Word to the Wise
Tuesday, September 18, 2007 - St. Juan Macias, O.P.
[1 Timothy 3:1-13 and Luke 7:11-17]As Jesus drew near to the gate of the city [Nain], a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. A large crowd from the city was with her. When the Lord saw her, he was moved with pity for her and said to her, "Do not weep." He stepped forward and touched the coffin; at this the bearers halted,and he said, "Young man, I tell you, arise!" The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother.
One wonders if Jesus was moved by the premonition that the situation unfolding before him at Nain would be very similar to his own soon - the deceased only son of a widowed mother! This lady would be truly lost because she would have no immediate male relative to "protect" her. Widows were regarded as truly vulnerable and needy persons. Her grief is not just at the loss of her son, it would also be concerned with what would happen to her next. Jesus would have known that as well as anyone else in the crowd. He spontaneously steps forward and does something typical for him. He disregards the taboo about touching anything on a dead person. ("Coffin" may be misleading here since burials in that day were in shrouds.) The widow's need is far greater. In fact, it is HER need, and not the dead man's, that is the center of the story. The gospel says that Jesus "gave him to his mother." There are a number of incidents in the gospels where Jesus does things spontaneously without asking about the state of a person's faith. He acts out of pity and also as a way of preaching the kingdom of God. It makes one wonder if we do the same? Perhaps we might draw more people to Christ if we took pity instead of first asking them whether or not they're Christian! Juan Macias was noted for his response to whomever came to the front door. All were welcomed and all were helped. AMEN
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