Jesus Speaks to Women: Luke 7

11 Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went along with him. 12 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.13 When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, “Don’t cry.” Luke 7: 11-12

As I return to my search for how Jesus spoke to women in the Gospels, I run into this passage above which I have to admit, I don't remember much.  However, O how I love it now that I've found it!

The reason why I love this passage so much is not only because of the miracle that Jesus performed on the widow's son...but because of the miracle of witnessing Jesus compassion.  

Right before this scene, we see Jesus miraculous healing of the servant of the Centurion.  In that case, the Centurion sent some elders to seek Jesus out and plead earnestly to Him to heal the Centurion's servant friend.  We see how Jesus goes with the elders and before he arrives at the house, the Centurion sends yet, another committee to receive Jesus on his behalf, presenting Him with these poignant words:

He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to him: “Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. 7 That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed.

Luke 7: 1-7

Jesus responds with great admiration to the Centurion's words spoken through his friends, and turns the entire event into a magnificent teaching moment which speaks to us as loudly today as I'm sure it did to the crowd that heard it a couple of thousands of years ago:

“I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.” Luke 7: 9b

Then, Jesus healed the servant even before He reached the Centurion's home...

With this widow, however, what marvels me and what I love the most is that there was no request.  There is no record of the widow saying anything.  The text doesn't even specify that she was crying.  We would not know she was if it were because Jesus noticed.

I mean, obviously, she must have been crying:  a widow + losing her only son = total despair.  

However, I find it intriguing that the writer/recorder did not made it known with more detail.  Perhaps, and this is just me speculating here...her grief was so immeasurably strong that shock overcame her and her crying and sorrow were more inside agony rather than outward manifestation.  Have you ever been there?  Has life ever shaken your circumstances so much that you can't even cry aloud...allowing the sorrow to visibly show?

I remember one instance for me:  when I received the call that my Dad had died.  It was as if someone had removed the floor from under my feet and I was perpetually falling into an abyss where I was voided not only of stability, but also from the ability to express my deep sadness for a while.  

That's what I imagine this widow was going through in this instance...only about a million times stronger...

Sigh...

I'd like to stop here and ponder on the widow's situation for a while...to then, dwell on the magnificent words Jesus offers to this woman...for now, I just pray that the Holy Spirit makes His presence known to us in supernatural evidence so, especially in our moments of deep sorrow, we can be assured that He is, and always will be, the Emmanuel, God With Us!  Amen!