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When Elisha reached the house, there was the boy lying dead on his couch. He went in, shut the door on the two of them and prayed to the LORD. Then he got on the bed and lay on the boy, mouth to mouth, eyes to eyes, hands to hands. As he stretched himself out on him, the boy’s body grew warm. 2 Kings 4:32-34

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

“Death scares us, but it really shouldn’t. Death is just a natural part of life.” That’s a quote from a popular children’s book about death. It’s a touching story, that is, until you see what a Shunammite woman is cradling in her arms. The Bible tells her story in 2 Kings. In her old age, God blessed her with a gift that she never expected: a little boy. She watched him grow up, playing and learning, and she loved him very much. But one day, as he was working in the field with his dad, his head began to hurt. A servant rushed him home to his mother and she cradled him in her arms until he died. Her heart was broken.

Sometimes people say things like “death is just a natural part of life” to make it sound simple. But when someone we love dies, that doesn’t feel true at all. We hate and fear death because it is sad and scary.

The Shunammite woman did the right thing—she went to God’s prophet Elisha, trusting that God could help. Elisha prayed to the Lord, and God brought the boy back to life! This miracle shows us two things: 1. God is loving and merciful. 2. God has power, even over death.

Just like that boy, we are born with sin, and we will face death one day. But God made a way from death to life through Jesus. When we are baptized, God makes us spiritually alive. Baptism joins us to Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. It makes us forgiven children of God and gives us the gift of eternal life.

That doesn’t mean you’ll never cry when someone you love dies. Sometimes, there may be a part of you that wants to quote whatever phrase you can to make the pain go away. But when you want to understand death, look to Jesus. Stories like today’s remind us: death is real, but God has the power to fix it. Jesus didn’t just bring the Shunamite boy back to life—he brings life to you too. This Lenten season, look at Jesus on the way to the cross. He teaches us not just about death, but about real life with him.

Dear Lord, thank you for sending Jesus to provide a real answer to death. Because Jesus lives, we too will live! Amen.

The questions below are to help families discuss this devotion. The questions are divided by age group as suggestions, but anyone could reflect on any of the questions as they desire.

Questions for Younger Children

Questions for Elementary Age Children

Questions for Middle School and Above

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