Introduction

A portion of a quote by William Arthur Ward is, most often, seen as a meme on social media. The portion says, Everyone has the power to make others happy. Some do it simply by entering a room, others by leaving the room.

There are some who, by just enter a room, or situation, bring down the mood of everyone present. Then there are those who seemingly ruin a moment.

One individual, in scripture, who ruined a few events, with his presence was Jesus. Now, before you shout blasphemy, hear me out.

The Widow of Nain’s Son

One example is found in Luke 7, 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. 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. When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.” 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.” So he who was dead sat up and began to speak. And He presented him to his mother. (vs. 11-15)

Jesus ruined this funeral by resurrecting the widow’s son. Naturally, this isn’t as bad as it sounds but: consider those who conducted the ceremony, those who prepared the body, those who carried the coffin from the city to the cemetery. All had gone to waste because of Jesus.

The Daughter of Jairus

Another example is found in the book of Mark, chapter 5, beginning in verse 21, Now when Jesus had crossed over again by boat to the other side, a great multitude gathered to Him; and He was by the sea. And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name. And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet and begged Him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter lies at the point of death. Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live.” (Mk. 5:21-23)

Jesus agreed and, as he followed the man, we pick up the story in vs. 35, While He was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?”

Moving to verse 38, Jesus arrives at the house, Then He came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue and saw a tumult and those who wept and wailed loudly. When He came in, He said to them, “Why make this commotion and weep? The child is not dead, but sleeping.” And they ridiculed Him. But when He had put them all outside, He took the father and the mother of the child, and those who were with Him, and entered where the child was lying. (Mark 5:38-40)

Notice how quickly the wailing turned to ridicule. This was because these people were professional mourners; paid to come in and cry on command. Do an online search for this. Jesus then raised the child (vs. 41). Now, given that they had to pay for these professional mourners, it seems like a waste of money since the child was raised from the dead.

A Small Price to Pay

This article is not to belittle our savior nor the miracles which happened. Rather, this is to show that regardless of the amount of money one pays for funeral expenses, it is a small price to pay to get your child back from the dead. A woman who loses her husband is called a widow, and a man who loses his wife, a widower. There is no word to describe a parent losing their child.

No parent should outlive their child and yet, unfortunately, it does happen. We would rejoice if our children were given a second chance at life.

Solomon wrote, Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one’s youth. Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them; They shall not be ashamed, But shall speak with their enemies in the gate. (Psalms 127:3-5)

Conclusion

Don’t take your children for granted. Not only are they the future of the country but also the future of The Church. As Solomon also wrote, Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it. (Proverbs 22:6)