Luke 7:11-17 - Foreshadowing?

[Byzman]

Does anyone else notice here any similarities between the widow’s son and Jesus?

Luke 7:11-17 ESV

11 Soon afterward he went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a great crowd went with him. 12 As he drew near to the gate of the town, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow, and a considerable crowd from the town was with her. 13 And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.” 14 Then he came up and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” 15 And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. 16 Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has arisen among us!” and “God has visited his people!” 17 And this report about him spread through the whole of Judea and all the surrounding country.

It is very striking that this account seems like a foreshadowing of Christ’s own Resurrection. It is almost like Luke is telling us here that this is how it happened with Christ and His mother.

 

[Barbkw]

I like to imagine being in the crowds watching Jesus as He spreads the Gospel and heals people throughout Sacred Scripture.

Thanks for drawing attention to the way in which Luke writes.

 

[NotWorthy]

11 Soon afterward he went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a great crowd went with him. 12 As he drew near to the gate of the town, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow, and a considerable crowd from the town was with her. 13 And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.” 14 Then he came up and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” 15 And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. 16 Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has arisen among us!” and “God has visited his people!” 17 And this report about him spread through the whole of Judea and all the surrounding country.

I think you left out the word “Arise”, which would seem to further your point.

Many times, the Gospels have Jesus using the word “Arise” and it is the same word that describes Jesus rising on the third day. Jesus uses this word when He heals Jarius’ daughter, “Talietha, Arise” (I think that’s what he calls her).

“Arise, pick up your mat, and go home”. And a few others that I can’t immediately recall.

There are several “foreshadowing” in the Gospels to His Passion, Death, and Resurrection. Some, as you point out, are more subtle than others.

 

[po18guy]

Good catch! By foreshadowing Mary’s loss of Jesus, and the giving of John to her as her son, this is the series of verses which finally erased my last objections to the doctrine of Mary’s perpetual virginity. Note that Luke states that the widow of Nain had only one son. Now, it is reasonably clear that Joseph had died by this time, as he is completely absent from scripture after he and Mary found 12 year old Jesus in the temple - Mary’s first loss of Jesus for three days, but that’s another story (Luke 2:41-52). Thus, Mary would have been a childless widow after the crucifixion. Consider also that Jesus had great compassion for the widows - He was amazed at the selflessness of the impoverished widow who gave the two small coins to the temple treasury - so impressed, that he called His disciples and made a point of teaching about her (Mark 12:41-44, Luke 21:1-4). At a parish bible study which was conducted by a Dominiican Priest from Nigeria, he explained that, in the ancient Hebrew culture, childless widows were reduced to begging for subsistence. Clearly, the mother of God could not be allowed to suffer such a fate. Indeed, Jesus also told His disciples “I will not leave you orphans(desolate)” John 14:18. If Jesus would not leave His disciples desolate, how much less would He leave Mary, the mother He chose, desolate? In my mind, this blends perfectly with His restoration of a son (John) to Mary as He died on the cross John 19:26-27. Jesus would not have had to give John to Mary as her son if Mary had other children. As well, in Luke 1:38, Mary declared herself to be the “handmaiden/bond slave” of the Lord. Such an indentured servant serves only one master, and not her own desires - such as to bear a family. Her perpetual virginity was sealed for me at that realization. If we bear in mind that Jesus did nothing without eternal purpose, and that each verse of scripture is related to every other in some way, I think it becomes clear.

 

[Nita]

Luke 7:13 And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.”

I’ve often wondered if seeing the widowed mother whose only child had died made Jesus think of Mary and how that would be her situation before long. I wonder whether that didn’t have an impact on His “compassion” - Jesus’ love and compassion for Mary, because of what she would soon suffer, evoking a strong feeling of compassion for this woman.

 

[Byzman]

Luke 7:13 And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.”

I’ve often wondered if seeing the widowed mother whose only child had died made Jesus think of Mary and how that would be her situation before long. I wonder whether that didn’t have an impact on His “compassion” - Jesus’ love and compassion for Mary, because of what she would soon suffer, evoking a strong feeling of compassion for this woman.

Yes…“Do not weep”…most definitely I believe that this is also a reference to Mary’s heart being pierced with a sword…what the Fathers referenced as being her sorrow. Here is the only mentioning in Luke as a mother weeping for her child(don’t quote me as being sure on this)…but it does go along with Luke being the only one mentioning a sword piercing Mary’s soul as showing a foreshadowing more fully to the Cross.

 

[Byzman]

Good catch! By foreshadowing Mary’s loss of Jesus, and the giving of John to her as her son, this is the series of verses which finally erased my last objections to the doctrine of Mary’s perpetual virginity. Note that Luke states that the widow of Nain had only one son. Now, it is reasonably clear that Joseph had died by this time, as he is completely absent from scripture after he and Mary found 12 year old Jesus in the temple - Mary’s first loss of Jesus for three days, but that’s another story (Luke 2:41-52). Thus, Mary would have been a childless widow after the crucifixion. Consider also that Jesus had great compassion for the widows - He was amazed at the selflessness of the impoverished widow who gave the two small coins to the temple treasury - so impressed, that he called His disciples and made a point of teaching about her (Mark 12:41-44, Luke 21:1-4). At a parish bible study which was conducted by a Dominiican Priest from Nigeria, he explained that, in the ancient Hebrew culture, childless widows were reduced to begging for subsistence. Clearly, the mother of God could not be allowed to suffer such a fate. Indeed, Jesus also told His disciples “I will not leave you orphans(desolate)” John 14:18. If Jesus would not leave His disciples desolate, how much less would He leave Mary, the mother He chose, desolate? In my mind, this blends perfectly with His restoration of a son (John) to Mary as He died on the cross John 19:26-27. Jesus would not have had to give John to Mary as her son if Mary had other children. As well, in Luke 1:38, Mary declared herself to be the “handmaiden/bond slave” of the Lord. Such an indentured servant serves only one master, and not her own desires - such as to bear a family. Her perpetual virginity was sealed for me at that realization. If we bear in mind that Jesus did nothing without eternal purpose, and that each verse of scripture is related to every other in some way, I think it becomes clear.

Yes…Luke is telling us more than just foreshadowing, but also we can get some clear beliefs from this statement. Luke uses the Greek word “monogenes”…meaning only-begotten. Jesus is “monogenes” in John’s Gospel. Luke is telling us that Jesus is Mary’s “monogenes.” Plus even more…all throughout Luke’s Gospel…whenever a healing or bringing back to life a parent’s child occurs, Luke is the only Gospel to point out that they each are “monogenes”…the only-begotten ones of their parents. If you haven’t seen yet…be sure to take a look…some good apologetics could be used from this.

 

[Byzman]

I think you left out the word “Arise”, which would seem to further your point.

Many times, the Gospels have Jesus using the word “Arise” and it is the same word that describes Jesus rising on the third day. Jesus uses this word when He heals Jarius’ daughter, “Talietha, Arise” (I think that’s what he calls her).

“Arise, pick up your mat, and go home”. And a few others that I can’t immediately recall.

There are several “foreshadowing” in the Gospels to His Passion, Death, and Resurrection. Some, as you point out, are more subtle than others.

Yeah I thought about underlining the word “Arise”…this word is definitely pointing to Christ Resurrection! It just adds more flavor to the foreshadowing!