Jesus Raises a Widow's Son Luke 7:11-17

Luke 7:11-17  Gospel Reading for Sunday 6th June 2010

Our readings now move beyond Easter and Pentecost and begin to track the ministry of Jesus via Luke's Gospel through until Advent.

Two words jump out immediately at the start of this reading. Soon afterward. Soon after what? It seems that this is an important hint that we need to look back to check the bigger picture of what has preceded this story. We note that Jesus has just completed the task of gathering his disciples together and has got into the swing of starting to teach the people. It is interesting to note that already at this very early stage of his ministry in verse 11 of Chapter 7, that "a large crowd went along with him".

There is a significant point in relation to cultural context here. Jesus chooses to highlight one of the least of Jewish society, the widow. She has lost her husband and now her only son, her only source of support and her ticket to any sort of reasonable existence in her world. The plight of the widow in the time of Jesus was appalling. Jesus reaches out with compassion. His heart went out to her. This poor widow was given a second chance by Jesus. He has put firmly on the agenda the idea that he has come for all, not just the upper echelons of society. This theme of raising up the plight of the lowly has also been present in the events leading up to this reading.

The implications for us in Lutheran Schools are clear. We are called to serve the lost, the struggling, the marginalized in our society. We are called to provide opportunities to make a difference in the lives of people and families in our communities, perhaps even those who society generally may have rejected.

Fill us with your Spirit Lord to help us see and implement your agenda.