23: Our Compassionate King (Luke 7:11-17)

As many of you know Bryan and Jamie McHargue are celebrating the birth of their baby boy, Rhett. Weighing in at 9 pounds and 2 ounces, Jamie considers Rhett to be her birthday gift which happens to be today - Happy Mother’s Day! There is no doubt that the birth of a child is a Mother & Father’s Greatest Gift. On the other hand, as some in this room have experienced, the death of a child is a mother’s…& father’s greatest fear.

Birth & Death represent the starting line & the finish line for every person in this room. Every one of us has experienced birth, and every person here will experience death, unless the Lord Jesus returns first.

When death comes, is there any HOPE in the middle of the HURT?

And WHERE is God during those difficult days? Is He UNAWARE or does He even CARE?

Today we answer that question as we explore an extraordinary story that - over 2000 years & over 6,500 miles removed from us - rippled from one community to another - a story that can still bring Hope in the middle of the Hurt to people right here in North Florida…to YOU.

…A story about Our Compassionate King.

PRAY

Luke 7:11–12 (NIV)

11 Soon afterward [leaving Capernaum and healing the servant of the centurion], 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.

This woman had been forced to take this trip before. She had buried her husband with her son at her side, but now takes the same trip to bury her son, her only son.

The one she raised & loved was gone & she would never again embrace him in this life again.

There would be no more male voices in her home.

And unless someone took her in, there would be no male protection & provision.

Later Jesus refers to this son as a young man (v.14), a term that means a young male beyond the age of puberty, but normally not yet married. This means she would never have any grand babies to hold nor any more generations to add to her family tree.

Can you imagine her pain? Some of you can. You have buried your child or grandchild. And you would affirm the saying, ‘No parent should have to bury their child.’ A parent’s greatest gift has been taken away…and she wonders what WE wonder…’God, how could you let this happen? Don’t you care?’ And here we see the answer.

Luke 7:13 (NIV)

13 When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, “Don’t cry.”

This is the kind of King we serve!…a King who has compassion on others who are hurting. People often talk as though Jesus is unaware or doesn’t care about their difficult days. But this couldn’t be further from the truth!

Jesus wept with Martha & Mary when Lazarus died (John 11:35). This term that the NIV translates as his heart went out to her (σπλαγχνίζομαι - splanchnizomai) is most often translated 'had compassion’. The same term is also used to report how Jesus had compassion for the crowds who needed a caring shepherd in Matt. 9:36 & Mark 6:34; how Jesus had compassion for those who were sick & needed healing in Matt. 14:14.

Dr. Luke later uses this same term to translate how Jesus spoke of the Good Samaritan having compassion for the battered Jew (Luke 10:33) & the Father's compassion for the prodigal who was returning (Luke 15:20).

And so we see that Jesus had compassion on this woman who has had to bury both her husband and her son. 'His heart went out to her' (NIV)…as His heart goes out to you in your days of distress.

BIG TRUTH: Jesus has the Compassion to Care…BIG TRUTH: Jesus has the Compassion to Care…BIG TRUTH: Jesus has the Compassion to Care…BIG TRUTH: Jesus has the Compassion to Care…

BIG TRUTH: Jesus has the Compassion to Care…

And His COMPASSION is about to spill over into ACTION.

Luke 7:14a (NIV)

14 Then he went up and touched the bier they were carrying him on, and the bearers stood still…

This bier [pronounced ‘beer’] was not an ornate box that was put down into the ground like we have at our funerals. It was a simple plank, with a raised edge with no covering, similar to the wooden boards used in Muslim funerals to carry bodies today. The dead body would be wrapped in a cloth shroud and placed in the bier and carried to the cave it would be placed in.

Anyone who touched the bier or the dead body would be considered ceremonially unclean for 1 week. But this did not deter Jesus. He touched the bier and made the funeral procession come to a halt.

Richard Lenski writes:

Jesus, the Prince of Life, here meets death, carrying away his helpless prey.

Can you imagine this happening in OUR DAY? Someone cuts off the funeral procession and walks up to the hearse, puts his hands on the casket and says these words…

Luke 7:14b (NIV)

[He said,] “Young man, I say to you, get up!”

