Church Fathers Commentary Luke 7:11-17

"And it came to pass soon afterwards, that he went to a city called Nain; and his disciples went with him, and a great multitude. Now when he drew near to the gate of the city, behold, there was carried out one that was dead, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her. And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not. And he came nigh and touched the bier: and the bearers stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise. And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he gave him to his mother. And fear took hold on all: and they glorified God, saying, A great prophet is arisen among us: and, God hath visited his people. And this report went forth concerning him in the whole of Judaea, and all the region round about." — Luke 7:11-17 (ASV)

St. Cyril of Alexandria: The Lord joins one miracle to another. In the former instance, He came when called for, but in this, He came uninvited, as it is said, And it came to pass the day after that he went into a city called Nain.

The Venerable Bede: Nain is a city in Galilee, about two miles from Mount Tabor. By divine counsel, large crowds were accompanying the Lord so that there might be many witnesses of such a great miracle. Hence it follows, And his disciples went with him, and much people.

Gregory of Nyssa: We learn the proof of the resurrection not so much from the words as from the works of our Savior, who, by beginning His miracles with the less wonderful, prepared our faith for far greater ones. First, in the grievous sickness of the centurion’s servant, He bordered on the power of resurrection. Afterward, with a higher power, He led people to believe in the resurrection when He raised the widow’s son, who was being carried out for burial, as it is said, Now when he came near to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother.

Titus of Bostra: But someone might say of the centurion’s servant that he was not about to die. So that such a person might restrain his rash tongue, the Evangelist explains that the young man whom Christ came upon was already dead, the only son of a widow. For it follows, And she was a widow, and much people of the city was with her.

Gregory of Nyssa: He has told us the sum of misery in a few words. The mother was a widow and had no further hope of bearing children; she had no one to look to in place of the one who was dead. She had nursed him alone; he alone made her home cheerful. He alone was all that is sweet and precious to a mother.

St. Cyril of Alexandria: These were sufferings that excite compassion and might well move one to mourning and tears, as it follows, And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, saying, Weep not.

The Venerable Bede: It is as if He said, "Cease weeping for one who is dead, whom you will soon see rise again alive."

St. John Chrysostom: But when He who consoles the sorrowful bids us to stop weeping, He is telling us to receive consolation concerning those who are now dead by hoping for their resurrection. But life, meeting death, stops the funeral bier, as it follows, And he came.

St. Cyril of Alexandria: He performs the miracle not only with a word but also by touching the bier, so that you might know that the sacred body of Christ is powerful for the salvation of humanity. For it is the body of Life and the flesh of the Omnipotent Word, whose power it possesses. Just as iron applied to fire does the work of fire, so the flesh, when it is united to the Word who gives life to all things, itself becomes life-giving and the banisher of death.

Titus of Bostra: But the Savior is not like Elijah mourning over the son of the widow of Zarephath, nor like Elisha who laid his own body upon the body of the dead, nor like Peter who prayed for Tabitha. He is none other than He who calls those things which are not as though they were, who can speak to the dead as to the living, as it follows, And he said, Young man.

Gregory of Nyssa: When He said, "Young man," He signified that he was in the flower of his age, just ripening into manhood. He was the one who, only a little while before, was the delight of his mother's eyes, just entering the time of marriage, the heir of her family, the branch of her succession, the staff of her old age.

Titus of Bostra: But immediately, the one to whom the command was given arose. For the divine power is irresistible; there is no delay, no need for urgent prayer, as it follows, And he that was dead sat up and began to speak, and he gave him to his mother. These are the signs of a true resurrection, for a lifeless body cannot speak, nor would the mother have carried her dead and lifeless son back to her house.

The Venerable Bede: The Evangelist rightly testifies that the Lord is first moved with compassion for the mother and then raises her son. This was so that in the one case He might set before us an example of piety for our imitation, and in the other He might build up our faith in His wonderful power. Hence it follows, And there came a fear on all, and they glorified God...

St. Cyril of Alexandria: This was a great thing, coming from an unfeeling and ungrateful people. For a short time later, they would neither esteem Him as a prophet nor admit that He did anything for the public good. But no one who lived in Judea was ignorant of this miracle, as it follows, And this rumor of him went forth throughout all Judea.

St. Maximus the Confessor: It is worthy of remark that seven resurrections are related before our Lord’s. The first was that of the son of the widow of Zarephath; the second, the Shunammite’s son; the third was caused by the bones of Elisha; the fourth took place at Nain, as is related here; the fifth, the daughter of the ruler of the synagogue; the sixth, Lazarus; and the seventh at Christ’s passion, when many bodies of the saints arose. The eighth is that of Christ, who, being free from death, remained as a sign that the general resurrection to come in the eighth age will not be dissolved by death, but will abide forever.

The Venerable Bede: Allegorically, the dead man carried outside the city gate in the sight of many signifies a person made senseless by the deadening power of mortal sin. He no longer conceals his soul’s death within his heart but proclaims it to the world through the evidence of his words or deeds, as if through the city gate. For the gate of the city, I suppose, is one of the bodily senses. And he is rightly said to be the only son of his mother, for there is one mother composed of many individuals—the Church. And every soul that remembers it is redeemed by the death of the Lord knows the Church to be a widow.

St. Ambrose of Milan: For this widow, surrounded by a great crowd, seems to be more than the woman who was deemed worthy to obtain the resurrection of her only son by her tears. She represents the Church, who by her own tears recalls the younger generation from the funeral procession back to life, and who is forbidden to weep for one to whom resurrection was promised.

The Venerable Bede: Or, the dogma of Novatian is crushed, who, endeavoring to do away with the purification of the penitent, denies that mother Church, weeping for the spiritual extinction of her sons, ought to be consoled by the hope of their restoration to life.

St. Ambrose of Milan: This dead man was carried on the bier to the grave by the four material elements. Yet there was hope of his rising again because he was carried on wood. Although wood did not benefit us before, after Christ touched it, it began to profit us for life, as a sign that salvation was to be extended to the people by the wood of the cross. For we lie lifeless on the bier when either the fire of immoderate desire bursts forth, or a cold dampness breaks out, and through the sluggish state of our earthly body, the vigor of our minds grows dull.

The Venerable Bede: Or, the coffin on which the dead man is carried is the uneasy conscience of a desperate sinner. Those who carry him to be buried are either unclean desires or the allurements of his companions. They stood still when our Lord touched the bier because the conscience, when touched by the dread of judgment from on high, often checks its carnal lusts. The conscience, checking also those who unjustly praise it, returns to itself and answers its Savior’s call to life.

St. Ambrose of Milan: If, then, your sin is so heavy that you cannot wash it out yourself with your own penitential tears, let mother Church weep for you, with the multitude standing by. Soon you will rise from the dead and begin to speak the words of life. They all will be in awe (for by the example of one, all are corrected), and they will also praise God who has given us such great remedies for escaping death.

The Venerable Bede: But God has visited His people not only through the one incarnation of His Word, but by continually sending It into our hearts.

Theophylact of Ohrid: By the widow, you may also understand a soul that has lost her husband, the divine Word. Her son is the mind, which is carried out beyond the city of the living. His coffin is the body, which some have indeed called the tomb. But the Lord, by touching him, raises him up, causing him to become young again. Rising from sin, he begins to speak and teach others, for before this, he would not have been believed.