RAISING OF THE WIDOW'S SON. [LUKE 7:11-17].

FROM ALL APPEARANCES THE YOUNG MAN FROM THE TOWN OF NAIN WAS DEAD. THE FUNERAL PROCESSION MOVES ALONG UNTIL JESUS STOPS IT WITH A WORD-" "DO NOT WEEP- AND A TOUCH ANOTHER WORD" I SAY TO YOU ARISE!" AND THE YOUNG MAN IS RESTORED TO LIFE; MIRACLES WAS THE STRENGTH THAT KEPT THE APOSTLES IN THEIR FAITH AS THEY WENT WITH JESSUS, UNTIL THE DAY OF PENTECOST, AND THE COMING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. IN THE OLD TESTAMENT, E ARE TOLD ALSO HOW ELIJAH REVIVES A WIDOW'S SON. NOW SCIENTISTS HAVE ALWAYS DISPUTED THE MIRACLES IN THE BIBLE, AS THEY HAVE ALSO DISPUTED THE BIBLE ITSELF. ONCE SCIENTISTS HAVE ANSWERED THE QUESTION OF WHY WE AND THE UNIVERSE EXIST, " THEN WE WOULD KNOW THE MIND OF GOD."  BUT , DISCOVERING THE PURPOSES AND WORKINGS OF GOD IS SIMPLY NOT THAT EASY, AS WE SHALL SEE, AS WE EXAMINE THE CONTEXT AND HISTORICITY OF THE GOSPEL OF MIRACLES.
IN THE BIBLE, AS THEY ALSO DISPUTED THE BIBLE ITSELF. ONCE SCIENTISTS  HAVE ANSWERED THE QUESTION OF WHY WE AND THE UNIVERSE EXIST, " THEN WE WOULD KNOW THE MIND OF GOD. " BUT DISCOVERING THE PURPOSES  AND WORKINGS OF GOD IS SIMPLY NOT THAT EASY, AS WE SHALL SEE AS WE EXAMINE THE CONTEXT AND HISTORICITY OF THE GOSPEL MIRACLES.
THAT JESUS IS PORTRAYED AS A WORKER OF MIRACLES.
    THAT JESUS IS PORTRAYED AS A WORKER OF MIRACLES IS UNUSUAL IN JUDISM, FOR MIRACLES ARE NOT COMMON AMONG THE JEWS AS SOME SCHOLARS LED US TO BELIEVE. IN THE  THOUSAND OF YEARS OF HEBREW TRADITION, THE ONLY SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTS OF MIRACLES ARE  ASSOCIATED WITH MOSES DURING THE TIME OF EXODUS, WITH ELIJAH AND ELISHA CYCLE IN THE BOOK OF KINGS, AND ACCOUNTS IN THE BOOK OF DANIEL. MOST OF THE STORIES ARE CONCERNED WITH SIGNS AND WONDERS, SUCH AS PARTING OF THE RED SEA IN EXDOUS 14, THE SAVING OF THE OF THE FAITHFUL FROM THE FIERY FURNACE AND THE LIONS DEN IN DAN 3: 1-25. AND THE FEEDING OF THE FIVE-HUNDREAD WITH TWENTY-BARLEY LOAVES IN 2ND KINGS 4: 42-44.
  STORIES OF HEALING ARE RELATIVELY RARE, AND THEY INCLUDE THE  HEALING OF ABIMELECH AND HIS HOUSEHOLD GEN: 20:18.  SAUL BEING HEALED OF AN EVIL  SPIRIT, I SAMUEL 16. WE DO NOT FIND ANYONE WITH THE NUMBER OR SIGNIFICANCE OF THE MIRACLES, HOWEVER, NOWHERE IN THE HEBREW  SCRIPTURES, WHO ARE COMPARABLE TO JESUS. MOREOVER, THERE IS NO PRECEDENT FO THE CURING OF THE BLIND., LAME, AND MUTE AS JESUS DOES
 IN HIS MINISTRY.
 THERE WAS A TRADITION IN THE HEBREW SCRIPTURES THAT YAHWEH WAS THE SENDER OF SICKNESS AS WELL AS BEING THE HEALER. IN EXDOUS, YAHWEH IS DEPICTED AS SAYING: " I KILL AND MAKE ALIVE; I WOUND AND I HEAL; AND THERE IS NONE TO DELIVER OUT OF MY HAND. IT IS EASY TO UNDERSTAND WHY JESUS HEALING AND EXORCISMS, WHICH SO DRAMATICALLY REVEALED THE UTTER DEFEAT OF SATAN (AMEN!)  JESUS CAME TO THE SICK AND DISABLED AS SUCH GOOD NEWS.