[Have some fun with this] Have you ever seen someone speak to a DEAD person…like they’re ALIVE?

Jerry Clower, one of the funniest Christian men I’ve ever heard, once told the story of his uncle’s Looney’s funeral.

Jerry & his cousin Marcel sat next to Aunt Penny - Uncle Looney’s widow. Just as the preacher began the funeral service Aunt Penny started squalling, “Looney, speak to me! Looney, please, raise up darlin’. Say something to me!”

Marcel, Jerry’s cousin leaned over to Aunt Penny & said, “Aunt Penny, if he does, that window’s mine!"

Can you imagine how frightening that would be? At the funeral with an open casket…and the DEAD DUDE sits up! How does a pastor end THAT one?!

“Umm…thanks for coming - the funeral has been canceled…have a good day…and I hope you can sleep tonight as visions of dead people sitting up run through your mind. Let’s pray.”

So too, Jesus was talking to a dead guy…as if he could HEAR Him!

This man’s heart had stopped.

His body was cold & his muscles were limp.

And yet Jesus speaks to him as if simply waking someone from sleep. Speaking to him…like He EXPECTS him to get up!

Luke 7:14b (NIV)

He said, “Young man, I say to you, get up!” 15 The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.

Can you imagine how FREAKY that was: “I hear dead people.”

I wonder what that dude SAID…you think anyone listened…or just tore off down the street?!

And can you imagine how TENDER this moment was?

I don’t know what day this was, but Jesus just gave her the Greatest Mother’s Gift EVER - the life of her child. I love the way Luke writes this: Jesus gave him back to his mother. Can you imagine THAT embrace and those tears!

And you know what I find so incredible about this story!

NO ONE asked Jesus to do this. Jesus didn’t raise this young man because someone had incredible faith. Jesus did it…JUST BECAUSE HE WANTED TO!

BIG TRUTH: Jesus has the Compassion to Care & Power to Restore.BIG TRUTH: Jesus has the Compassion to Care & Power to Restore.BIG TRUTH: Jesus has the Compassion to Care & Power to Restore.BIG TRUTH: Jesus has the Compassion to Care & Power to Restore.

BIG TRUTH: Jesus has the Compassion to Care & Power to Restore.

Our Compassionate King CHOSE to care for a hurting momma in the most powerful way. But she wasn’t the only one affected. As we already saw, there were a pile of people around to see this too! Look at how THEY responded!

16 They were all filled with awe and praised God. “A great prophet has appeared among us,” they said. “God has come to help his people.” 17 This news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding country.

Jesus has raised the dead, just what the old prophets Elijah and Elisha had done in this same geographical area (1 Kings 17 and 2 Kings 4). These people had HEARD the OT stories, but never SEEN anything like this before! And this news spread like wildfire!

These people didn’t have Jesus fully figured out yet.

They thought He was only a great prophet, but God had TRULY come to help his people! The One created ALL THINGS now spoke LIFE into the DEAD.

The whole scene is a foreshadow of what will happen when Jesus returns.

1 Thessalonians 4:16 (NIV)

16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.

Often Christians use this verse of a secret coming…but this is speaking of the Second Coming! This is not about our Rapture to heaven for 7 years - that is NOT mentioned in the text. This is about the Return of the King & the Resurrection of the Dead!

1 Thessalonians 4:17-18 (NIV)

17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.

Let’s do that! Take a moment to encourage you with these words!

Tell your neighbor. “When Jesus comes back…it will all make sense.”

In that moment…for those who are IN CHRIST…

You will KNOW that Jesus has seen your struggles & heard your cries. You will see He is Our Compassionate King.

And you will see those who are in Christ! Just like the widow in the story, Jesus will give your children, grandchildren, & others in Christ back to you!

And greater than that…You will see Our Compassionate King…Face to face!

In that moment we will understand these words in fullness.

BIG TRUTH: Jesus has the Compassion to Care & Power to Restore.

Until then…followers of Jesus: let’s treat OTHERS with Compassion…and seek to restore relationships between people & God. Who is that in your life - a family member or friend?

A word of warning here: When Jesus returns or you breathe your last, it will be too late to decide. If you have not yet turned from your sin or trusted Jesus…what are you waiting on?