The Widow of Nain and the General Resurrection. The Gospel of Luke 7:11–16

And it came to pass the day after, that he went into a city called Nain; and many of his disciples went with him, and much people. Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her. And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not. And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise. And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother. And there came a fear on all: and they glorified God, saying, that a great prophet is risen up among us; and, that God hath visited his people (Luke 7:11–16).

Let us transport ourselves to the distant village of Palestine, walk to the town of Nain, and see there an inexpressible, indescribable scene; we will see a huge crowd of people accompanying the Lord Jesus Christ together with the apostles, for there was always a crowd of people following after Him, drawn to His divine teaching, His most glorious miracles.

From the gates of the city comes a sorrowful proceeding—they are carrying for burial the son of a misfortunate widow. Her heart is broken, and she weeps and sobs inconsolably. Her Jewish acquaintances walk after the coffin and lament together with her.

The Lord unexpectedly stops the procession. He approaches the dead son’s bier, touches it with His hand, and says: Young man, I say unto thee, Arise.

And the dead young man sits up on the bier, looking around in amazement.

The people drew back in amazement; all their hearts shuddered, and they exclaimed, A great prophet is risen up among us; and that God hath visited his people.

This was one of the Lord Jesus’s greatest miracles.

But you know that the Lord resurrected not only the son of the widow of Nain; you know that He also resurrected the daughter of Jairus, the leader of the synagogue. You also know about the even more amazing resurrection of Lazarus, who lay three days in the grave, already stinking, as his sister Martha said. Lazarus came forth from the grave wrapped in winding sheets, and the people were stunned and amazed.

Why then did the Lord work these amazing miracles of raising the dead?

In today’s Gospel you heard how He had mercy upon the unfortunate widow, and in the description of the great miracle of the resurrection of Lazarus we read that the Lord was in great sorrow and shed tears, seeing the lamentation and sobbing of Lazarus’s sisters and the Jews who had come to comfort them.

Thus, the merciful God, divine love and compassion moved the Lord Jesus to work the resurrection of the dead.

But was that all? No, not only that. These exceedingly great miracles were needed in the world also in order to strengthen the people of Israel’s faith in Him; in order to shake people’s hearts and turn them to God.

But this too is not enough—there is also a third and most important reason for the Lord Jesus Christ’s resurrection of the dead.

In the troparion for the Entrance of the Lord into Jerusalem we hear: “By raising Lazarus from the dead before Thy passion, Thou didst confirm the general Resurrection, O Christ God…”

The general resurrection… confirm… What does this mean?

It means that Christ raised Lazarus in order to assure us of the possibility of a general resurrection of all people on the day of the Last Judgment, in order to refute the impious opinion of people who insist that there can be no resurrection of the dead, as if a person just ends with death and he sinks into eternal, profound darkness.

The holy Apostle Paul says these very important words about the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ: But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: And if Christ be notraised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins (1 Cor. 15:13–17).

Our faith is in vain—faith in Christ, in God, is in vain if we do not believe in the resurrection, the general resurrection, and first of all the resurrection of Christ.

Tell me, doesn’t this question tear at the hearts of millions of people: How and why does God allow sinful and impious people, who oppress others, who take away property belonging to widows and orphans, liars, false witnesses, and denouncers to prosper, as we often see?

How does He allow pious, gentle, kind, or poor people to experience serious want and to be subjected to persecution by the strong? Where, as they say, is God’s righteousness?

Where?!! In the resurrection—the resurrection of the dead!

And just as He arose on the third day after His painful death on the Cross, so will all other people resurrect.

The righteous will resurrect in the resurrection of life, but the sinners will resurrect unto condemnation. And there will be Last Judgment! There will!

All the wretched, all who suffered, all the persecuted, all who were hunted down for Christ will receive their reward in the joy of Paradise.

And those accursed ones who trampled on Christ’s law, who sowed satanic hatred everywhere, will also receive their reward. They will also arise, and they will hear from our Savior’s lips: Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels (Matt. 25:41).

Source:
https://orthochristian.com/173368.html