Luke 7:15 — Community Reflections

LUKE 7:15 — KING JAMES VERSION 0

“And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother.”

The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother — the immediate and complete resurrection: sat up and began to talk. The talking communicates the completeness of the restoration — not merely breathing but coherent speech. Jesus gave him back to his mother (apedōken auton tē mētri autou): the same phrase used in 1 Kings 17:23 when Elijah gives the restored son back to the widow of Zarephath. Luke is deliberately evoking the Elijah typology.

Church Fathers on Luke 7:15

The Lord joins one miracle upon another. In the former instance He came indeed when called for, but in this He came self-invited; as it is said, And it came to pass the day after that he went into a city called Nain.
Cyril of Alexandria · 5th century

Nain is a city of Galilee, within two miles of mount Tabor. But by the divine counsel there were large multitudes accompanying the Lord, that there might be many witnesses of so great a miracle. Hence it follows, And his disciples went with him, and much people.
Bede · 8th century

Now the proof of the resurrection we learn not so much from the words as from the works of our Savior, who, beginning His miracles with the less wonderful, reconciled our faith to far greater. First indeed in the grievous sickness of the centurion’s servant, He verged upon the power of resurrection; afterwards with a higher power he led men to the belief in a resurrection, when He raised the widow’s son, who was carried out to be buried; as it is said, Now when he came nigh…
Gregory the Great · 6th century

Read all 23 entries in the readerCatena Aurea · St. Thomas Aquinas, tr. J. H. Newman · public domain

COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS

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