Luke 7:12-15 (NLT Translation)
A funeral procession was coming out as he approached the village gate. The young man who had died was a widow’s only son, and a large crowd from the village was with her. When the Lord saw her, his heart overflowed with compassion. “Don’t cry!” he said. Then he walked over to the coffin and touched it, and the bearers stopped. “Young man,” he said, “I tell you, get up.” Then the dead boy sat up and began to talk! And Jesus gave him back to his mother.
There were rules in the Old Testament about touching dead bodies. Jesus would have been classed as ceremonially unclean as a result of touching the bier. But the widow’s need was greater, so Jesus put convention aside (as he often did) and performed a miracle. Sometimes we need to put convention aside too, and inconvenience ourselves a little to meet a greater need. That’s not always an easy thing to do. It’s one of the reason the Priests and religious leaders didn’t like Jesus as they put so much store on regulations and convention.
By putting ourselves out, and following Jesus’ example, some people might think we are being a bit too extreme, and not everyone will approve. But Jesus will, if we do as He would. And that’s really all that matters!
Dear Lord,
Help me to do as Jesus would when a need is brought to my attention, even if it means that it takes me out of my comfort zone. I ask in Jesus’ Name. Amen.