Sorrow Into Joy

(Here’s what I recently shared with our church:)

Today we will tackle a difficult subject. It is something I deal with quite regularly in my line of work and we all have to deal with it as it is a part of our life here on earth. The subject is about death.

A Patient Nicknamed Lazarus

Some time ago, I was called to the Emergency Department (ED) to evaluate a patient. My residents went down with me and we saw a patient who was receiving CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation). But instead of a person doing the manual CPR, it was a robot, called Lucas Device, doing the automated CPR. The Lucas Device gives effective and consistent CPR, and it is untiring. It was important, especially in this case, as they were doing the CPR for close to an hour by the time we arrived. It was not an hour of continuous CPR, but they said that they would do CPR for 5-10 minutes, and then the patient’s heart would start beating, only to stop a couple of minutes later, and they had to resume CPR again, and again, and again.

I was called not just to admit the patient to the ICU, but also to consider the patient for ECLS (extracorporeal life support), wherein a large-bore catheter is placed on the patient and the blood would flow out of the body and then go through a machine that will bathe it with oxygen and then pumped back to the body. This will “bypass” the heart and lungs and it is an artificial and temporizing way to keep someone alive.

They also called the cardiologist to evaluate the patient, after being hooked to ECLS, to be taken to the cardiac cath lab, and possibly open any blocked arteries in his heart so that it will effectively beat again.

I was a little hesitant at first knowing that patients who has received CPR for more than 30 minutes has less than 1% chance of surviving. However, while we were there in the room, the patient’s heart started beating again. So we hashed out our plan to place the patient on ECLS and then take him to cath lab. But before we can carry out our plan, the patient’s heart quit again and the Lucas Device was turned on to resume CPR.

That was when we came to a consensus – me, the cardiologist, and the ED physician – that we should call off the CPR. We would turn off the Lucas Device, unhook the patient from the ventilator, and stop all medication drips, as we believe the patient was already dead.

The ED physician went out of the room to deliver the grim news to the patient’s family, the cardiologist went out too, while me and my residents went back to the ICU to resume our rounds.

Two hours later, I received another call from the ED, and on the line was the cardiologist I was with earlier. I cannot believe what I was hearing. He was asking me to admit the patient that we pronounced dead earlier to the ICU. According to him, after we stop the Lucas Device, the ventilator and all medications, the patient’s heart started beating again and he started breathing on his own. They were waiting for him to die for the past 2 hours, but he wouldn’t. So he would have to come to the ICU.

It took some convincing for my residents to believe that what I was telling them was real, as they thought I was kidding. We nicknamed our patient Lazarus.

Our Bible study today is also about a man who came back to life. Let’s read it:

Luke 7:11-17

¹¹ 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. ¹² 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. ¹³ When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.” ¹⁴ 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.” ¹⁵ So he who was dead sat up and began to speak. And He presented him to his mother.

¹⁶ Then fear came upon all, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has risen up among us”; and, “God has visited His people.” ¹⁷ And this report about Him went throughout all Judea and all the surrounding region.

Luke, the Author and Physician

This story is recorded only in the gospel of Luke. Not in Matthew, Mark or John.

What do we know about Luke, besides being the author of this book? He is a doctor. Doctors can be meticulous, specially in recording. It needs to be specific and detailed.

In one story in the Bible, where a man who has a withered hand, was healed on a Sabbath at the synagogue. It was recorded in Matthew, Mark and Luke. But only in Luke did it specify that it was the right hand that was withered. Why does it matter? If that man was right-handed, which is 90% of the population, then the disability was more debilitating than if it was the left hand. For a doctor, that was important. If you are a surgeon, you don’t want to operate on the wrong side.

There were 3 specific persons that Jesus resurrected: Lazarus, Jairus’ daughter, and this young man from Naim. Luke recorded them all. Chronologically, the man from Naim was the first one Jesus resurrected. For Luke, who was a doctor who understands physiology, pathology, and what happens when a person dies, for him to include this story in his book, there must be an important message that it conveys to his readers.

