us to reach out to those who are suffering the most.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret