When Mama Mourns
May 11, 2008
Scripture:
Luke 7:11-17 - “Now it happened, the day after that He went into a city called Nain; and many of His disciples went with Him, and a large crowd. And when He came near the gate of the city, behold, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother; and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the city was with her. When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.” Then He came and touched the open coffin, and those who carried him stood still. And He said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” So he who was dead sat up and began to speak. And He presented him to his mother.
Synopsis:
To say that there is an all out attack on the institution of the family in American society is an over used understatement trivialized by the hypocrisy of those in positions of political power who spout this and other platitudes when its to their advantage. But in the Body of Christ we must not only acknowledge the urgency of the hour but do something about it, beginning with restoring honor to parenting, especially to the importance of motherhood. No one can nurture the Spirit of God in children like mothers and no one mourns like a mother when a child is lost. Conversely, no one gains the attention of God like a mother weeping over her lost children.
In today’s text, Jesus encounters a weeping mother at the gate of the city of Nain. It’s interesting to note that “Nain” in the Hebrew means “beautiful habitation or pleasant home.” The enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy and he is especially vicious in his attack on the home or habitation of the family. While this mourning mother and her procession of friends and family were going out to bury not only her son, but future generations of children her son would never have, Jesus and his procession of disciples were going into the city gate. It was the procession of abundant life meeting the procession of stolen dreams and destroyed destiny. This physical and spiritual encounter happened at the city gate which represents the place where things are permitted or prevented from gaining entry. It was here that Jesus, moved with compassion for a mourning mother and the fate of God’s seed, restores what the enemy sought to destroy and reinforced God’s promise that His seed would always possess the gates of their enemies.
In the language of the Bible, the church is called Zion, the bride of Christ and the mother of all born again children of God. It’s time for mothers, the daughters of Zion, to weep and intercede in prayer for their children, calling on God to stop the enemy at the gates of individual families and homes and restore His godly seed in the earth. If mothers cry out in prayer individually and collectively, then God will not only restore their children, but the spiritual children of His church.
