Desperate Measures (Luke 7:11-17)

This sermon was preached at Folsom Community Church on 1/29/12 by Tim Lewis.

Desperate Measures

Luke 7:11-17

Introduction

[Article: Brothers’ Bond Was Tight-In Life, Death, Sacramento Bee, January 28, 2012, A1]

[My first funeral in the Philippines at age 19. What a contrast with my limited experience with funerals growing up, but much closer to what we see in the Bible.]

One of the most useful ways I have found to understand the life of Jesus is to place myself in the shoes of the people who he met, and imagine what it must have been like. I wonder, “What must it have been like? What was I before I met Jesus? What was I after I met Jesus?”

1. Our Situation: Desperation 
2. Jesus’ Reaction: Compassion 
3. Our Response: Amazement 

Our Situation: Desperation (vs. 11-12)

Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went along with him. 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.  – Luke 7:11-12

In Chapter 7 of the book of Luke, Jesus is traveling from town to town around the portion of northern Israel called Galilee. He has just left Capernaum, one of the bigger cities and now, a few miles from Jesus’ home town of Nazareth, he arrived at the town of Nain. Nain was really not much more than a dot on the map and while the Bible says there was a “town gate” the town was so small that they wrote “Hello” and “Goodbye” on the same sign (just kidding).

The Bible says that Jesus was travelling with two groups: his “disciples” and a “large crowd”. Even this early in his ministry, he was the rabbi or teacher and he had full time students (or disciples). In the closest group of disciples, sort of his inner circle, were “The Rock” Peter and “The Thunder Brothers” James and John. The next nine rounded out his posse. They called themselves “The Twelve” and included the ex-tax collector Matthew, the other type of thief Judas, the twin Thomas and a member of a violent para-military group, Simon. Around these, there were perhaps as many as seventy others who joined Jesus at various points in his travels, including Mary, Mary, and Mary (they didn’t have a lot of creativity in naming girls back then).

Jesus attracted a lot of attention. Everywhere he went, large groups of people tried to get a glimpse of what he was doing, because he had a reputation for miracles (like the healing of a sick servant earlier in this same chapter) and a reputation for smart, authoritative and even radical teaching (like his sermon in chapter 6). He healed and he taught and more and more people kept coming to see this miracle man. Sometimes they even forgot to eat. Sometimes they wanted to make him king. Sometimes they ripped open the roof to get a look at him. Wherever, however, they came to see Jesus.

And this loud, noisy, happy crowd arrives in Nain just in time to confront another large crowd—but this crowd is full of wailing and sadness. Carried upon the shoulders of friends, a plank of wood, a dead young man being carried to a tomb. Young, obviously popular, loved, needed. As a widow, his mother now had no one to support her. The death of her son was the death of hope. It was like a curse. Bad luck. In another place in the Bible, Naomi, who also lost both husband and son, said: “The Almighty has made my life very bitter. I went away full, but the LORD has brought me back empty.” (Ruth 1:20b-21a)

Sometimes life is like that.

Jesus’ Reaction: Compassion (vs. 13-15)

When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, “Don’t cry.” Then he went up and touched the coffin, and those carrying it stood still. He said, “Young man, I say to you, get up!”  The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.  – Luke 7:13-15

Verse 13 says, “when the Lord saw her” The two crowds collide, the happy and the sad, the hopeful with the disappointed, the widow and the Messiah, the kingdom of God and the terrible kingdom of death and despair. And suddenly Jesus and the widow are face-to-face.

Do we see those who are hurting? Or do we rush by them, afraid that they will spoil our good mood? [Veteran by the road in Beaverton] Sometimes we harden our heart; maybe we feel drained; maybe we console ourselves with “someone else will take care of it”; maybe [fill in the blank with your excuse] and we push down on the gas pedal so we don’t have to look them in the eye.

But Jesus saw her and, in that instance, he took in her situation and “his heart went out to her” Another translation says he was “moved with compassion” God is not dispassionate. He is not aloof. His heart is also moved by the pain and suffering and trouble and conflict in our lives. God’s heart is moved, because this is not the way it is supposed to be.

God’s compassion for our broken situation always moves him to action. He saw, he was moved, he spoke and he moved. Jesus’ compassion always moves (not just moved!) him to action that transforms. Look at what the Bible says:

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. – Romans 8:28 (NLT)

My failures. My pain. My addictions. My relationships. My mistakes. All of them will, somehow, be transformed by God into the good. Let me state this another way: If you love God and trust him, nothing can keep you from the good. [Illustration: The Simarilion, creation & music; Illustration: virus code]  Why does God transform the terrible things that happen to us into something good? For the same reason he reached out to a widow and her son—because of his great compassion—his great love--for us. We are his children….

How does God do it? How does his compassion transform evil circumstances into good outcomes? I don’t know. He is God and has more resources and ingenuity and insight than I can even begin to comprehend. But here are four patterns that I have found in Scripture. There may be more, but here are four.

