The Widow of Nain - All The LORD is near Daily Devotionals for 2024

The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit.
Psalm 34:18

The Widow of Nain
The city of Nain was about 25 miles from Capernaum, a good day's journey. In Luke 7:11-17, as we see the Lord Jesus going, a large crowd accompanied Him there. As they approached the city there was a large crowd coming out of the city; it was a funeral procession. A dead man was being carried out. Since the Jews buried their dead the same day (Dt. 21:23; Acts 5:5-10), we can safely assume this man had just recently passed away. The deceased was the only son of a widow, and she was in great grief! She was hurting, but the Lord Jesus was drawing near!

We not only see two crowds in this passage, we also see two sons. One is the only son of the weeping widow, the other the only begotten Son of God. One son was dead, the other Son was the resurrection and the life! We also see two sufferers meeting here: the women bearing her own sorrows and griefs, and the Lord Jesus, who is the Man of sorrows, acquainted with grief (Isa. 53:3-4). He could sympathize with this woman's heartache. She was surrounded by many but she was still hurting; He would soon be forsaken by all at the cross and feel completely alone!

There were also two enemies there on that road that day: death and he who has the power of death. The Lord Jesus defeated death, the last enemy that separates us from our bodies and separates our souls from God if we do not know the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior! But as the Lord Jesus defeated death by raising this weeping woman's son by simply speaking a word, He also defeated and destroyed him who has the power of death by going into death for us (Heb. 2:14). The Lord Jesus would say victoriously to you and me today, "I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death" (Rev. 1:18).

Tim Hadley, Sr.