We began considering this story by exploring our understandings of the loneliness that must have overwhelmed this widow as she faced the loss of her only son. We thought about times in our own lives when we’ve felt alone, even though we are surrounded by other people. But in the story of the widow at Nain, Jesus shows us that he sees each of us.
Emily points out that “When Jesus, the Savior of the world, looks upon this crowd of people, He does not see a crowd. He sees her.” Furthermore, we can relate that to our own relationships with God. I just love the way Emily explains this truth:
“You are not just another person in the world – you are His daughter, precious and beautiful in His sight. The prayers you speak to God the Father are not simply added to His list of things to attend to. When you attend Mass on Sunday, you are not just a speck in the congregation to the Lord. Your presence in His house is individually recognized and rejoiced in by the Heavenly Father. Christ cares for each of us in the deepest, most personal way imaginable.”
How beautiful is that?!! Jesus shows us again and again how important each of us really is. It is also found in Old Testament Scripture: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you, a prophet to the nations I appointed you.” (Jeremiah 1:5)
Notably, the widow doesn’t approach Jesus and beg for his help. Jesus knows her heart and meets her needs beyond what she could have ever imagined possible. Through this story, we get a glimpse of God’s great mercy and love.
Emily highlights this passage as an illustration of the intimacy that we can have with God, but she recognizes the need to define that term. “In our culture, intimacy has become synonymous with sexual experiences, but when we refer to intimacy with God, we use the word by its true definition – the existence of closeness between two beings.”
Maybe Emily’s description of the way we have become conditioned to understand the term explains some of the confusion when we try to discuss our closeness with God, but that’s the challenge for us. We need to find that intimate relationship and let it sustain us through difficult times.
Certainly, the widow at Nain learned about the mercy and love of Jesus when he saw her – through the crowd – and satisfied her deepest desire. This leads to Emily’s second question for this chapter:
“What has the widow’s experience with Jesus taught you about your importance to your Creator?” I look forward to your responses in the comments.