Luke 7:17Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

But when He bids us cease from weeping Who consoles the sorrowful, He tells us to receive consolation from those who are now dead, hoping for their resurrection. But life meeting death stops the bier, as it follows, And he came.

By the widow also you may understand a soul that has lost her husband in the divine word. Her son is the understanding, which is carried out beyond the city of the living. Its coffin is the body, which some indeed have called the tomb. But the Lord touching him raises him up, causing him to become young, and rising from sin he begins to speak and teach others. For before he would not have been believed.

The Lord joins one miracle upon another. In the Former instance He came indeed when called for, but in this He came self-invited; as it is said, And it came to pass the day after that he went into a city called Nain.

Now the proof of the resurrection we learn not so much from the words as from the works of our Saviour, who, beginning His miracles with the less wonderful, reconciled our faith to far greater. First indeed in the grievous sickness of the centurion’s servant, He verged upon the power of resurrection; afterwards with a higher power he led men to the belief in a resurrection, when He raised the widow’s son, who was carried out to be buried; as it is said, Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother.

This dead man was borne on the bier by the four material elements to the grave, but there was a hope of his rising again because he was borne on wood, which though before it did not benefit us, yet after Christ had touched it, began to profit unto life, that it might be a sign that salvation was to be extended to the people by the wood of the cross. For we lie lifeless on the bier when either the fire of immoderate desire bursts forth, or the cold moisture breaks out, and through the sluggish state of our earthly body the vigour of our minds waxes dull.

But it is worthy of remark, that seven resurrections are related before our Lord’s, of which the first was that of the son of the widow of Sarepta, (1 Kings 17) the second of the Shunamite’s son, (2 Kings 4) the third which was caused by the remains of Elisha, (2 Kings 13) the fourth which took place at Nain, as is here related, the fifth of the ruler of the Synagogue’s daughter, (Mark 5) the sixth of Lazarus, (John 11) the seventh at Christ’s passion, for many bodies of the saints arose. (Mat. 27.) The eighth is that of Christ, who being free from death remained beyond for a sign that the general resurrection which is to come in the eighth age shall not be dissolved by death, but shall abide never to pass away.

A statement regarding Him is made: the proclamation of the miracle, or the emergence of the mighty prophet.

But some one will say of the centurion’s servant, that he was not going to die. That such an one might restrain his rash tongue, the Evangelist explains that the young man whom Christ came upon was already dead, the only son of a widow. For it follows, And she was a widow, and much people of the city was. with her.

Nain is a city of Galilee, within two miles of mount Tabor. But by the divine counsel there were large multitudes accompanying the Lord, that there might be many witnesses of so great a miracle. Hence it follows, And his disciples went with him, and much people.

Following this, during His travels in Galilee, a remarkable and extraordinary miracle occurred before the Apostles, which unveiled the Sovereign glory of the Savior: in the presence of the crowd, He resurrected a young man, the only son of a widow, who was being taken to his burial. While Elisha also brought back the dead, he employed numerous methods to achieve this. Jesus, however, accomplished it with a mere word and a gentle touch on the young man's bier, restoring him to life.

The following day, Christ entered the town of Nain, accompanied by His disciples and a considerable crowd. As He neared the city gates, He encountered a sorrowful funeral procession. The collective sorrow was intensified by the fact that the deceased was the sole son of a grieving widow. Upon seeing her, the Lord was moved with compassion and said, “Do not weep.” He approached the bier and touched it, instructing those bearers to halt. The procession came to a standstill, and the Lord declared, “Young man, I say to you, arise!” Instantly, the deceased sat up and began to speak, providing undeniable evidence that he had returned to life. The Lord then took him from the tomb and restored him to his mother.

This voice reached into the unfamiliar and profound domain of death, shaking its very foundations. The deceased arose and began to speak, and the Savior presented the young man to his mother. The onlookers were filled with awe at this sight. Nearby, across the same hill where Nain was situated, lay the city of Shunem, where the prophet Elisha had previously restored the son of a widow who had shown him kindness. At the hill's base, the fertile plain of Jezreel was the scene of remarkable events performed by the renowned prophet Elijah, who also validated his prophetic mission by miraculously resurrecting the son of the widow of Zarephath. Witnessing this miracle, the crowd was reminded of these esteemed servants of the true God.

The Lord observed the deep sorrow of the grieving mother and, moved by compassion, acted as He normally did only in rare circumstances, demonstrating mercy exclusively at His own discretion, without any prior intercession from the distressed woman or her companions. He addressed her, saying, ‘Weep not,’ not to diminish her heartfelt expressions but to offer her a glimpse of impending comfort. What a profound moment it was! All eyes were fixed upon Him. Jesus Christ approached and touched the bier, causing those who were carrying it to stop. As the Lord of life and death, He proclaimed with authority, ‘I say to you, young man, arise.’ His creative command was immediately fulfilled: the deceased rose, sat up, and began to speak.