The most compelling news event in the United States this week was the tragic death of Christian activist, Charlie Kirk. In the aftermath of this event, I listened to news programs, and the repeating theme was his person love for Jesus Christ. Never have I heard the secular media mention the sacred name of Jesus more often. A few days after his death, Charlie’s wife Erika spoke to the country. In tears she recalled the meaning of her husband’s death and said “I do not worry about Charlie, for right now he is in the loving embrace of Jesus.” She vowed that she would dedicate her life to promoting the Christian principles that Charlie stood for. Her tears were mixed with great hope, as she saw the tragedy in the context of something much bigger.
In our culture of death, most are held captive by the fear of dying. We are reminded of the words in the Book of Hebrews: “…so that through death he (Jesus) might destroy the one who has power of death, that is, the devil, and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by the fear of death” (Hebrews 2:14-15). The devil’s weapon is to keep us in slavery to him by holding over our heads the fear of death. Jesus defeated Satan and freed us from fear of death by promising our resurrection if we bury ourselves in him. St. Paul reminded Christians that death is mere falling asleep that waking we will find ourselves in Jesus’ arms, as Charlie Kirk did. What astounded the young people in particular that Charlie had no fear of death. In a culture that fears death, a young Christian man, filled with the light of Christ, was no longer held in slavery by it.
Coincidentally, the theme of today’s gospel reading is death and resurrection from the dead (Luke 7:11-17).
“Jesus journeyed to a city called Nain…As he drew near to the gate of the city, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow…When the Lord saw here, he was moved with pity for her and said to her, “Do not weep”.
Does this not remind us of an only Son hanging on a cross about to die? Does it remind us that even in the midst of horrific suffering that Jesus felt pity for his mother who was about to become a widow. We notice that Jesus did not feel pity for the young man in the coffin, but for his mother who would be left alone to fend for herself. Being a widow, her livelihood rested on her son. As with us, it is the survivors who suffer more than the one who “fell asleep.” To everyone’s surprise Jesus looked at the mother and said “Do not weep.” Is this an appropriate thing to say to someone who had just lost a child? There is nothing one can do but weep and grieve in such circumstances.
So what happened next?
“He stepped forward and touched the coffin; at this the bearers halted, and he said, ‘Young man, I tell you, arise!’ The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother.”
Now the widow realized why Jesus told her not to weep. A miracle took place and she had her son back from the dead! This reminds us how Jesus gave his “son,” John, to his widowed mother, and at the same time gave Mary a new son to take care of her. Both the widow and her son eventually died. Yet the one who dies in Christ will never die again.
Jesus replaced himself with John, so that Mary would have a mother to care for him and he for her. He did for them what he did for the widow of Nain.
As we confront the mystery of death, we pray for faith that frees us from the slavery of fear. We trust that for those left behind Jesus will provide us with his own Mother, and his own brothers and sisters to take care of us.
Meantime let’s learn to bury ourselves in Mary’s motherly embrace so that the lies of Satan will no longer influence our minds. No better preparation for our eventual death that be stay close to our Mother and her beloved Son, in whose embrace we will be when we wake from our final “nap.”
