Resurrection Hope
Scripture Reading — Luke 7:11-17
When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, “Don’t cry.”
—Luke 7:13
Jesus did many miracles, but when he raised someone from the dead, that was very unusual. So when Jesus gave the dead man of Nain “back to his mother,” the people knew a great prophet had come among them.
This was one of three resurrections in the record of Jesus’ miracles (see also Luke 8:49-56; John 11:38-44). But there’s another resurrection even more important: Jesus himself came back from death to life forever! And the implications of this for us and for all creation are as deep and as simple as the word spoken by the Shunammite woman of Elisha’s day: “Shalom” (“It’s all right”).
Death, grief, and despair no longer rule the day; Easter morning has ushered in a new age, a new era of light and life and joy that transform all things. Whatever failed us in the past can be replaced by certainty and hope because now it will be all right.
For every mother mourning a child; for all who suffer the grief of persecution, imprisonment, and loneliness; for all who wake up each morning wondering how today can be any different than yesterday—there is hope. Shalom is possible; all will be well.
The Bible’s stories of resurrection insist that God’s world—our world—is a world of miracles, a world of possibilities, a world of hope.
Dear Jesus, we know you are at work among us, bringing healing to our world and to our lives. Help us to proclaim to others that they can live with hope in you. Amen.
About the author — Thea Leunk
Thea Nyhoff Leunk has been a high school English teacher, a director of Christian education, a pastor of discipleship, and a regional coach for the Christian Reformed Church in North America. She is currently the senior pastor at Eastern Avenue Christian Reformed Church, Grand Rapids, Michigan. Thea has also written courses for teens and young adults on world religions, Christian faith traditions, and science and the Bible. She and her husband have three adult children.
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