tragic circumstances
“As He approached the gate of the town a dead man was being carried out, the only son of a widowed mother.” —Luke 7:12
The mother of the dead man was literally all alone. She was widowed, and this was her only son. Here we have a combination of sudden, tragic events in the pattern of Job. Is there any hope under these dreadful circumstances?
Yes! Jesus has conquered death; He is the Resurrection and the Life (Jn 11:25). He is “moved with pity” and says: “Do not cry” (Lk 7:13). Jesus will either raise the dead to continue life on earth, or better, raise the dead to the perfect happiness of His presence in heaven. Jesus will either say: “Young man, I bid you get up” (Lk 7:14), or “This day you will be with Me in paradise” (Lk 23:43). Only Jesus can wipe away our tears (see Rv 21:4). “He comforts us in all our afflictions” (2 Cor 1:4). He alone can make life worth living — and death worth dying. Nothing is impossible with Him (Lk 1:37). He can turn even tragic events to the good for those who love Him (Rm 8:28). Jesus our Life! Jesus our Hope! Jesus our Lord!
Prayer: Jesus, give supernatural consolation to those who have suffered tragic deaths in their families.
Promise: “They must hold fast to the divinely revealed faith with a clear conscience.” —1 Tm 3:9
Praise: St. Januarius and his companions had to be martyred by beheading because the planned execution of mauling by beasts was averted when the wild animals in the arena wouldn’t touch them.
Reference: (For a related teaching on Hope for the Hopeless, listen to, download or order our CD 63-1 or DVD 63 on our website.)
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