Today’s Daily Lesson comes from Luke chapter 7 verses 11 through 17:
11 Soon afterwards he went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went with him. 12As he approached the gate of the town, a man who had died was being carried out. He was his mother’s only son, and she was a widow; and with her was a large crowd from the town. 13When the Lord saw her, he had compassion for her and said to her, ‘Do not weep.’ 14Then he came forward and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, ‘Young man, I say to you, rise!’ 15The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. 16Fear seized all of them; and they glorified God, saying, ‘A great prophet has risen among us!’ and ‘God has looked favourably on his people!’ 17This word about him spread throughout Judea and all the surrounding country.
Though all around the whole crowd is involved in the ritual of death, Jesus steps forward to stop its procession. No one else could see anything but death lying in the coffin; Jesus, however, saw something else. Jesus could still see the potential for life lying in the young man’s coffin.
So often we can write young people off as hopeless cases, people who will never change or be changed, and whose destiny we imagine is the graveyard — whether literally or figuratively. But all it takes is one who sees something else, who sees the potential for life and is willing to step forward, reach out a hand, and intervene and the whole funeral procession can be stopped and turned around.
May we have eyes to see life where others only see death. And may we find it within ourselves the strength and courage to step forward, reach out our hands, and say to those said to be dead, “Rise!”
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