1 Kings 17:17-24, Psalm 102:12-17, Ephesians 3:13-21, Luke 7:11-17.
A). ELIJAH RAISES THE WIDOW’S SON.
1 Kings 17:17-24.
Lest the widow of Zarephath should imagine that she was singled out in preference even to the Israeli widows on account of her own merits, she was sent a trial of faith, which both made her aware of her own sinfulness, and of the possible source of potential sin: “the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick; and his sickness was so sore, that there was no breath left in him. And she said unto Elijah, What have I to do with thee, O thou man of God? art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son?” (1 KINGS 17:17-18).
Her reaction in blaming Elijah was a knee-jerk reaction against the God of Elijah, such as any of us might make on the initial impact of a hard providence. Notice that she is no longer calling God by his name, the LORD, nor is she calling Him the living God!
Yet in the end, she placed the blame on her own shoulders. She had not been sinless when called by God - none of us are - and she may well have been in danger of idolising her son who she was so concerned to protect, placing him alongside or even above God in her present life?
Elijah also questioned the LORD, but he did not lose sight of his faith, and put that faith into action in a manner God revealed to him: “And he cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, hast thou also brought evil upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by slaying her son? And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, I pray thee, let this child's soul come into him again. And the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived” (1 KINGS 17:20-22).
Now, indeed, prayer was being answered in that household, and having both her son - and her faith - restored to her: “the woman said to Elijah, Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in thy mouth is truth” (1 KINGS 17:24).
B). THE TIME TO FAVOUR ZION.
Psalm 102:12-17.
Man in his affliction may feel that his days are racing away from him (cf. Psalm 102:11). Yet, before our legitimate prayer (cf. Psalm 102:1) disintegrates into despair, it is well to remind ourselves that “thou, O LORD, shalt endure for ever, and thy remembrance unto all generations” (PSALM 102:12). And that “thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion: for the time to favour her, the set time, is come” (PSALM 102:13).
The Jews “took pleasure in” the stones of Zion, and “favoured the dust thereof” (PSALM 102:14). This is out of reverence for the place where the LORD was worshipped. In like manner, ministers of the Gospel take pleasure in nurturing converts to Christianity, ‘as lively stones, built up a spiritual house… acceptable to God by Jesus Christ’ (cf. 1 Peter 2:5). “Dust” could stand for the multitudes of Abraham’s spiritual sons (cf. Galatians 3:7).
So this anticipates more than the rebuilding of Jerusalem after the Babylonian exile. It anticipates the gospel age, when "the nations shall fear the name of the LORD, and all kings of the earth thy glory" (PSALM 102:15; cf. Psalm 72:19; Revelation 11:15).
It also anticipates the glorious coming of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ (PSALM 102:16; cf. Titus 2:13).
All this is in answer to the prayers of His people (PSALM 102:17).
This should encourage us to keep on praying. ‘Pray for the peace of Jerusalem’ (cf. Psalm 122:6). Pray that ‘the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea’ (cf. Habakkuk 2:14). Pray for revival (cf. Psalm 85:6).
C). A PRAYER FOR GENTILE BELIEVERS.
Ephesians 3:13-21.
In Ephesians 3:1-12, Paul related how he had been called to preach the gospel among the Gentiles.
Since this was his calling in life, he exhorted the Ephesians that they “faint not” at the ongoing “tribulations” which he was suffering “for” them, as the Apostle to the Gentiles (EPHESIANS 3:13). In fact, it was for their “glory” that he should so suffer.
The “For this reason” of EPHESIANS 3:14 echoes Ephesians 3:1, and picks up the thread of thought that was left there. This follows Paul’s contemplation of the reconciliation accomplished by our Lord Jesus Christ (cf. Ephesians 2:11-22). Jesus, by His own blood, had resolved the estrangement between God and man, and had broken down the wall of partition between Jew and Gentile.
Thinking about this, Paul was driven to his knees before the Father (EPHESIANS 3:14). The Father is both ‘the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ’ (cf. Ephesians 1:3), and ‘Our Father’ (as we say in the Lord’s Prayer). He is ‘the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory’ (cf. Ephesians 1:17) – ‘My Father, and your Father; My God, and your God,’ says Jesus (cf. John 20:17).
