The account of the raising of a widow’s son in the city of Nain really struck me. Of the three accounts in the gospels of Jesus raising the dead and the other two accounts of healing in the lesson, only the raising of the widow’s son was unsolicited. “Many of his disciples went with him and much people came into the city with Jesus and came upon this scene. What an opportunity for Jesus to show true compassion. As the account says, “…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. And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not.” Jesus was so moved in his heart with the suffering that was clearing being felt by not only the widow and her loss of her son but of everyone around her, that the Christ-love he embodied impelled him to relieve her suffering and raise her son. What a lesson to his disciples of the compassion that would be required of them in order to fulfill their future mission.

In describing the power of this love of God, Mrs. Eddy said “I saw the love of God encircling the universe and man, filling all space, and that divine Love so permeated my own consciousness that I loved with Christ-like compassion everything I saw. This realization of divine Love called into expression the beauty of holiness, the perfection of being which healed and regenerated and saved all who turned to me for help.” (Attributed to Mrs. Eddy, From “General Collectanea” published by Gilbert C. Carpenter Jr.)

What a beautiful lesson on the Love that is God.