Once a funeral starts you don’t want it interrupted. It helps the family and friends for it to go smoothly and get it done. I read a story about a bad earthquake out west that occurred while a funeral was going on. Things started shaking and the casket fell over and the body fell out. It scared people; they didn’t know whether to run to pray or run away. In this scripture Jesus interrupts a funeral. It lets us know we always have hope. Though things seem set in stone, Jesus can come between us and what is going on. He is the interrupter. Jesus came between us and hell. He is the interrupter who came to cause division between us and this old world. There is One stronger than the forces of nature, stronger than the devil. Jesus is the only one who can deliver and work a miracle. He makes the impossible possible. He can interrupt the devil’s workings and get us headed in the right direction.
Jesus had been teaching from city to city and this day they were passing through a place called Nain.
Luke 7:11 And it came to pass the day after, that he went into a city called Nain; and many of his disciples went with him, and much people. 12 Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her. 13 And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not. 14 And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise. 15 And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother. 16 And there came a fear on all: and they glorified God, saying, That a great prophet is risen up among us; and, That God hath visited his people.
There were lots of people following Jesus. It may seem that Christians are few and far between these days. Some would have us believe Christianity has had its day and is going away. The only way for that to happen is for the Lord to return and take us out of here. I’m not ashamed to be a follower of Jesus Christ. This crowd following Jesus ran into another crowd. A funeral procession was going on. Obituaries used to take up one page in the newspaper; now they are pages. Death is part of life. There is an end to all our lives. I’m glad there is an eternal home in heaven.
This man was dead. The family was acquainted with grief because we’re told his mother was a widow. Grief had struck again. She lost a husband. He had lost a father. Now he’s dead. We’re not told what happened to him. More than likely he was a teenager. Now his mother had no one left. The service was over. It was customary to be put in a bier—a box—and be carried out. The mother would make this journey and go back to an empty home. He was cut off so soon. Her grief was so real than when Jesus saw her he had compassion on her. The only begotten son of God, given to this world to die for our sins, looked at this mother who had just lost her only begotten son. Jesus was headed to the cross but still had compassion on her.
I’m glad there’s a different crowd to be part of. No matter how dying and dead in trespasses and sins we can change crowds. The bonds holding and heading you to hell can be loosed. Jesus can take you and put you in his crowd. No doubt Jesus’ followers didn’t want to interrupt the other crowd but Jesus did. He looked at the mother and said weep not. He’s looking at you today. If you’re not following him or if you are slipping back from him, he has something to say. He could have chosen not to interrupt the funeral procession but it is never too late for Jesus to do something. It may be too late for us or the world but it’s never too late for Jesus. The devil may want to put you in the graveyard of destruction but Jesus can interrupt. The devil may be powerful but Jesus can interrupt him and this world system. We may see the time when our own pledge of allegiance won’t say under God. Some already do. They tell the church, the Bible, Christians, and God to leave them alone. Jesus wants to interrupt. The best thing any of us can do is let Jesus interrupt our life. He wants to stop us in our tracks and change our lives.
Do you feel beat down? Do you feel there is no victory in life? Jesus can interrupt what’s pulling you and get you back into the right crowd. Instead of weeping or being swallowed up by the world, just come to Jesus. Ask for deliverance. He’ll do it because he came to interrupt life. Are you shutting him out? Look at the direction you’re going.
Jesus reached out. The pallbearers stood still. The only one that can cause things to stand still and halt their movement to destruction is Jesus. No matter how hopeless it looked, it was not. Jesus spoke and said Young man, I say unto thee, Arise. The people probably thought ‘why is he speaking to that boy? It’s too late. He can’t hear him.’ It is not too late! Jesus is speaking every day and we need to listen. The boy sat up and started speaking. Jesus brought him back to life. He could see, feel, and speak again.
The devil can’t help you. The world may intimidate you. They may murder us but they cannot kill us. If they come in and mow us all down, we’ll go to heaven if we’re saved. I believe the boy first spoke the name of Jesus and then said ‘mommy.’ I’ll be able to say ‘mommy’ again because of Jesus. He delivered the boy to his mother. He was now in the hands of Jesus and carried safely to her. That funeral crowd was turned into a Jesus crowd. The funeral home now had a used casket.
No matter what the devil intends for you, let Jesus interrupt it. Let him into your life and heart and change the direction you’re heading.
Adwolfe Freewill Baptist Church 