HOMILY OF 24TH TUESDAY OF ORDINARY TIME: YEAR A

HOMILY OF 24TH TUESDAY OF ORDINARY TIME: YEAR A

HOMILY THEME: “DO NOT WEEP.”

BY: Fr. Mike Lagrimas

Luke 7:11-17

Jesus journeyed to a city called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd accompanied him. As he drew near to the gate of the city, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. A large crowd from the city was with her. When the Lord saw her, he was moved with pity for her and said to her, “Do not weep.” He stepped forward and touched the coffin; at this the bearers halted, and he said, “Young man, I tell you, arise!” The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, exclaiming, “A great prophet has arisen in our midst,” and “God has visited his people.” This report about him spread through the whole of Judea and in all the surrounding region.

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This story is unique in the Gospel of Luke. This is not found in the other three Gospels. Among the miracles of Jesus, this one is somehow different from the others. While faith needs to be professed or at least implicitly presumed for a miracle to happen, this does not happen in this case. Jesus did not ask the widowed mother if she believed or not. He right away touched the coffin and commanded the dead man to rise.

In this account, what stands out is the overwhelming compassion of Christ: “When the Lord saw her, he was moved with pity for her.” And this is what is consistent in all the miracles of Jesus. When confronted with suffering and pain, His reaction is immediate and compelling. He just cannot stop Himself from doing something – ordinary or extraordinary as needed – when He sees somebody suffering, in pain or in any dire need.

This case is no different. Jesus and His disciples stopped when they saw the funeral procession coming out of the city gate. The scene is particularly sad because the dead man is the only son of a widow. That is why, when Jesus saw her, “He was moved with pity for her and said to her, ‘Do not weep.’” He felt right away the profound pain, grief and fear of the woman. She had already lost her husband. And now she lost her only son. In that culture, women could not work. They are totally dependent on their husbands. If their husband dies, they turn to the son for support. So, if the son also dies, they have no choice but to beg for their survival. Such was the situation now of this woman. She had no one to provide for her. No one to take care of her. She was now alone.

Jesus, being full of compassion, was naturally drawn to her. Perhaps He must have seen in this woman the situation of His own Mother when He dies. He told her, “Do not weep.” For some, this may sound as if Jesus was being insensitive to her feelings.
However, these are words meant to give comfort, strength and hope. In the next chapter, Jesus would say similar words to Jairus who was grieving at the death of his little daughter: “Do not be afraid; just have faith and she will be saved.”(Lk 8:50). And to those around, He said: “Do not weep any longer, for she is not dead, but sleeping”(Lk 8:52). In this context, therefore, when Jesus told the widowed mother, “Do not weep”, He is in effect saying to her, “Your sorrow ends here and now. I am here. Have courage. I am the source of life.”

Then, Jesus did the unthinkable: He stepped forward and touched the coffin. Gasps of shock could be heard from the crowd and the procession suddenly halted. Jesus defiles Himself by touching the coffin. But He does not mind. His was a touch of compassion and a gesture of communicating life and salvation.

And again, Jesus shocked the crowd further: He talked to the dead man! More accurately, He commanded him: “Young man, I tell you, arise!” Talking to a dead man is simply preposterous and insane. But they were totally stunned when the dead man moved, sat up and began to talk.

Witnessing this great miracle, the people were filled with fear and they glorified God. Fear is the natural feeling when one sees the wonderful works of God’s mighty hand. People are reminded that God is in their midst, and His power is made manifest. And this leads them to praise and glorify Him. In the face of God’s glory and power, the people who witnessed this miracle concluded: Jesus is a great prophet, and indeed, He is God who has come to visit His people!

The Gospel today should give us hope and encouragement, especially in our moments of pain, sorrow and uncertainty. We can readily resonate with the widowed mother. Most of us, if not all, have experienced the loss of a loved one. Such unfortunate event always brings in feelings not only of deep grief and pain, but also of strong fear and uncertainty of the future. But Jesus assures us that He is with us.
Just as He turned the sorrow of the widowed mother into joy, He vows to do this also to us in our darkest moments: “Amen, amen, I say to you, you will weep and mourn, while the world rejoices; you will grieve, but your grief will become joy” (Jn 16:20).

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