July 29, 2010
FINDING HOPE IN THE MIDST OF GRIEF
Luke 7:1-17
Audrey Daniels
Central Truth
It is not God’s will that we should experience death, but death exists in this world as a result of sin. Through Jesus Christ, God has provided a way for us to have eternal life, which is His will for each of us.
Key Verse | Luke 7:13–15
When the Lord saw her, He felt compassion for her, and said to her, "Do not weep." And He came up and touched the coffin; and the bearers came to a halt. And He said, "Young man, I say to you, arise!" (Luke 7:13-15)
Luke 7:1-17
Jesus Heals a Centurion's Servant
1 After he had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. 2 Now a centurion had a servant 1 7:2 Or bondservant; also verses 3, 8, 10 who was sick and at the point of death, who was highly valued by him. 3 When the centurion 2 7:3 Greek he heard about Jesus, he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him to come and heal his servant. 4 And when they came to Jesus, they pleaded with him earnestly, saying, “He is worthy to have you do this for him, 5 for he loves our nation, and he is the one who built us our synagogue.” 6 And Jesus went with them. When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. 7 Therefore I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed. 8 For I too am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me: and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” 9 When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” 10 And when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the servant well.
Jesus Raises a Widow's Son
11 Soon afterward 3 7:11 Some manuscripts The next day he went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a great crowd went with him. 12 As he drew near to the gate of the town, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow, and a considerable crowd from the town was with her. 13 And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.” 14 Then he came up and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” 15 And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus 4 7:15 Greek he gave him to his mother. 16 Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has arisen among us!” and “God has visited his people!” 17 And this report about him spread through the whole of Judea and all the surrounding country.
Dive Deeper | Luke 7:1-17
Last year, my cousin’s fiancee and the father of her five-month-old daughter passed away. After this tragedy I attended a grief ministry with her where we met weekly with others experiencing grief. Hearing about grief forced me to face an ugly fact of life: death. The hard reality is that we will all lose loved ones. Yet, death is a topic that we avoid. In this group we addressed a question from this passage in Luke, “Why did God let my loved one die? Did He not feel compassion for me?”
Scripture does provide an answer, but we must see our circumstances in context of the overall story of Scripture. God created a world according to His perfect design. When Adam and Eve pursued their own way, sin entered the world, along with brokenness and death. “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned.” (Romans 5:12)
By the grace of God this is not where the story ends. God intervened. The penalty of sin is death, and Jesus Christ paid our debt by dying on the cross. If you accept Jesus Christ, your debt has been paid and you will receive eternal life.
Death is not where the story ends. It ends with restoration. All will be set right, and death itself will be put to death. “He will swallow up death for all time, and the Lord God will wipe tears away from all faces.” (Isaiah 25:8a)
Brokenness in this world reminds us to have an eternal view. God offers ultimate restoration and healing to us through Jesus Christ. While it is heartwarming to imagine the joy that this widow experienced after her only son was brought back to life, what’s more amazing is that God Himself provided the means for each of us to have eternal life.
Discussion Questions
1. How have you faced death and/or brokenness in this life? How did you respond to God in those times?
2. If you haven’t accepted Christ’s payment for your sin in order to inherit eternal life, what is holding you back?
3. When have you experienced hope in the midst of pain? Have you shared this hope with others who are in pain?
FAMILY DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. What does it mean to have compassion for someone?
2. Read verses 11-15. Who had died? How did Jesus respond to the widow and her circumstance? What did He do for her?
3. Have each person share about a hard time in life and about a time of experiencing Jesus’ compassion?