Where did this story happen? The place is Nain, which is a small farming town in Northern Israel. It is 30 miles from Capernaum, where Jesus was on the preceding story where He healed the centurion’s servant. Nain is a town nestled on top of a hill, off the beaten path. Today, it remains a small village with mostly Muslims inhabitants.

There is only 1 road that leads to Naim. One road to enter and exit the town. Archeologists found grave sites at the bottom of the hill just outside the town, confirming the Bible account. Cemeteries are almost always outside the town, as for the Jews, dead are unclean.

Jesus traveled 30 miles, which could be 1-2 days, and it was an uphill climbed too. Capernaum is 600 feet below sea level, while Nain is 700 feet above sea level – a gain of 1300 feet. Jesus made that arduous trip in order for Him to intercept the funeral procession.

What does Nain means? In Hebrew it means ‘pleasant.’ But for the widow, that town was anything but pleasant.

Weeping Widow

When a husband dies, which statistically wives will outlived their husbands, then the term to use is a ‘widow.’ If it was the opposite and it was the wife who died, then the term is a ‘widower.’ If both your parents died, then you are called an ‘orphan.’ But what do you call those whose child or all of their children died? There was no term for it, for it is against the natural order of life.

This woman had her husband died. Now, here son, her only child died too. What is the emotional, social, financial, and religious state of this widow?

For social state, in Biblical times, the woman’s worth was based on their husband. Financial too, the woman is dependent on their husband. And when their husband died, the widow will be dependent to their children, especially their birthright son. So for this woman who had no husband or son, it was really tragic.

For religious state, people think that God is not being good to them. Remember Naomi in the book of Ruth? Her name means ‘pleasant’ (from same root word of the name Nain), but when her husband and her 2 sons died, she did not want to be called Naomi anymore. She changed her name to Mara, which means bitter, as she said God has dealt her with bitterness.

How about emotional state?

When my daughter left for Florida, I was sad, but at least we still have our son with us. But when my son left for California for medical school, it really affected me. My wife and son drove to California for 3 days to take his car, and I was left alone in our home for about 2 weeks. After their car drove away, I stayed outside for several minutes shooting basketball in our driveway hoops. I finally mustered the strength to go inside the house knowing that it was lonely there. I went to my son’s room and found his door slightly close. When I opened the door, reality set in that it was empty and my son will not be sleeping nor staying in that room anymore. Then I saw a pillow that he neatly placed at the head of his bed- the pillow was a gift to him when he was boy, with his face imprinted on it, flashing a wide grin with one of his front tooth missing. Emotion overcome me and I broke down in tears. And that’s even knowing that my son was just far away and he was doing well as he was pursuing his dream.

I cannot and I don’t want to imagine what this widow felt. This widow felt more than sad. She was pitiful. She felt forsaken. She felt hopeless.

Tale of Two Processions

According to Luke’s account, there was a big crowd in the funeral. Given the circumstances of the widow, many people in the town felt sorry for her and they joined the funeral procession.

Jewish funerals were often surrounded by elaborate rituals such as a trumpet to announce the death, and playing of melancholy flutes. Even the poorest Jews were expected to provide at least two flute players and one mourning woman which could be a hired “mourner.” The body would have been washed, anointed, and wrapped in linen, with arms folded across the chest. Then the body would be placed face up on a bier made of wicker.

I’m sure there was no need for a paid mourner here, for this widow, most likely was weeping loudly. In their culture, expressing grief openly is customary and even encouraged.

When my father died, even though we lived in Manila, which is a big city, he told my mother beforehand that he wanted to be buried back to the rural town where he grew up. On the day of his burial, there was the town’s small marching band, that was customary in that place, that went ahead of the funeral procession in front of the hearse. We walked behind the hearse for about 1 kilometer from my father’s ancestral home to the cemetery. It was the saddest1 kilometer walk that I have done in my life.