Kneeling is not the usual posture for prayer amongst the Jews, but it is not unknown (cf. Ezra 9:5; Luke 22:41; Acts 7:60). The usual posture is standing (cf. Luke 18:11; Luke 18:13). Evidently the Lord approves of both.
The Father is described as the One “of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named” (EPHESIANS 3:15). “The whole family” is a better translation than “every family” - although both are possible - because Paul had just been speaking about the breaking down of the wall of partition that separated between Jew and Gentile.
The addition “in heaven and (upon) earth” points towards the community of the whole church - and our family identity with one another, and with those who have already passed from this scene of time. It may also locate the ‘heavenly places’ of Ephesians 1:3, in which we are ‘seated with Christ’ (cf. Ephesians 2:6).
To be “named” by the Father, is to be admitted into His family. There we - we who were once outsiders - come under His patronage, and receive of His benefits. This is the wonder of our salvation!
Paul grounds His petition in “the riches of His glory” (EPHESIANS 3:16) - an expression which he has used before (cf. Ephesians 1:18). He prays that we would be “strengthened with might” - with dynamic power. This is turned into an exhortation later, when he instructs us to be “empowered by His might” (cf. Ephesians 6:10).
Our strength comes from the LORD, and Paul locates the source of this power in “His Spirit in the inner man.” Collectively, Jewish and Gentile believers ‘have access by one Spirit to the Father’ (cf. Ephesians 2:18), and ‘are being built together for a dwelling place of God through the Spirit’ (cf. Ephesians 2:22). The prayer is that Christians would draw upon the strength that is already within them, through the indwelling Holy Spirit.
Paul prays “that Christ may dwell in our hearts by faith” (EPHESIANS 3:17) - not as a stranger, but as a King in His own residence. And just as we are no more strangers (cf. Ephesians 2:19), the prayer is that we might be “rooted and grounded in love” so that He might be the chief cornerstone of our lives (cf. Ephesians 2:20).
The Apostle prays that we will have the power to comprehend the love of Christ - and sets out some incomprehensible dimensions (EPHESIANS 3:18). We will not apprehend this alone, but only in fellowship with “all the saints” - both those who have gone before, and those still living, and those yet unborn.
This is a Cross-shaped love. Its Breadth embraces Christians from all walks of life, both Jews and Gentiles, bond and free, male and female (cf. Galatians 3:28). Its Length spans both Time and Eternity. Its Depth reaches down into hell, from which Christ has lifted us. Its Height elevates us to Heaven.
There are similarities in language here to Romans 8:38-39. Paul is effectively repeating his earlier petition, for God to grant us ‘wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him’ (cf. Ephesians 1:17).
Paul prays that we may “know the love of Christ” (EPHESIANS 3:19) which is beyond our knowledge. This is only possible by revelation.
The Apostle desires that we would tap into that which is already within us, and be “filled with the fullness of God.” No small aspiration, but not unlike the exhortations ‘to be holy as God is holy’ (cf. 1 Peter 1:16), and ‘to be perfect as our Father which is in heaven is perfect’ (cf. Matthew 5:48). We are to ‘grow into the measure of the stature of Christ’ (cf. Ephesians 4:13; Ephesians 4:15), and ‘go on being filled with the Spirit’ (cf. Ephesians 5:18).
As we seek to comprehend the incomprehensible, and to know the unknowable, Paul leads us into a majestic benediction which is brim-full of superlatives. Here is the key to answered prayer - it lies within God. He is “able to do” (EPHESIANS 3:20) - having done all when He rested from His Creation work (cf. Genesis 2:3), and when Jesus announced the completion of His Redemption work on the Cross: ‘It is finished’ (cf. John 19:30). He is able to complete that which He has begun in us (cf. 2 Timothy 1:12).
