NL 325: Raising the Widow’s Son - Luke 7:1-17
image: “Raising of the son of the widow of Nain” by Wilhelm Kotarbiński (wikimedia)
February 7, 2021
Luke 7:1-17
Initial Thoughts
Narrative Lectionary skips the Sermon on the Plain, which includes the beatitudes, curses, and other similar teaching to that of Matthew 5-6.
“Here, as elsewhere, Luke pairs a story about a man with another about a woman. The purpose of these two stories presented back-to-back is to stress the unique authority of Jesus” (Justo Gonzalez, p. 96)
“The juxtaposition of these stories whos that the common notion that miracles are necessarily connected to faith is not correct (Gonzelez, p. 97)
Bible Study
Centurion (also found in Matthew 8:5-13 & John 4:46-53)
Two foci: Faith and Healing
Centurion - Roman (although may have been working for Herod Antipas), either way he was a Gentile
Centurion's focus is constantly outward- Like the sermon on the plain!
For the Jews - built a Synagogue
For his Servant - asks the help of a Jew, Jesus
For Jesus - does not want Jesus to get in trouble with the Jewish authorities
A Question of worthiness
Centurion is diplomatic
Tensions between Gentiles and Jews- Gentile's house would have been unclean
Concern for Jesus' relationship with Jews
“The powerful and respected centurion rightly sees in the lowly Jesus a power greater than his own. For that insight he is praised. The periscope is reminiscent of slave stories that narrated the complex relationships between slaves and their masters...instances when an infirm master depended upon a healthy and knowledgeable slave, class dynamics succumbed to human frailty.” Stephanie Buckhanon Crowder, True to Our Native Land, p.167
Crosses boundaries (geopolitical, socio-economic, religious)
Faith is alive in the context of community - community is defined by relationship not by economics, political or religious lines
God’s power, not Jesus
Centurion draws a parallel between himself and Jesus
Jesus is under God’s authority, but also has authority
First human to truly recognize Jesus as one filled with God’s authority
Love is central
v. 5 agape (don’t read too much into this)
Centurion recognizes that unlimited nature of God’s power before any of the disciples - source of authority
He understood power- in relationship, in love, and what authority
Salvation through faithful action instead of proclaiming Jesus as savior
"The Lord created us in His image and likeness, and we are the image of the Lord, and He does good and all of us have this commandment at heart: do good and do not do evil. All of us. ‘But, Father, this is not Catholic! He cannot do good.’ Yes, he can... "The Lord has redeemed all of us, all of us, with the Blood of Christ: all of us, not just Catholics. Everyone! ‘Father, the atheists?’ Even the atheists. Everyone!".. We must meet one another doing good. ‘But I don’t believe, Father, I am an atheist!’ But do good: we will meet one another there.” Pope Francis’ sermon
Healing by Jesus
Not dependent on his physical presence - only on faith
Authority to command the natural world
Ability to speak to those and to act for those who are not physically present to him
Fulfills the Centurion's request, even though he never meets the Centurion
He heals without being physically present
Widow’s Son
Elijah (1 Kings 17:17-24)
“Luke does not bring 1 Kings 17 to the reader's’ attention; it remains beneath the surface, and if the reader does not know the Old Testament, the Elijah story will not come to mind at all. What, then, is Luke doing?” (Fred Craddock, Interpretation:Luke, p. 96).
Imitation - our modern values of plagiarism and originality need not apply.
Continuity - readers would be at home in this story, find it familiar and safe.
Comparison - Jesus was indeed a great prophet, and can be favorably compared to even the greatest prophet, Elijah.
Jesus just referred to this story a couple week ago after his sermon in Nazareth (Luke 4:26)
Act of Jesus
Not asked to do anything - Jesus takes the initiative here (different from the preceding story)
Begins with seeing the woman, and having compassion.
“The object of his compassion is the mother. His total attention is on this woman who is a widow and whose only son, her sole means of support as well as being her whole family, is dead… Jesus’ whole attention is on the woman.” (Fred Craddock, Interpretation:Luke, p. 96)
“Compassion is a quality which calls us to become partners with God in effecting creative transformation in our world.” (David Grant Smith, Process and Faith)
His words to her are, “Don’t cry.”
“In his cultural context, the most vulnerable people were women who had no male relative to care for them. Her weeping would have been only in part out of grief for the loss of her son, but it was also for the stark reality which faced her in a society in which the only way for a woman to make a living for herself was through begging and/or prostitution.” (David Grant Smith, Process and Faith)
Touches the stretcher.
