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Does anyone know what the spiritual meaning of this passage is?
Luke 7:11-17
New King James Version (NKJV)
Jesus Raises the Son of the Widow of Nain
11 Now it happened, the day after, that He went into a city called Nain; and many of His disciples went with Him, and a large crowd. 12 And when He came near the gate of the city, behold, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother; and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the city was with her. 13 When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.” 14 Then He came and touched the open coffin, and those who carried him stood still. And He said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” 15 So he who was dead sat up and began to speak. And He presented him to his mother.
16 Then fear came upon all, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has risen up among us”; and, “God has visited His people.” 17 And this report about Him went throughout all Judea and all the surrounding region.
What or who in the spiritual life does the widow represent?
What or who in the spiritual life does the dead young son represent?
What in the spiritual life does the raising of this dead son represent?
I am not sure, but as a tiny aside, I saw a scene like the beginning of the story just the other day - MINUS the raising from the dead, of course.
I figured it had to do with someone of whom I was thinking fearfully at that moment that I passed by en route to the library.
So this post especially caught my attention. I honestly can't determine the analogies, but I'll wait for those who DO know or
can conjecture.
The answers to your questions can be found in Saint Gregory Palamas: The Homilies, ed. and trans. by Christopher Veniamin, Mount Thabor Publishing: 2009.
See Homily 46: On the Gospel for the Third Sunday of Luke: On the Subject of the Widow's Child Resurrected by the Lord.
Pages 359-365.
