A Cancelled Funeral

By this time in His ministry Jesus had a large following. It was no longer just the 12 disciples following Him, it was a large crowd. As they were going into this particular city, there was a funeral coming out of it. All funerals are tragic and grievous, as this one also was, however this one was for more than one reason.

This was the only son of a widow woman. I cannot even imagine the grief that she was burdened with as I have not lost a husband or a child. I pray comfort and peace for any of you who have. However, in this culture she was also now in a very serious state. When a husband died, the son had the responsibility to take care of the mother. With this only son also dead, there was no one left to care for her. She would now, in addition to her unfathomable grief, become destitute and most likely a beggar. Jesus understood this. He really saw her and had compassion for her. Not only for the loss of her son, but also for the social and economic situation she now found herself in. The Scriptures tell us that He is concerned with these things. He cares for His people.

• (Psalm 147:3 NKJV) He [God] heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
• (Proverbs 31:9 TPT) Be a righteous king, judging on behalf of the poor and interceding for those most in need.
• (2 Corinthians 1:3-4 NKJV) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

Just like He saw her, He sees us today in every grieving situation that we find ourselves in. Maybe it’s the death of a loved one, maybe a lost job, maybe a broken marriage, or maybe an injury or illness. He sees us and has compassion for us. He tells us in His Word to bring it all to Him. He is the only ONE who can truly comfort us in time of need.

• (1 Peter 5:7 NIV) Cast all your anxiety on Him [God] because He cares for you.
• (Matthew 11:28-30 NASB20) "Come to Me [Jesus], all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. For My yoke is comfortable, and My burden is light."

We often look for comfort in other places, many of which are offered by the enemy. Things like the many addictions that this world offers: drugs, alcohol, sex, gambling, shopping, even food. They can offer a temporary feeling of happiness but even that is a lie. It is not real happiness that comes from the soul, it is only an imitation that comes from gratifying the flesh.

These substitutes can never give us real comfort, but what they do bring is isolation from the ONE who can. The Lord tells us that we are to seek to live according to the Spirit of God and not to live to satisfy our flesh. Our flesh is always at odds with the Spirit. In fact, we are told to crucify our flesh. So, beware of those illusions of comfort.

• (Romans 13:14 NIV) Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.
• (Galatians 5:16-17 NIV) So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.
• (Galatians 5:24 NIV) Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
• (Romans 8:12-13 NKJV) Therefore, brethren, we are debtors--not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

In the story of our main scripture passage, Jesus gave comfort to the widow woman by raising her son from death to life. Effectively cancelling the funeral and completely shocking the entire group of people present. Both the large following of Jesus and the large group of mourners with the funeral. It may look a little different in our situation though. I am fully convinced that the miracles of the Bible are still for us today. He can still raise the dead, heal the sick, and completely reverse any bad situation. In some cases, He will and He has. I have personally experienced healing and reversal of situations. He is a God who does not change. What He did in scripture He can and does still do today.

• (Hebrews 13:8 KJV) Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever.

However, your situation may look different from even this. God always comforts; He doesn’t, however, always remove the circumstances causing the grief. Sometimes He simply gives you peace in the midst of the storm.

• (John 16:33 NIV) "I [Jesus] have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."
• (Isaiah 26:3 NKJV) You [God] will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.
• (Isaiah 43:2 NIV) When you pass through the waters, I [God] will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.

Even the Apostle Paul faced a situation where God did not remove the issue but gave peace instead. Paul had a “thorn in the flesh” that he prayed multiple times for God to remove. God, in His sovereignty, did not remove it but promised Paul that His “grace is sufficient” for Paul to live in peace with it. I love the picture that The Message Bible paints here:

• (2 Corinthians 12:7-10 MSG) Because of the extravagance of those revelations, and so I wouldn't get a big head, I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. Satan's angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger then of walking around high and mighty! At first, I didn't think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then he told me, “My grace is enough; it's all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness.” Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ's strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size - abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so, the weaker I get, the stronger I become.

I have experience with this grace and peace. At the age of 47, I held my earthly father’s hand as he lost his battle with cancer. In that moment I experienced two things. The first was a deep and heavy grief at losing my “Daddy”. The second was a profound peace and almost relief that his battle was over. The suffering had ended and he was in the presence of God now. In that moment God did not comfort my grief by giving him a miraculous healing or bringing him back to life. He gave me comfort by giving me grace and a peace that made no sense to me right in the middle of that storm.

So, whatever storm you may be facing, know that God will give you comfort. I do not know what that looks like in your situation, but I do know that God is a promise keeper. He promised to heal the brokenhearted and so He will. It may be by miraculous means, or it may be through a peace that does not make sense. God is faithful. God is good. You only need to call on Him and give Him your burdens. Seek His comfort, not the imitation that the world offers.

May the Lord bless and keep you; make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you. May He lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.