Jesus · c. AD 28
Chapter 22
A Widow’s Son
He came near and touched the coffin, and the bearers stood still. He said, “Young man, I tell you, arise!”He who was dead sat up and began to speak. Then he gave him to his mother.
For parents
A centurion’s servant lies close to death (Luke 7:2) before Jesus heals him, and a widow’s only son has died and is being carried out of the town when Jesus raises him (Luke 7:11–15). In Matthew 8:11–12 Jesus warns that the children of the Kingdom will be thrown out into the darkness outside, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.
When had finished speaking to the people, he went into .
There was a there, an officer with soldiers under him. Luke says he had a servant who was dear to him, and the servant was sick and close to death.
In Matthew, the centurion himself came to Jesus and asked him for help. “Lord,” he said, “my servant is lying in my house paralyzed, and he is in terrible torment.”
In Luke, the centurion heard about Jesus and sent of the Jews to ask him to come and save his servant. When they came to Jesus, they begged him earnestly. “He is worthy of your help,” they said, “because he loves our nation, and he built our for us.”
In Matthew, Jesus told the centurion, “I will come and heal him.” In Luke, Jesus went with the elders.
In Matthew, the centurion answered Jesus face to face. In Luke, Jesus was already near the house, and the centurion sent friends out to him with a message.
“Lord, I’m not worthy for you to come under my roof,” the centurion said. “Just say the word, and my servant will be healed. I’m a man under authority too, and I have soldiers under me. If I tell one of them, ‘Go,’ he goes. If I tell another, ‘Come,’ he comes. If I tell my servant, ‘Do this,’ he does it.”
In Luke, the message begins, “Lord, don’t trouble yourself,” and after the words about his roof it says, “So I didn’t even think I was worthy to come to you.”
When Jesus heard these words, he was amazed at the centurion, and he spoke to the people who were following him. Luke says he turned around to the crowd to say it. “I tell you for certain,” Jesus said, “I haven’t found faith as great as this, not even in Israel.”
In Matthew, Jesus went on. “I tell you, many will come from the east and the west, and they will sit down with , , and in the Kingdom of Heaven. But the children of the Kingdom will be thrown out into the darkness outside. There will be weeping and grinding of teeth.”
Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go on your way. Let it be done for you as you have believed.” His servant was healed in that same hour.
In Luke, the men who had been sent went back to the house, and they found that the servant who had been sick was well.
Soon after this, Jesus went to the town of . Many of his went with him, and a great crowd too.
As he came near the town gate, people were carrying out a dead man. He was the only son his mother had, and she was a widow: her husband had died. Many people from the town were with her.
When the Lord saw her, he felt compassion for her. “Don’t cry,” he said to her.
Jesus came up and touched the coffin, and the ones carrying it stood still. “Young man,” he said, “I tell you, get up!”
The man who had been dead sat up and began to speak. Then Jesus gave him to his mother.
Fear took hold of everyone, and they gave glory to God. “A great has risen up among us!” they said, and also, “God has come to his people!”
Word about Jesus spread through all of and the whole region around it.