LIKE MAGICIANS OF HIS TIME WHO CLAIMED TO POSSESS MYSTERIOUS ARCANE KNOWLEDGE AND POWER ALWAYS WORKED IN PRIVATE. JESUS DOES NOT WORK IN "SECRET" AS THOUGH TO PRESERVE ARCANE KNOWLEDGE AND POWERS. MANY OF HIS MIRACLES ARE DONE PUBLICLY AAAND THEY ARE TO PROCLAIM THE LOVING HEALING POWERS OF GOD. IF JESUS AT TIMES ASK THOSE HEALED, TO BE SECRETIVE ( NOT TO TELL ANYONE.), IT DOESN'T SEEM TO BE BECAUSE HE WANTED TO HIDE HIS METHORDS FROM THE PUBLIC. INSTEAD,  HE WAS CONCERNED ABOUT BEING PROCLAIMED A MESSIAH-KING. IN THE APOCRYPHAL MIRACLES, (BOOKS THAT WAS NOT ACCEPTED INTO THE CANON OF THE CHURCH AS AUTHENTIC).
IN INFANCY THE GOSPEL OF THOMAS, FOR EXAMPLE, THE YOUNG JESUS IS CHALLENGED FOR SHAPING SOME PIGEONS ON THE SABBATH, AND SO, IN RESPONSE
 TO THE CHALLENGE, HE SIMPLY CLAPS HIS HANDS AND THE BIRDS COME TO LIFE AND FLY AWAY. THEY ARE OUT OF CHARACTER FOR JESUS AND HIS DISCIPLES.
PERHAPS THE MOST CONVINCING  ARGUMENT FOR THE HISTORICITY OF THE MIRACLE STORIES IS THE CENTRAL THEY PLAY IN THE GOSPELS THEMSELVES.
ABOUT 1/5TH OF THE LITERARY UNITS IN THE SYNOPTICS ALLUDE TO MIRACLES OF HEALING AND EXORCISM AND A LARGE PORTION OF JOHN'S GOSPEL IS CONCERNED WITH MIRACULOUS SIGNS. THE STORIES OF JESUS MIRACLES CARRIED THE FAITH OF THE EARLY CHRISTIANS, THEY ALSO CONVEYED THEIR STRUGGLE WITH DOUBT.
THERE WERE STILL THOSE WHO DEMANDED SIGNS, JUST AS THE PHARISEES HAD DONE EARLIER.
 THERE WERE THOSE WHO WERE NOT OPEN TO JESUS AS THE CHRIST BECAUSE THEY NEEDED EVIDENCE. THE FASCINATING STORY OF THE BLIND BARTIMAEUS
DEPICTS THE STRUGGLE OF THE EARLY CHRISTIANS TO SEE THE LORD IN FAITH.
THE BLIND BEGGAR CALLS OUT IN HIS DARKNESS AND ASKS FOR MERCY OF JESUS.
  WHEN JESUS SUMMONS HIM HE JUMPS UP AND SAYS: "TEACHER, I WANT TO SEE AGAIN." JESUS RESTORES HIS SIGHT, AND MARK WRITES." AT ONCE HE WAS ABLE TO SEE AND FOLLOWED JESUS DOWN THE ROAD. FOR THE EARLY CHRISTIANS, FAITH WAS THE POWER TO SEE JESUS, AND IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE TO FOLLOW HIM WITHOUT IT. BUT FAITH ALWAYS INCLUDED DARKNESS AND STRUGGLE.
THE BIGGEST OF THE MIRACLES RAISING PEOPLE FROM THE DEAD HELP TO PROCLAIM THAT THE RISEN JESUS IS LORD.  TRAUMATIC, TRAGIC, AND DEATH-DEALING EVENTS IN LIFE CAN FIND HOPE AND NEW LIFE IN CHRIST. DEATH, BOTH SPIRITUAL AND PHYISCAL, WAS OVERCOME WHEN JESUS WAS RAISED FROM THE DEAD AND GLORIFIED AS THE SON OF GOD AND SAVIOR. HE IS THE SOURCE OF LIFE.
THIS TEXT TELLS US, TWO CROWDS, ONE ENTERING THE CITY AND ONE LEAVING.
THEY COULDN'T BE MORE DIFFERENT. THE GROUP ARRIVING BUZZES WITH LAUGHTER AND CONVERSATION. THEY FOLLOW JESUS. THE GROUP LEAVING THE CITY IS SOLEMN. A HEARD OF SADNESS. DRIVEN BY THE CLOUD OF DEATH. THE REASON A COLD BODY ON A STRETCHER. JESUS SPOKE TO THE MOTHER, " DON'T CRY." JESUS STEPPED TOWARD THE BIER AND TOUCHED IT. THE PALL- BEARERS STOPPED MARCHING. JESUS STARED AT THE BOY, THE CROWD WAS SILENT. JESUS TURNED TOWARD THE DEAD BODY," YOUNG MAN," HIS VOICE WAS CALM, YOUNG MAN I SAY ARISE. EVERY BODY FROZE SILENT. JESUS GAVE THE MOTHER MORE THAN HER SON, HE SHOWED HER THE POWER OF GOD!