Icon of the Raising of the Widow’s Son at Nain – F55

Description

The small town of Nain is located on the northern slope of the Hill of Moreh, facing the Plain of Jezreel, and is visible from Nazareth, some nine miles below to the southeast.   When the Lord passed this way from Capernaum, He saw a procession carrying the bier of the dead body of the son of a widow going by and, having compassion on her, said, “Do not weep.”  He then came to the bier and said,  “Young man, I say to you, arise” (Luke 7: 13,14).  His mother will weep, too, when He later dies on His Cross.

Here we see in this 14th century fresco from the famous Decani Monastery in Serbia the distraught mother pulling her hair in agony at her great loss, yet her son sits up at the Lord’s command and is restored to life.  The onlookers are amazed, “And there came a fear on all: and they glorified God, saying, ?That a great prophet is risen up among us;’ and, ?that God hath visited His people’ ” (Luke 7: 16).  Indeed, a great prophet has arisen among us, yet He is more than a prophet, but the fulfillment of the prophecies themselves, and Alpha and Omega, the Living Godhead revealed to us.   Life and death are in His Hands.  May we choose Life with Him.