Sunday 15th September 2024. Trinity 16.
Pastor Pete Myers explains Luke 7:11-17.
What difference do words make?
What difference do words make?
What difference do words make?
There’s a lot of people around us in the UK struggling to feel like talking about things really helps. Record low voter turnout in the election. Riots on the streets.
And in our personal lives there’s many ways that it feels like words don’t matter.
Some people in our congregation have been treated unfairly by others.
Some people in our congregation have been unable to explain their side of things.
Some people in our congregation have been telling friends and family about Jesus for years and it feels like talking is just pointless.
In our Gospel passage today, we see a woman who has suffered in a way that is unusual compared to people around her. She’s almost certainly misunderstood. She’s been forcibly separated from her family.
It is a kind of suffering that people here will understand because each in our own ways we have lived it.
And what’s amazing is—God understands.
And that’s why this story is here in the Bible. For people with messy and difficult lives—people like you and people like me.
And the amazing thing Jesus is going to show us is this: Words do make a difference.
There’s three parts to this story. Three notes in what Jesus has to teach us:
- There is no pattern to suffering in this life
- Faith
- This new life speaks Jesus’ Word
There is no pattern to suffering in this life
So, let’s see the first part of this story: There is no pattern to suffering in this life
Just take a look at v. 11:
Soon afterward he went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a great crowd went with him.
There’s many, many people taking an interest in Jesus, and Luke explicitly points out the name of the town he travels to.
It’s called “Nain”, which is a Hebrew word meaning “pleasant.”
So, what English names could we give this place: “Pleasantville”; “Happy-town”; or maybe just simply “The good place.”
All of us know what it’s like to live in, or meet people from, “The good place.” Everyone has nice houses, happy marriages, obedient children.
It seems that nothing goes wrong for other people that live in the good place.
And that’s why when things go wrong for us while living there …it can feel particularly bitter.
And that is the experience of this woman in v. 12-14. Please look at those with me:
As he drew near to the gate of the town, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow, and a considerable crowd from the town was with her.
Here we have a woman who has suffered exceptionally more than those around her.
She lives in the good place, but her life does not reflect that: Her husband is dead. Her son is dead. She has no other family.
What goes through a person’s mind when they suffer more than the people around? What is said to them? And what is said about them?
These questions are addressed over and over again in the Bible, but particularly in the book of Job.
And we see there especially that the human mind tries to make sense of suffering when it occurs.
We want there to be a reason or a pattern. And so we try and explain things. And our explanations are always legalistic: “What did this person do to deserve that?” “What pattern of unwise behaviour led to this?”
Even in the church there’s a kind of Christianised way of doing this: “What specific thing is God trying to teach you?” “What specific thing is God preparing you for?”
This kind of legalistic thinking is so unhelpful because the Bible tells us in many places: There is no pattern to suffering in this life.
Broadly speaking we can say two things:
- if we do not have faith in God, then any suffering we experience is a foretaste of our final judgement;
- but if we do have faith in God, then any suffering we experience is because our heavenly Father, who loves us and works all things for our good and is testing our faith to help us grow in it.
But other than these general, objective statements: There is no pattern to suffering in this life.
People here have suffered in all sorts of different ways, and we’ve heard all sorts of unhelpful words explaining it.
But if you want to know how Jesus feels about you in your suffering, then take a look with me at vv. 13-14:
And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.” Then he came up and touched the bier,
Jesus doesn’t turn around a say “Let’s explore your internal sins.” He doesn’t say “This is a prime opportunity to grow, let’s address your internal thought processes.”
No… rather…
he had compassion on her.
That is how Jesus feels about you when you suffer.
And the world is split into two different groups of people: Those who trust that Jesus does have compassion when we suffer. And those who simply don’t—won’t—believe it.
The Bible tells us that there is no pattern to suffering in this life, because the Christian faith is not a self-help system.
The Bible doesn’t give us a political system for a blessed society; or a psychological system for a blessed emotional life; or an economic system for blessed finances.
Of course being right with God has wonderful positive impact on our lives.
