The Widow of Nain

adapted from She, delighting in the women of the Bible, Volume 3, pp 75-76

Today’s Scripture: Luke 7:11-17 and 1 John 4:9

God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. 1 Jn 4:9

The raising of the dead never gets old, does it? On the contrary, it moves (or should move) us to marvel at what God has done, weeping with joy and/or glorifying God. Whether it is Peter raising a beloved and generous widow from her deathbed, or Jesus speaking to a mother’s son lying dead on a bier¹, or Christ, who was dead for three days but rose and walked out of the tomb on the third day – may we never cease to glorify God when we read of resurrected life or see Him work miracles around/for us today.

believers glorify God by aligning with His purposes. Jesus modeled this by perfectly obeying the Father, revealing His character, and offering His life as a sacrifice.

THE WIDOW OF NAIN SERVES AS AN EXAMPLE OF THE MIRACLES THAT CHRIST CAN PERFORM IN OUR LIVES SIMPLY BECAUSE OF HIS LOVE FOR US. ²

The emphasis on never tiring of reading about these miracles hit me today as I caught myself thinking – ‘hey, we just read about Peter telling Tabitha to “arise”‘. I found it a bit strange that the study book had put two “resurrection” accounts so close together. However, there are notable differences, such as in the story of Tabitha being raised, which happened because Peter had been urged to come without delay. Yet, in the story of the widow of Nain, Scripture does not indicate that Jesus had been told about the son’s death, only that Jesus saw her, and He had compassion on her, saying, “Weep not”. These comforting words were followed by the life-giving words spoken to her son: “Young man, I say to you, arise.”

Friends, until that day comes when we are called to be with Him, may we rise up daily, take up our cross, turn from our selfish ways, and faithfully follow Him toward everlasting life in His presence.

The More We Know

When the Lord works miracles, we must do just as the multitudes did that day…glorify Him.³

So what does it mean to glorify God?

I was taught years ago that to glorify God means to make him known.

Check out these other helpful definitions/explanations that rightfully help us to understand the importance and value of glorifying God.

• Glorifying God is the ultimate purpose of human existence, defined in Christian theology as thinking, feeling, and acting in ways that reflect God’s supreme greatness, beauty, and perfections. It is the act of making God’s glory visible, acknowledging His intrinsic worth (kabod/glory) and magnifying His character to the world.

The Theological Foundation of Glorifying God

• Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic Glory: God possesses inherent, infinite glory (intrinsic) that cannot be increased. Glorifying God means acknowledging this glory and displaying it (extrinsic) through creation, redemption, and human lives.
• The “Telescope” Analogy: As described by John Piper in The Wasted Life, humans are intended to act like telescopes, not microscopes. A telescope reveals the massive grandeur of God, whereas a microscope shrinks the view to focus on oneself.
• The Trinity and Glory: God glorifies Himself in everything; therefore, believers glorify God by aligning with His purposes. Jesus modeled this by perfectly obeying the Father, revealing His character, and offering His life as a sacrifice.

Reflection and Application

Sources

1. A bier is a stand on which a corpse, coffin, or casket containing a corpse is placed to lie in state or to be carried to its final disposition. In a Christian burial, the bier is often placed in the center of the nave with candles surrounding it, and remains in place during the funeral. Source: Wikipedia ↩︎
2. She, delighting in the women of the Bible, Volume 3, pp 75-76 ↩︎
3. She, delighting in the women of the Bible, Volume 3, pp 75-76 ↩︎