Today’s reading from Luke’s Gospel is simply an amazing one. Here Jesus interrupts a funeral possession to raise a young man back to life. What an incredible, unforgettable story!

Two things stand out for me:

Firstly, Jesus has compassion. When he encounters the grieving mother Jesus is deeply moved by her predicament. It’s a “gut-wrenching”, “heart-rendering” experience for Jesus as this woman grieves her son and as she faces a life of social isolation and abject poverty.

Secondly, Jesus acts. Jesus touches the funeral bier and speaks to the dead son – and there is a response!

As we grieve the death of loved ones and as we contemplate our own death, this quite amazing story has something very important to say.

The story says compassion marks the ministry of Jesus. And this says a lot of things about God. For God is a God who is always there, particularly when we are most vulnerable or are at our very lowest. Here God’s grace, mercy and love reaches out to help us overcome the very worst that life throws at us.

Moreover, the story says even in death, we are not cut off from the poignancy of Jesus’ touch or the potency of his voice. For when Jesus reaches out and when Jesus speaks even the dead hear!

Experiencing the death of those we love and pondering our own death prompts us to remember – God is there is the midst of all of this. God is there loving and caring. And, even in death, we are not excluded, we are not isolated, we are not or removed from that kind of love.

The funeral in the village of Nain is a funeral with a real message, for here Jesus’ compassion tells us God cares. Here Jesus’ voice, a voice that calls on the dead son to rise, heralds our own resurrection and the gifting of eternal life.

Now, that’s quite a funeral – it’s a funeral not to be forgotten!

John Barr