But you can’t capture the benefits of a relationship like lightning in a bottle and turn it into some kind of set of instructions or advice.
Faith is new life
That’s not what faith is. Faith is more radical than that. Faith is more transforming. Because Faith is new life
Just look at v. 14:
Then he came up and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still.
Life in the good place, and the awful suffering of this woman, is just marching forward relentlessly.
Jesus walks up. Touches it. And everything stops.
What is about to happen is not a better version of this woman’s life. She is not simply going to join the others in the happy place. This is a radical change to the way things are.
Everything stops when Jesus enters.
And what does Jesus do? He speaks, vv. 14-15:
And he said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother.
Faith is new life.
Without Christ, without faith, we are dead. Whether we’re in the good place, or we’re alone and all our family around us are gone. We are dead in our sins.
And Jesus gives us new life… …which means hearing his Word and believing it.
And that is not simply a better or more socially acceptable life than we had before… …it is a different life completely.
The first commandment tells us to have no other gods. That means to love God, to trust God, to look to God alone as the ultimate source of all good in our lives.
Luther’s Short Catechism summarises the meaning of the first commandment very simply like this:
We should fear, love, and trust in God above all things.
And like a key that unlocks a bank vault door with many locks, every other commandment flows out of this one.
That’s why the explanation for every other commandment in the Short Catechism starts with the words:
We should fear and love God so that…
All of our spiritual response to God hinges on this one question: Do we trust that he is good and loves us or not?
And that’s why: Faith is new life.
This new life speaks Jesus’ Word
This new life comes from hearing Jesus’ Word, and… This new life speaks Jesus’ Word
Did you see what the young man did the moment he sat up? v. 15 again,
And the dead man sat up and began to speak,
And as a result, this new life, this faith, springs up all around him, v. 16,
Fear seized them all, and they glorified God,
And so in turn their faith, their new life also speaks Jesus’ Word, vv. 16-17:
they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has arisen among us!” and “God has visited his people!” And this report about him spread through the whole of Judea and all the surrounding country.
Words do make a difference
So what does this mean? Very simply: Words do make a difference.
Why?
Because There is no pattern to suffering in this life: Many of us here have experienced the pain of unhelpful words in the face of our suffering.
We all know what it’s like to live among people of the Good place, but not experience that ourselves.
And the words of this world tell us a constant lie that there is a pattern to this suffering: a legalistic interpretation that keeps us trapped in spiritual death.
But, Faith is new life: A response of trust to hearing Jesus’ Word that says “Yes, I believe Jesus has compassion on me.”
And, This new life speaks Jesus’ Word to others.
You have incredible power.
Think of the words of Jesus here. The words of this young man in v. 15. The words of all the people in this town.
You can transform your family. You can transform your friends. You can transform your workplace. You can transform your clubs and societies. You can transform our church.
The Word of Jesus brings new life. All you have to do is speak it. Let’s start here, and think about it:
How do we use words at church? What do we say to each other on a Sunday? When we message one another in the week, or speak over the phone or email… …what words are we speaking?
Because if we speak the Gospel of Jesus to one another: New life will grow. And that new life will speak the words of Jesus.
What about with others outside the church? Try saying Jesus’ name. When you arrive or leave, don’t say “God bless.” Don’t say “Cheers.” Trying saying “Jesus’ blessings.”
Two very short words, very simple. But they have the power to bring new life.
Do you have a friend or family member or colleague who has questions or even objections to the Christian faith?
Take a couple of the guided discussion booklets at the back of church. All they contain are common questions people ask, short Bible passages that address them, and some questions that might provoke a helpful discussion.
Or take one of the church postcards, and send them to people after you’ve spent time with them. They have one verse from the Bible and one question for people to think about.
Words do make a difference.
There is no pattern to suffering in this life. But Faith is new life. And This new life speaks Jesus’ Word.
Listen to his Words every day this week. Let’s speak his Words to one another. And speak his Words to others.
Because Christ does have compassion on everyone we talk to.
Imagine what will happen when people believe it.