Jesus further placed himself into solidarity with this woman by physically touching the funeral bier on which the dead man had been placed. Again, looking at the cultural context, to touch a dead person or to carry a corpse would place someone into an “unclean” status for religious purposes -- that individual would not be considered part of the community until after a specified time of purification had passed. Jesus was willing to put himself into the circle of those who would be treated as outcasts for having ministered to the needs of a family who had experienced death. (David Grant Smith, Process and Faith)
Says to the body, “Young man, get up.”
“Jesus acts without drama, ritual, or even prayer. The same word of Jesus that from a distance healed a centurion’s slave here has the power to raise the dead” (Craddock, p. 97)
“He gave him to his mother.”
Exact quotation of from the Septuagint of 1 Kings 17:23.
Response of crowd
Awestruck - Fear and praise.
“A great prophet has appeared among us.” Much like Elijah, of whom this story is clearly meant to remind.
Great Prophet - no small praise. This is not minimizing, or even misinterpreting Jesus. He is a great prophet.
An important part of Luke’s Christology is his portrayal of Jesus as prophet. Jesus himself refers to his prophetic role more than once (Luke 4:24; 13:33), and the two disciples on the road to Emmaus affirm that Jesus was a “prophet mighty in word and deed” (24:19; see also 7:39). Luke “unmistakably identifies Jesus as the prophetic Messiah.”” (Jeanine Brown, Working Preacher)
The crowd is connecting Jesus to earlier great prophets Elijah (1 Kings 17:17-24) and Elisha (2 Kings 4:32-37)
Appeared among us
some translations say ‘arisen among us,’ which could be foreshadowing to resurrection.
In Luke, whenever the Lord is among us, it is a sign of grace and mercy.
Word spread throughout Judea - this is an expanding sphere of influence, sets up next passage, in which John the Baptist has heard of Jesus, too.
Similarities and difference between these two stories
In the first story the healing is brought about by the faith of the Centurion, in the second story the resurrection is brought about by the compassion of Jesus
In the first story Jesus is approached and asked for help by messengers of the Centurion, in the second Jesus approaches
In both stories Jesus is prepared to violate the cleanliness laws in order to bring about healing. He is prevented in the first story from entering the gentile home which may have made him unclean, but does in the second when he touches the funeral bier.
In this first story - his power reaches even to the representatives of Rome, in the second his power reaches throughout Judea, “These two, Rome and Judea, will be the powers he will have to confront at the end, and will bring about his crucifixion.” Justo Gonzalez, Belief Commentary: Luke, p.98
Thoughts and Questions
What is central to faith? Vocal declaration of Jesus as Lord and Savior or living the sermon on the plain/mount? Luke 8:21- the family of Jesus are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.
How much time to we focus on orthodoxy and how much on orthopraxis
The Centurion is community focused- not only on his own community but those who are around him: the Jews, his slaves, etc. In what ways are we connecting with our local community in mutual mission?
The Centurion is acting as an advocate for the his slave- he is using his place of power to speak up for the powerless- how might we as pastors and as the church do the same? Would the centurion’s merciful and prophetic plea have been heard if he had not first built up love and relationship within the community?
Gets to our concept of chosenness or salvation. What does it mean to be chosen?
When Jesus had compassion for the women, it was not just “feeling sorry for her.” His compassion pushed him into her world. He entered her pain, her grief, and even the death of the young man. When he entered into it fully, then he was able to respond with a transforming word. Charity comes from feeling sorry for someone, and may provide a brief reprieve from pain. Transformation only takes place when we enter into the pain of another.
“We may not be called on in our daily living to resuscitate someone from death or life-threatening conditions. But we are called upon daily to live in solidarity with those whose life circumstances are more vulnerable than our own, and to help make their lives better in some way. To pray for the discernment to see things that way, and to act accordingly, is at the center of embodying compassion, and being a partner with God in the ongoing work of creative transformation.” (David Grant Smith, Process and Faith)
Who are those that are crying in the margins today? Who are the ones who are grieving, and hopeless? It was Jesus transforming word with the crying mother who forced the people to declare he was the messianic prophet. Where is the Church’s transforming word? Are we doing charity because we feel sorry, or are we transforming lives because of our compassion?
Opening music: Misirlou, One Man 90 Instruments by Joe Penna/MysteryGuitarMan at MIM
Closing Song by Bryan Odeen