5 June 2016
1 Kings 17:17-24
Galatians 1:11-19
Luke 7:11-17
Today we read about a situation which echoes in many of our lives. A mother is burying her child, her only child. And she was a widow. Think of the pain she must have felt. She is now totally alone. And what are the consequences for her? They must have been terrible. There were no supports for her. Words cannot describe how this poor woman must have felt.
And then along comes Jesus who tells her, “do not cry”. I’m sure she must have thought, ‘who on earth is this who tells me not to cry as I bury my only child’. And what must the other mourners have thought? They were probably like many others who in other occasions belittled Jesus. “Isn’t he the carpenters son?” But when you’re at rock bottom – as this poor widow woman was – you grasp at any straw. And her trust in Jesus was rewarded. He restores her son to her. He brings light into the darkness of her grief.
In this miracle Jesus shows himself as master of both life and death.
Do you trust Jesus in your difficult life situations? Think back on past troubles and how you coped, calling on God in prayer, even if some of that prayer might have been uttered in anger or near despair. But God still heard – and answered – them.
So he will do today. Never despair of God’s love for you. In your darkest moment Jesus is with you. He will never abandon you; do not abandon Him. Call on him and trust He will reply.
MairtÃn Caomhanach SMA