The Lord was moved with pity upon seeing the widowed mother and said to her “Do not cry.”

Today’s Gospel story relates just one the typical random acts of kindness that Jesus did during His lifetime. He made a habit of responding with love to those He sensed were in some need. Luke’s Gospel clearly presents this miracle as such an act. It states that Jesus, seeing the widowed woman’s grief, took it upon Himself to do something to lessen her grief. He brought her son back to life so that she would not be alone and without a source of support.

Key to understanding this miracle story is the fact that the woman was a widow and the young man who died was her only son and her only support. In the time of Jesus widowed women who did not have a male child to support her became an outcast and/or even homeless. Women were not allow to go outside the home and find a job to support themselves.

While this miracle story only appears in Luke’s Gospel, it shows the evangelist’s special delight in portraying Jesus not only as overwhelmed with pity at the sight of tragedy but also turning with kindly regard toward women. At the time of Jesus a it was against cultural mores for a Jewish man to approach an unknown woman in public, let alone console her. Jesus had the courage of His convictions and did   not allow societal rules to eliminate His random act of kindness. There is nothing to suggest that the woman even knew who Jesus was or that Jesus new her. Naim was two to three hours by foot SE of Nazareth and about eight to nine hours SW of Capernaum.

This narrative possesses the charm, color and pathos of an excellent story: two large crowds meet, approaching from different directions; the silence with which Jesus touches the bier and stops   the funeral procession; the thundering message, calmly spoken, bringing the dead young man back to life.

The word Lord is used here for the first of many times in Luke. This word is the Greek translation for the divine name, Yahweh. It is very appropriately used on this occasion when Jesus appears clothed with that exalted power over life and death by which He becomes the object of His follower’s faith and worship.

What message can we derive from this story that will help us live our present lives in a more spiritual manner? First, we see how Jesus performed random acts of kindness to bear witness the God’s love. We can and must imitate His behavior if we wish to follow Him. Second, we see how Jesus didn’t allow social mores to prohibit Him from being kind to others. We can make sure that we never allow society’s values to keep us from being kind to others. And last, we see how Jesus knew the value of supporting others who are in need. We can make sure that we imitate this behavior!