"A Dead Man Was Being Carried Out"--Then Jesus Came

"And when He came near the gate of the city, behold, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother and she was a widow.  And a large crowd from the city was with her."  (Luke 7:12, from Saturday's Gospel Reading)

She had lost her husband, now her son.  Jesus, however, set a precedent, life-in-Him-Reality here.  When people die, Jesus has the power to raise them to life.

I received news today of a man who died at the age of 62.  He was in a group I worked with back in 1972-73.  Yes, he was an early "member" of those young people who came to Jesus at the "height" of the Renewal.  He had so many physical ailments, but perhaps the worse was that he had a wife of 25 years who had turned her back on Jesus and him.  It is difficult to know how much suffering he endured in his life time.  

Suffering is so much a part of this life.  I could engage in theological attempts to rationalize all of this, but what good do they really do, I mean, really?  Just read the Book of Job for starters. The person who told me the news was very saddened at this, but said that she was so happy for him now because he is so happy now.  Do you, my friend, believe this?  Is your sustenance in this age Jesus Christ, His Promises, e.g., "In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you."  Or, "....if it were not so, would I have told you...?  Of course He would have told us, "if it were not so," or as I can paraphrase it, "If it were not so, do you think for one moment I would have uttered it, allowed you to base your life and hope on a known lie?"

People who doubt the truthfulness of the Bible which we have are people who believe we have a lie.  I had to endure this in grad school, an endless casting of doubt on not only the Authority of Scripture, but the accuracy of Scripture, which was code for, "You really can't believe all of this, nor should you attempt to build your life on this, nor should you attempt to persuade others to do so."  If that is the case, I am a very big perpetrator of a lie.  

Sarah and I go to the grave sites of the Barnette Family at least once a year.  We usually plant flowers and clean up things.  Now some may think this to be "pagan."  Okay.  If I thought, however, for very long that what we were doing was decorating the graves of bodies which are decaying, bodies which are gone for eternity, I would be of all men, "most miserable."  I don't believe that.  I believe, I accept, "For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus."  No one, nor no thing can comfort as Jesus speaking these words to us, and the same words He spoke to the grieving widow, "Do not weep."  How could Jesus say that?  Because, "I am the resurrection and the life.  He who believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live."

Father, in Jesus' name, there have been tears, but in my heart are You and Your Words, keeping me, sustaining me.  Thank You so much.  Amen.
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When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

Hebrews 12:2