Luke 7:11–35

Find a quiet place, alone and apart from distractions. Be comfortably alert, still, and at peace. Say the Lord’s Prayer. Sing the Jesus Prayer. Pray for family, friends, neighbors, and yourself. Slowly and carefully read the passage.

1.   Here is one of three accounts of a resurrection. The other two are Jairus’ daughter and Lazarus. In 1 and 2 Kings are accounts of resurrections as well with both Elijah and Elisha.

2.   In our passage Jesus and His disciples come across a large funeral procession. A young man is dead, an only son, and his mother is also a widow.

3.   When Jesus saw the mother, he had “compassion” on her. He approached the “bier” (a wooden plank) touched it and the dead man sat up. This event stunned the onlookers and exclaimed, “a great prophet has arisen among us.”

4.   The disciples of John the Baptist, who is now in a Roman prison, reported this resurrection to John. John then sends two of his own disciples to Jesus to ask Him if He is the “one who is to come” meaning, are you the Messiah prophesied in the Scripture?

5.   Jesus, at that time is healing many people of diseases and plagues, casting out evil spirits, and giving sight to the blind. He tells John’s disciples to tell John what they have seen and heard. That should be enough for John to know who Jesus is. He concludes this by saying, “blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”

6.   John, it is thought, may have wondered because here he was in prison and Jesus has just healed a centurion’s servant, thus treating Romans well.

7.   Jesus points out that John was misunderstood and mistreated, a austere man, living in the desert, and now Jesus just the opposite, accused of being a drunk and a glutton, even a friend of tax collectors and sinners.

8.   Jesus concludes this event by saying, “Wisdom is justified by all her children,” and few there be who understands what He meant.