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 was with her. Death confronts Christ. As Jesus approaches this town, He sees death. We know death isn’t a pretty thing. We hear of this woman who has lost both her husband in the past and her only child this day, and even if we haven’t experienced that ourselves, we’ve seen enough loss in our life to know that what she is going through is horrid and rough. And so, in our Gospel lesson, death confronts Christ – and Christ will not let death stand. Our Lord will act, our Lord will show that He is indeed God and that He has vanquish death. The young man will be raised – we know this. But let us see what we learn from Christ Jesus our Lord in how He acts.
And when the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.” Jesus sees, and then He acts. Jesus beholds a problem, and then He does what He needs to do. How wonderful, how comforting is that? All that will happen, it isn’t in the woman’s hands – it is in God’s hands. Which is good for her. She was probably distracted. Her son’s body was being carried to the cemetery – do you think she was looking around the crowd – do you think she would have noticed Jesus approaching? Probably not. And yet, of His own Will and of His own accord Christ Jesus comes to her, unasked, unrequested. God doesn’t have to wait for you to ask. God isn’t sitting up in heaven just waiting and waiting for you to pray and ask Him something – He works for your good without your even asking. What do we learn in the catechism. “The kingdom of God certainly comes without our prayer, but we pray in this petition that it may come to us also.” “The good and gracious will of God is done even without our prayer, but we pray in this petition that it may be done among us also.” God acts. God is God, and He is God for you. When God sees a need, He jumps into action. God’s action is service to you.
This is how you are to act, O Christian. When you see a need, you are to follow your Lord’s example and offer service without needing to being asked. We all know that this makes life better. You've all had times where you had a need and someone just stepped up – it's wonderful. And you've seen the gratitude that people show you when you step up and handle something simply and well without them having to ask. It's fantastic, and we all know it. And yet, the reality is we don't always act that way. There are times enough in our own lives where we fail to serve like we ought. Where we fail to show love like we ought. Or even hesitation, even simple griping about our help – that shows that we fall short. The text doesn’t say, “When Jesus saw the procession, he shook his head and said, ‘Boy, I guess I better do something since no one else is.’” Often times the service we give is sketchy and spotty. How many times do we have to remember to put on the happy face before we do something to cover our own grumbling? Just pause for a moment, think back on this past week – how often have you hesitated, have you grumbled about the opportunities to serve that God gives you?
Thankfully, this is not God’s attitude towards you. He doesn’t grumble when He must give you help – He never hesitates to give you aid. God serves you today even when you fail to ask. Our prayers and worship life here aren’t what they ought to be – and He is still gracious to us. God serves us here at Trinity even when we don’t ask. You know what is the great example for this – Baptism. How many of you were brought as children, as infants to this very font. What happened here? We learn in the catechism “[Baptism] works forgiveness of sins, rescues from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation to all who believe this, as the words and promises of God declare.” That’s a fantastic gift which most of you never asked for. Come to the faith as an adult and you will request it – but most of us here – we were brought to the font – and God simply gave. Yes my child, the words and promises of salvation as found in Scripture are for you. God gives without your asking – God prepares to give even before you exist – for these promises are of old.
We see the simple fact that Christ serves – and this teaches us. But let us now look at how Jesus serves. Then He came up and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And He said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother.” This is what Jesus does. Jesus restores the young man to life. And in doing so, Jesus isn’t simply giving a gift to the young man who is raised. In fact, the focus of this miracle isn’t primarily on the dead guy – it’s on the mother. Jesus has compassion on her – Jesus restores the man to life and gives him to her. This man, o woman, was to provide for you and care for you – it was his duty as your son. Death took him away; I shall restore him to you. Jesus does this by giving life. Every thing that man does for his mother is clearly and firmly a gift from God to her for the rest of her days. Jesus doesn’t just give life to the dead man – but he gives life and joy to the mother as well – Jesus sees that she will be taken care of.
This is what God does here today. Jesus works in you and through you, and He uses you to give life to others. Did you note what our Epistle says? “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us…” The power at work within us is Christ; it is none other than Christ Jesus who lives in us and works through us – and why? So that we give life to our neighbors. Again, more Catechism! “We should fear and love God so that we do not take our neighbor’s money or possessions, or get them in any dishonest way, but help him to improve and protect his possessions and income.” “We should fear and love God so that we do not tell lies about our neighbor, betray him, slander him, or hurt his reputation, but defend him, speak well of him, and explain everything in the kindest way.” Note what we do. We help our neighbor improve and protect his income. God works through us to give our neighbor life – to provide for him. We defend our neighbor’s reputation. God works through us to give our neighbor life – to keep his life from being a hassle where others constantly berate him. And all of this is Christ’s doing. It is not I who live but Christ who lives in me. There is nothing more profound in Scripture than this – that God takes us sinners – forgives us and makes us to be His servants, and He works through us.
Now, this is not to say that we no longer sin. This isn’t to say that we sometimes don’t fight God tooth and nail over what He wants us to do. We can be stubborn folk – and not just stubborn, but downright evil folk – for that’s what our sin is. Sin is nothing other than telling God you won’t do His Will, sin is nothing other than telling Christ to take a hike – saying to God, “No, You will not work through me, for I want what I want.” And this is why God speaks His Word of law – to crush and beat down and batter and destroy the sin within us. The Law is proclaimed so that we would be turned away from our sin and flee to Him for mercy and refuge, and receive from Him the forgiveness of our sins which was won upon the Cross by Christ Jesus.
You see, Christ does give you life. Sin, sin is death. Your sin is your death – when you sin that’s just death taking a little nibble off of you. Where there is sin, there is death – which is why Christ defeats death in His resurrection. This is why God has ordered that His Word of forgiveness be spoken to you over and over again. Because forgiveness is life. Where there is forgiveness, there is life – and not only life – but Christ’s life. And our Lord emphasizes this in His Sacraments. Consider Baptism. Paul says in Romans “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death. We were buried therefore with Him by Baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with Him in a death like His, we shall certainly be united with Him in a resurrection like His.” Baptism gives life. It gives life here on earth for it unites you to Christ and it gives life eternal for it unites you to Christ. Jesus gave you life at Baptism. Consider the Lord’s Supper. It brings life – it brings Christ’s life. What does our Lord say? This is My Body, this is my Blood. Literally Christ gives us His own life. In the Supper, you receive our Lord’s own life giving Body, His own life giving Blood. The very Body that was nailed to the tree to defeat death – Christ gives you. The very Blood that was shed to wash away your sins – Christ gives you. His supper is indeed a foretaste of the feast to come – when we celebrate the Supper here indeed Angels and Archangels and all the company of heaven rejoice and sing our Lord’s praises for He brings us Himself, He brings us the Kingdom, He brings us heaven right now and here – for Jesus brings us Himself – and we are given life in a wonder and mystery no less astounding than what they saw at that funeral that Jesus interrupted. Our Lord says to us, “Take and Eat,” “Take and Drink” – and we are given life.
Dear friends in Christ Jesus our Lord – see what our Lord does. He never hesitates to serve – for He shows us love even before we ask. He gives us life – in fact, He is our life – we live through Him and in Him and by Him. He beats down and forgives our sins, and gives us His own strength, indeed His own life in His Word, in His Baptism, in His Supper. This is what we receive from Him without fail. In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit +
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