“Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went along with him. As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out—the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, ‘Don’t cry.’ Then he went up and touched the bier they were carrying him on, and the bearers stood still. He said, ‘Young man, I say to you, get up!’ The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.” (Luke 7:11-15)
Two large crowds collide in this story. One crowd is led by a corpse and behind it people are mourning. Another crowd is led by Jesus Christ and behind Him people are redeemed. Just outside the city gate of the town called Nain, the two crowds collide.
But what is the outcome? A battle? No. With Christ at the head, a miracle takes place. Moved only by His compassion for a broken-hearted and destitute widow, Jesus touches the leader of the crowd opposing Him – and raises him from the dead. Instantly, the crowd changes direction. Instead of heading to the cemetery, they turn about and also begin to follow Jesus. Instead of mourning, they now begin to celebrate.
Jesus needs to be at the forefront of everything we do. Our political leanings are secondary. Our race, gender, and ethnicity are irrelevant. They should never be placed out front. Jesus Christ and His redemption must always be the spearhead. Only Jesus can heal broken hearts and bodies. Only Jesus can get to the root of the problem and fix it. Anything else will be counter-productive and self-defeating.
How do we ensure that Jesus is at the forefront of our lives, our church, and all our efforts? We place Him there by following His example. We respond with compassion, love and healing – as He did. Instead of fighting enemies, we bless them and make them our friends.
We place Jesus at the forefront by realizing we are in a spiritual conflict – and rely on His power to help us. We’re in a spiritual battle, rather than a political, cultural, or physical one. Yes, when our opponents are belligerent, obnoxious, and offensive, we will be provoked to retaliate. But to do so will defeat us. We can only conquer hate with love, lies with the truth of the Gospel, and fear with faith. And only the Holy Spirit can empower and motivate us to do this – to follow Christ’s example and pray for God to save and redeem our enemies.
REFLECTION
- Do you find yourself “stewing” over politics and situations at work or home?
- Jesus won a stunning victory by His healing and resurrection power. Isn’t it best to follow Jesus’ example and pray for strength to love and bless your enemies?
- Let’s get behind Jesus and follow Him. Let Him be the remedy to our problems.