Furthermore, He is able to do “all” things. He has the power. His ability reaches above our prayers, beyond our hopes, thoughts, and dreams. He goes infinitely beyond that, and does much more. AND ALL BY THE POWER THAT IS ALREADY AT WORK WITHIN US!
To such a God, says Paul, be glory (EPHESIANS 3:21). In the church, and by Christ Jesus. Throughout all generations of mankind, and on into eternity. Amen.
D). A VISITATION BY GOD, AND THE COMPASSION OF JESUS.
Luke 7:11-17.
It is interesting to compare this incident with that in the immediately preceding passage. In Luke 7:1-10 a Roman centurion pleaded with Jesus on behalf of his bondman, who otherwise had no voice, and no rights. The centurion, recognising his own lack of rights as an outsider to the people of God, addressed Jesus indirectly via teams of emissaries. It was a message of the deepest humility, the utmost faith, and the clearest understanding of the authority of Jesus. Jesus commended this outsider’s faith, and healed the centurion’s servant (Luke 7:9).
In Luke 7:11-17 there is no such appeal from the bereft widow, no sending of emissaries, no expressions of faith. In fact, the widow is silent throughout. However, there is a miraculous demonstration of the compassion of Jesus.
What an encouragement to us, not only to pray for those without a voice in society (widows and orphans, the stranger, the homeless, the disenfranchised, refugees, the poor, the destitute, the unborn – the list goes on and on): but also to pray for those who cannot, or even for those who will not pray for themselves.
A ‘procession of life’ was entering Nain that day, with “much people” thronging around Jesus and His disciples (Luke 7:11). For them it was perhaps beginning to dawn that Jesus is the only ‘living hope of a sure salvation’ (cf. 1 Peter 1:3-5).
At the gate to the city they encountered a ‘procession of death’ going in the opposite direction, with a widow recently bereft of her only son, and “much people of the city” with her (Luke 7:12). For her it would have appeared that all hope had died with her son.
The Lord saw her, had compassion on her, and tenderly told her to stop weeping (Luke 7:13). This would have been small comfort to her, if it were not for what followed.
Jesus did the unthinkable (Luke 7:14)!
First, He touched the bier! Did He not know that this was forbidden, and that it rendered Him ceremonially unclean? Yet Jesus was never one for standing on ceremony when He had work to do, and is always willing to get right down beside our dirt and grime, and sin and disease - and even voluntarily participated in death itself. Those who bore the young man stood still, perhaps in astonishment, but also waiting to see what was going to happen next.
Then, secondly, and astonishingly, Jesus spoke to the corpse. “Young man,” He said. Young man what? Rest in peace? No, but, “Young man, I say unto thee, Arise.” As with the Roman centurion’s bondman (Luke 7:7), the authority for the miracle resided in the word of Jesus Himself: “I say unto thee” (cf. also Luke 11:9).
Thirdly, the young man sat up, and began to speak (Luke 7:15).
Comparisons might also be drawn with the raising of a widow’s dead son in the days of Elijah (1 Kings 17:17-24). However, on that occasion the widow blamed Elijah; and Elijah had to do rather more than just touching the bier, stretching out upon the boy three times before he revived. Elijah ‘delivered the child alive to his mother’ (1 Kings 17:23), just as Jesus did with the young man here.
We can imagine the fear and astonishment that came over the people from both processions at this time (Luke 7:16). This was supplemented, however, with a limited expression of faithfulness, and awe towards God. Surely a great prophet has risen among us (cf. 1 Kings 17:24). Or, indeed, God Himself has visited His people.
The idea of visitation by God was not unfamiliar to His hopeful people. John the Baptist’s father prophesied of this, when he had his voice restored to him (Luke 1:68-70). Jesus bemoaned the fact that Jerusalem ‘did not know the day of their visitation’ (Luke 19:44). There is also ‘a day of visitation’ to come, for which we wait (1 Peter 2:12).
No wonder that the news about Jesus spread throughout Judaea and beyond (Luke 7:17), reaching across the world, and down through the ages to ourselves. Jesus, who has power over life and death, has compassion on us, too, no matter what our situation in life. God has visited His people, and visits us still.
