746 He Had Compassion on Her, A Guided Christian Meditation on Luke 7:11-15 with the Recenter With Christ app

The purpose of this podcast is to help you find more peace in and connect wi h the true source of peace, Jesus Christ.

Outline: Relaxation, Reading, Meditation, Prayer, Contemplation and Visualization.

Get into a place where you can sit comfortably and uninterrupted for about 20 minutes.You should hopefully not be driving jor anything tensing or unrelaxing. If you feel comfortable to do so, I invite you to close your eyes. Guided Relaxation / Guided Meditation: Breathe and direct your thoughts to connecting with God. Let your stomach be a balloon inflate, deflate.

Scripture for Meditation

Luke 7

NKJV 11 Now it happened, the day after, that He went into a city called Nain; and many of His disciples went with Him, and a large crowd. 12 And when He came near the gate of the city, behold, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother; and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the city was with her. 13 When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, "Do not weep." 14 Then He came and touched the open coffin, and those who carried him stood still. And He said, "Young man, I say to you, arise." 15 So he who was dead sat up and began to speak. And He presented him to his mother.

NASB 11 Soon afterward Jesus went to a city called Nain; and His disciples were going along with Him, accompanied by a large crowd. 12 Now as He approached the gate of the city, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow; and a sizeable crowd from the city was with her. 13 When the Lord saw her, He felt compassion for her and said to her, "Do not go on weeping." 14 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!" 15 And the dead man sat up and began to speak. And Jesus gave him back to his mother.

Meditation on Scripture:

When I first read this scripture in the past I was impressed by the power Jesus demonstrated over death. It is clear that Luke was intending to highlight Jesus' power over death and how that impacted the people. They responded with fear and then turned to glorify God. This is the natural response to God's power. It wasn't until I was reflecting on why this story was written. It is a very short account of what happened. No details except that of a desperate mother. Jesus could have demonstrated His power by moving the mount of Olives or some other visible feat. He chose to save a Mother. At this time of the year we celebrate mother's day. We can be tempted to think of glorious successes. Perhaps this sets a challenging unrealistic standard for family relationships.

This account from Luke demonstrates a family in agony. It demonstrates a family breaking, being separated by death, and in this time the prospect of a childless mother with nobody to care for her and protect her. Many times in our lives it seems like this can be just an appropriate reflection of Mother's day also. A mother in desperation before the Lord when her family seemed to be deteriorating. Aside from the miracle the only response Jesus showed was that He felt compassion.

As you struggle in life and things inevitably do not go your way, remember the widow of Nain. When you feel broken or that your hope is fading remember that Jesus demonstrated compassion on this nameless mother. He calmed her weeping, then solved her problems with His touch. I hope and pray that each of us can trust Jesus enough to look to the way in which he chooses to heal us and our relationships. Many times it is not in the method we hope for or suspect, but he does it with compassion. Look to Jesus for healing and know that as your reach out to God wrapped in the blanket of His grace, that he can heal all. In Him you are enough and will be forever more.

Meditation of Prayer:

Pray as directed by the Spirit.

Dedicate these moments to the patient waiting, when you feel ready ask God for understanding you desire from Him.

Meditation of God and His Glory / Hesychasm:

I invite you to sit in silence feeling patient for your own faults and trials.

Summarize what insights you have gained during this meditation and meditate and visualize positive change in your life:

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Final Question: If you consider the invitation and command to persevere in the faith, what change in your life does that bring to your mind?

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