A woman from the town of Nain has sorrow heaped upon sorrow. First, her husband dies. Then her only son perishes. At that time, the culture dismisses a woman without a male in her families, such as a husband or son.
This woman’s future is indeed bleak.
During the funeral procession for her boy, a large crowd follows along, mourning with her and sharing in her grief.
Jesus comes up to the group, and his heart goes out to the woman. He touches the coffin. The pallbearers stop. Jesus speaks to the dead boy, “Son, get up.” The lad sits up and starts talking. Jesus gives him back to his mom.
Jesus doesn’t act because of the woman’s faith or at her request. He acts because he has compassion for her and her loss. Jesus raises her son from the dead. He performs a miracle for this woman’s benefit, in her best interest.
Though Jesus didn’t raise every dead person during his time on earth, he did raise some.
Do we believe Jesus is able to do amazing things for us today?
[Discover more about the widow from Nain in Luke 7:11–17.]
Learn about other biblical women in Women of the Bible, available in audiobook, e-book, paperback, and hardcover.
A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.
