Compassionate Jesus, the Monogenis

All deaths are painful, but some leave us traumatized. Two weeks ago, we found out that one of Lori’s students died in the Maui fire. He was a few days from turning 15. That was a traumatic death, leaving us asking, “Why him?” Many of us have gone through similar tragic events. A few of our friends’ children have been tragically killed by drunk drivers. Two of my friends died of a brain aneurysm. One friend died while helping his elderly neighbors by cutting their grass – the tractor flipped over and pinned him in a small pond, and he drowned.

Jesus, too, saw several such tragedies in his earthly time. One left him emotionally drained that he acted on it.

“The day after healing a centurion’s servant/child, Jesus and his disciples entered a city called Nain. A large crowd accompanied them. As Jesus entered the city gate, he saw people carrying out a widow’s dead only child (monogenis). The entire population of the city was with her. Seeing her, Jesus took pity on her and said to her: ‘Don’t cry.’ He touched the coffin in which they were carrying him and said, ‘Young man, I say to you: Rise.’ And the dead man sat and spoke. Jesus gave him to his mother.” (Luke 7:11–15)

This incident might have moved Jesus because he saw a resemblance between the dead man’s life and his life. It seemed like Mary became a widow soon after Jesus was born; we never hear about Joseph in the Gospels after the birth scenes. Jesus was a monogenis – “only child” – of the heaven Father (John 3:16) and might have been of Mary, too, if his siblings were half-brothers and sisters, i.e., Joseph’s children from a previous marriage (the way the early church understood, and Roman Catholics still believe). Jesus was also a young man (around 30 years old) who would soon die and be separated from his young and widowed mother. All these drove him to feel pity for that mother who was a widow and lost her only son. That perhaps was why he healed that young man and gave him to the widowed mother.

The crowd from Nain and the crowd that accompanied Jesus saw this. They were astonished and gave glory to God, saying,

“A great prophet had risen among us because God has visited his people.” (Luke 7:16)

That declaration went throughout Judea and all surrounding villages.

There is an important repetition of a word in this passage. Jesus said to the young man: Rise (egiro). Seeing the miracle, the people said a great prophet had risen (egiro) among them. Soon, that prophet would go to the cross, die, and rise (egiro) from the dead. The widow of Nain and Mary would have their young men restored to them!

Even for us who are hurt by the sting of death, the hope of resurrection awaits. We will see our loved ones who were taken away from us untimely. They are with Jesus now – sitting and talking.