As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out—the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, “Don’t cry.”
Luke 7:12-13 (NIV)
Lord Jesus, on this first day after Easter, reading these verses, my mind and heart went to one of Your last words on the cross, “Woman, here is your son,” and to John, “Here is your mother.” (John 19:26-27) Being the God Who knows all things, in my mind’s eye I can see You seeing in this mother Your own mother, weeping as You were slowly dying on the cross. Indeed, the Word declares that in You we have a High Priest Who knows what we are going through, can fully and completely empathize with us, is connected to us in a way we cannot understand (Hebrews 4:15). And in Your glorious compassion, You relieved this mother of her agony, even as You would relieve Your mother of hers. What an awesome God You are!
It is this truth that gives me joy and hope this morning. I know that You see me. Even as You saw that woman in her suffering, You see me in all of my struggles. You saw her mourning the loss of her only begotten son, and in Your infinite compassion You did not wait for someone to intercede on her behalf. You did not ask what would you like Me to do. No. You intervened. You inserted Your glory into her space. You made known Your presence in her life. And You have promised to do the same for me!
Even now I can hear You whispering in my soul’s ear, “Don’t cry!” Your heart overflows with love and compassion towards me. I am Your own. You see me where I am, what I am carrying, and the losses that are weighing me down. You see the crowds around me that continue to fuel my sorrow. And You come to me, in my most broken state, and tell me, “Don’t cry!” And in Your love, You wipe away my tears.
Today, I just want to thank You for this tangible display of love towards me. I pray that You would just continue to remind me that I am not only Yours, but loved with an everlasting love. Thank You, Jesus, for giving me what I don’t deserve. Amen.