Reading: Luke 7 : 11-17 | The Raising of the Widow’s Son at Nain
As we come to celebrate the Feast of All Souls, we turn to one of the most tender passages in Luke’s Gospel – the raising of the widow’s son at Nain. It is a story of compassion, divine power, and hope beyond grief.
“Don’t Cry” – Words of Divine Compassion
Luke tells us that Jesus encountered a funeral procession:
“He was near the gate of the town when a dead man was being carried out – the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. When the Lord saw her, he felt sorry for her and said, ‘Don’t cry.’ Then he went up and touched the bier … and said, ‘Young man, I tell you, get up.’ The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him to his mother.”
Those two small words – “Don’t cry” – capture for me the heart of Jesus. In them I hear both His humanity and His divinity. He could have performed the miracle silently, relying solely on divine authority. Instead, He speaks with personal tenderness first. His compassion precedes His power.
Love That Urges Us to Act
Luke has a particular concern for the disadvantaged and the forgotten – and widows, in his time, were among the most vulnerable. Jesus’ compassion here mirrors the same divine love we see in the parable of the Good Samaritan and in the father who runs to embrace his prodigal son. In each case, love moves outward; it does not simply respond to emotion but acts decisively.
That distinction speaks to me deeply. True Christian love does not wait to be “drawn” to people we naturally like or find easy to help. Rather, it urges us toward those who need us most – even when compassion requires courage or inconvenience.
Signs of the Messiah
This miracle also reveals who Jesus is. Both Elijah and Elisha raised the dead in the Old Testament, and the crowd’s reaction – “A great prophet has been raised up among us; God has visited His people” – places Jesus firmly in that prophetic line. Yet His actions go further: they fulfil the messianic signs foretold by Isaiah, confirming that in Him, God’s kingdom of life has broken into human history.
Immediately after this scene, John the Baptist’s disciples ask, “Are you the one who is to come?” Jesus answers, “Go back and tell John what you have seen and heard … the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.”
Hope Beyond Death
For me, this Gospel is filled with hope in the midst of loss. The widow’s grief becomes an encounter with life. It reminds me that even in death, God’s love continues to act. We are people of resurrection, not despair. The Feast of All Souls invites us to hold both sorrow and hope – to remember our loved ones who have died, trusting that life with God does not end but is transformed.
Living the Message
This week, I will reflect on whether my love is reactive or responsive to God’s urging.
- Am I drawn only to those I find easy to love?
- Or do I allow God’s Spirit to urge me toward those who most need compassion?
And in moments of sadness, can I hear Jesus’ quiet words to me – “Don’t cry” – reminding me that His presence is both humanly tender and divinely powerful?
Prayer for the Feast of All Souls
Listen kindly to our prayers, O Lord.
As our faith in your Son, raised from the dead, is deepened,
so may our hope of resurrection for your departed servants find new strength.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
by Bishop David Walker