This includes the widow of Zarephath and the Shunammite woman; the former was restored her deceased son by the prophet Elijah, while the latter received her son back through Elisha, each demonstrating profound faith through their actions.
Consider how the widow of Zarephath awaited the prophet’s promise for sustenance; in her scarcity, she provided for him first with just a handful of flour and a little oil, the last of her provisions. Despite her child’s grave illness and subsequent death — “his sickness was so great that there was no breath left in him” — she did not reject the prophet nor cast blame upon him, but reflected upon her own shortcomings, attributing her misfortune to her sins. Even in despair, she addressed Elijah as “the Man of God,” expressing her anguish not with accusation but with a sense of personal responsibility: “What is it to me and to thee, O Man of God? You came to me to bring my sins to light and to take away my son.” Her faith led her to recognize that her faults were the cause of her sorrow — she perceived Elijah as a vessel of divine enlightenment whose arrival had caused her hidden transgressions to be revealed.
This humble foreign woman was thus honored by God, serving as a precursor to the call of the Gentiles and as an exemplar of faith, ultimately receiving her son restored to life. The Shunammite woman similarly exhibited faith through her interactions with Elisha, demonstrating her steadfastness as she concealed her sorrow, assuring him, “The Lord liveth, and thy soul liveth, and I will not leave thee.” It was due to her unwavering belief that her son was revived through the prophet’s power. The faith possessed by these mothers in seeing their sons resurrected stands as a remarkable testament to the miracles performed through the prophets, as Paul affirms with “By faith wives receive by the resurrection of their dead.”
Though the miracles were accomplished in conjunction with the mothers' faith and piety, Elijah pleaded with God, lamenting, “O Lord, witness of the widow with whom I now abide, Thou hast wronged, that thou mightest kill her son.” He implored, “O Lord my God, let this boy's soul return to him,” and God granted his request. Likewise, Elisha not only extended himself over the child and walked about in prayer within the room, but as recorded, “prayed to the Lord,” thus reviving the son of the Shunammite woman.
In contrast, our Lord Jesus Christ, as narrated in today’s Gospel, encountered a widow in mourning for her deceased son and, without hesitation or the need for prayer, restored her son to her through a mere command, demonstrating His authority over life and death. The Evangelist recounts, “Jesus went down into the town called Nain,” illustrating that the Lord proactively sought to perform this great act of resurrection, revealing His power and mercy. The widow of Zarephath challenged Elijah while the Shunammite woman compelled Elisha to come, yet they were unaware of their impending trials. In contrast, the Lord, in His omniscience, approached the town of Nain unbidden, as noted, “He went after these things.”
The resurrection of the widow’s son symbolizes the renewal of our minds. Our souls, akin to a widow, deprived of their heavenly Bridegroom due to sin, find their one true son — the intellect — wounded and lifeless. The Lord, in His flesh, comes to redress this, reviving and renewing us. The Evangelist highlights this critical moment, recording that Jesus sought to uplift the widow’s despair and transformed her grief into joy. I urge you, dear brethren, to reflect upon these words: each of you who feels the weight of a dead spirit within and mourns for your sins will find the Comforter will come, bringing life and everlasting consolation. “Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.”
As the Evangelist notes, “Jesus went,” accompanied by His many disciples and a great multitude. In contrast, Elijah, before raising the widow’s son, secluded himself, and Elisha closed the door behind him while ministering to the deceased child, as scriptural accounts tell us. Recognizing the power of intense prayer, they sought solitude to direct their focus toward God. Yet the Lord, possessing absolute power over life and death, did not need to withdraw; He was amid His disciples and throngs of people, those He had brought along and those present at the scene of resurrection.
THEOSIS