They stopped in their tracks

In the account of the resurrection of the son of the widow from Nain (Luke 7:11-17), the evangelist mentions this detail: “(he) touched the bier, and the bearers stopped in their tracks” (verse 14). Towards the end of his Gospel, Luke writes about the two disciples who were on their way to Emmaus when Jesus met them on route: “they stopped in their tracks, looking sad” (Luke 24:17). In both cases, Jesus brings to a halt a process of death. The bearers will not continue on the road to the cemetery. As for the disciples, who were descending from Jerusalem to Emmaus, they too had lived an experience of death, because they were coming away from the burial of their hope: “we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel” (Luke 24:21). Jesus strikes a blow to stop the progress of death.

The narrative of the resurrection of the son of the widow begins with this indication: Jesus “went to a town called Nain” (verse 11) and ends with this conclusion: “this word about him spread throughout Judea and all the surrounding country” (verse 17). Jesus entered the town and the word left it. This word is not just the story of the miracle or the rumor that is spread. It is the word of life that will be spread by means of the proclamation of the Gospel, so that all might be renewed by the power of the resurrection of Jesus.