1. God transforms how we respond. One of the ways that God’s compassion transforms the bad into good is by changing you.  Remember when we talked about the fruit of the spirit? Love, joy, peace, patience? What if God changed you so that, when people in your life were unlovable, you were able to respond with love? Or if the situation was depressing, you could respond with joy. Or when the world is going crazy, peace. Or when frustrating, patience. So God changes the situation by changing you-making you stronger. 
2. God works with us to transform your world. Another way that God’s compassion transforms the bad is by using you to change it.  “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:21)
3. God takes you. “David served God’s purpose in his own generation, then he died and was buried with his ancestors.;…” – Acts 13:36 (CEB)
4. God takes away the evil. Just like Jesus did for this widow. He stretched out his hand, and touched the bier where the dead body was being carried. The men carrying it stopped. And her son sat up and started talking. And Jesus gave the mother back her son.

Our Reaction: Amazement (vs. 16-17)

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.”  This news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding country. – Luke 7:16-17

1. God did something only God could do. Literally they were overcome by fear, but it wasn’t the type of fear that cripples you, it was the kind of fear that comes from realizing that you are were there on holy ground when God stepped in and did a God thing. They recognized that. When God acts in a way that you didn’t, you didn’t cause and you didn’t deserve--when you see that triple-play combo-- you are on holy ground, in the presence of a living and active God.
2. God doubled the number of happy people.  There was one happy crowd and one sad crowd before. Now there is one bigger happy crowd. When you recognize that God has been active with you, don’t try to explain it away. Don’t let it slip by. Celebrate it. Some miracles take only a moment, but other miracles are years in the making.  You want to dance, you want to shout, you want to clap, you want to sing, then you are in good company with these people of Nain, who have watched their tears turned to joy.
3. God got the credit. It went to God. Notice that they said: We didn’t start hearing how the boy and his mother went on talk radio and appeared on Dr. Phil or Oprah. It was “A great prophet has appeared…” and “God has come…” The credit goes only to God. Many of the other miracles talked about the “faith” of the people. But Jesus didn’t even wait for this woman’s faith. He saw, he felt, he spoke and he acted. It was pure grace.
4. God motivated righteous gossip. Life will never be the same for anyone who was there. Pretty soon they were texting all of their friends (texting in those days was usually done with paper, or by courier) and from the little town of Nain, everyone found out about Jesus. What happens in Folsom better not stay in Folsom! God’s reputation is enhanced when God works and his people rebroadcast that. “In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)

Conclusion

There is no better example of the transforming power of God’s compassion than in the life of Jesus.  “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son so that whoever believes in him should not die but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) Whatever our situation: financial meltdown, relationship fractures, failing health, disappointment with ourselves, God sees. And his response was to send Jesus.

Have you invited God to transform the most difficult situations in your life?

Maybe you’re in one of those situations right now. Or maybe you still have the hurt or shame from something that happened in the past. God sees you. Will you trust him? The transformation process is often not comfortable, but it is worth it. Maybe you need to pray, “God, I am hurting. I don’t know why it is happening. But I want you to come in and take over and transform this into something good. Just like you did for Jesus and the cross. In Jesus name, amen.”

Have you signed up to help transform the world around you?

In your neighborhood? You are in the middle, who is across the street, who is behind you, who is on the floor above? In your job, who is in the next cubicle? In you school, who is in the seat in front of you, to your left? That is the place that God has placed you to join him in transforming the evil in this world into good outcomes.

When God does something amazing, will your talk about it?

Maybe God has worked miracles in your life, but you have been quiet about it, or haven't even been thankful to him.

In his book The Pressure's Off, psychologist Larry Crabb uses a story from his childhood to illustrate our need to delight in God through adversity:

One Saturday afternoon, I decided I was a big boy and could use the bathroom without anyone's help. So I climbed the stairs, closed and locked the door behind me, and for the next few minutes felt very self-sufficient.

Then it was time to leave. I couldn't unlock the door. I tried with every ounce of my three-year-old strength, but I couldn't do it. I panicked. I felt again like a very little boy as the thought went through my head, "I might spend the rest of my life in this bathroom."

My parents—and likely the neighbors—heard my desperate scream.

"Are you okay?" Mother shouted through the door she couldn't open from the outside. "Did you fall? Have you hit your head?"

"I can't unlock the door!" I yelled. "Get me out of here!"

I wasn't aware of it right then, but Dad raced down the stairs, ran to the garage to find the ladder, hauled it off the hooks, and leaned it against the side of the house just beneath the bedroom window. With adult strength, he pried it open, then climbed into my prison, walked past me, and with that same strength, turned the lock and opened the door.

 "Thanks, Dad," I said—and ran out to play. – Larry Crabb, The Pressure's Off (WaterBrook Press, 2002); pp. 222-223;

Sometimes we are like that with God. We are in a tight spot and God answers, we run out to play. We’ve forgotten to give credit to God, we’ve forgotten God, and God wonders “do they even like me, or are they just after the stuff—are they just after the miracles.” We barely thank him and no one else knows what God has done. And you wonder why miracles never show up in your neighborhood. Don’t take for granted how God has rescued you.

This church is one of God’s miracles. Watch what happens through FCC. And then, don’t be quiet.

You are one of God’s miracles. Watch what God does through you. And then, don’t be quiet.