Saturday, February 9: Luke 7- .

I was torn whether to spend my extended time with the story of the Centurion or the widow of Nain? The thought came to me, “Maybe it was the intersection of both.”

The two people Jesus helped were very different. The Centurion was an important man with servants and the widow was near the bottom of the social ladder. A widow with no son puts her in an incredibly vulnerable position.

Jesus apparently saw the need and was not particularly interested in station of life. In the Centurion, it is clear that Jesus saw faith. Luke makes this clear; from the voices advocating for the Centurion to his absolute faith in Jesus, his account is one of faith... faith rewarded by Jesus’ healing of this servant. The Centurion also stands as a witness against Israel since his depth of faith could not be found in all of Israel (see verse 9). 

The woman on the other hand had no one advocating for her. She was utterly alone. And yet Jesus saw her pain and stepped in. She never asked for help... likely a woman would not approach Jesus. Touched by her pain and loss Jesus heals her son in a dramatic manner. The result was not only the son’s resurrection but also the people praising God!

As dramatic and theologically rich as both of these stories are, at their base is Jesus helping a person in need. It didn’t matter to him if the person was wealthy, successful or not. It didn’t matter if the person was male or female. It didn’t matter if the person was Jew or Gentile. Jesus saw a need and blessed the people involved.

Jesus cares for people...

Jesus cares for you and me. What a wonderful thought on the eve of Sunday. Pondering this is a tremendous way to prepare for worship tomorrow!

Lord, as You cared for the Widow of Nain and the Centurion, You care for me. I am so blessed to be Your Son and disciple. Praise You, Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit. Amen and amen.

 

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