Jesus also had a big crowd with him, according to the account. But the mood on this crowd was very different. They were happy, and probably loud and laughing, and was in joyful mood.

The funeral procession was going out of the city, and was going downhill to the grave site, when they met Jesus and his procession, who was going uphill to enter the city. The procession of death met with the procession of life. And something wonderful happened.

When we are on the downward path of life, then we meet Jesus, He will change our trajectory and we will be on an upward path – an upward path to heaven.

Spleen-Disturbing Compassion

When Jesus saw the weeping widow, He had compassion on her. The English translation of ‘compassion’ may be an understatement here.

Compassion in the original Greek word, means feelings coming from the inner organs. The Greek word used here is also the word where we got our word for spleen. Where is our spleen? It is inside our abdomen. This meant Jesus had a revolting, gut-wrenching feeling, as is His inner organs, His spleen, liver, intestines were twisted and got strongly upset when He saw this mourning widow.

God is omnipotent (all-powerful), omniscient (all knowing) and omnipresent (is everywhere). I’ll add another term: omnipathos, which means He can feel everything that you and I feel. I did not made that term up, I heard it from another Bible teacher.

I believe this world got it wrong, when we say “How can God allow bad things to happen, if He’s a loving God?” In reality, if we are heartbroken, the more God is. He created us and He died for us. Don’t you think His heart is not broken, or His intestines are not twisted to see us going through our sufferings?

During Lazarus death, Jesus came 4 days late. When He saw the sorrow and grief of His friends Mary and Martha, Jesus grieve that He wept (John11:35).

But according to a famous author, Jesus wept because He saw the lack of faith in the people around Him. They were mourning for their departed loved one and friend, while Jesus, the one who said “I am the Resurrection and the Life,” who can verily bring Lazarus back to life, was standing in their midst.

Are we also lacking faith? Mourning and feeling hopeless when Jesus is by our side?

Then Jesus said to the widow “Do not weep.” He can say to the woman do not weep, because He already wept with her. He can say to us to not cry anymore, because He already cried with us.

When Jesus said ‘do not weep,’ it was not just telling the widow to control her emotion. It was because He was going to do something for her. When God said to us ‘do not weep,’ it is not just for us to hush, but because he has something in store for us. He will rectify whatever we are crying about.

Grabbing The Control

Jesus then touched the funeral bier. According to Jewish law, that was forbidden for you would become unclean. But Jesus was not afraid to be deemed ceremoniously unclean. He had a purpose beyond the ceremonial laws limitation. He touched a leper who was unclean, and the leper became clean. He touched the dead, and the dead lives. God is way beyond our presumed limitation.

What is touch? Touch can be a light touch or a tap to call their attention. Or it can be a loving touch like to caress or embrace. To touch is to make a connection.

But in the original Greek word in this account, when Jesus touched the bier, it was more than just a touch. It meant he grabbed it and stopped it from moving forward, that’s why those carrying the dead stood still. This means He was taking control. Jesus was taking charge.

Jesus wants to touch us. He wants to grabbed us. He wants to change the direction of our path. Are we letting Jesus take charge of our life?

Let’s talk about the young man. How old was he? He was probably in his early 20’s, for the context was he was a young adult that can support his mother.

What was the cause of death? I don’t know, but being so young, the cause of death here was something catastrophic.

Was he a good son? I believe so, because his mother was crying. If he was a bad son, maybe she’ll say ‘good riddance.’

Does this young man have a bright future? Maybe. But death cut short his future. He was on his way to the grave, until Jesus interrupted his woeful destiny.

Death is Terminated

What happened next is the most wonderful thing in this story. He was dead, then he heard, “Young man, I say to you arise.” And the young man came alive!

We are all dead. We are headed for eternal death. Then Jesus met us, and said to us, ‘Arise!’ Now we are bound for eternal life.

Then the dead sat up and began to speak. Both sitting up and speaking are signs of being alive.

We who are dead, and now made alive, we should begin to speak too. We should speak of the goodness of God. We should speak to our neighbor about how God has saved us. We should speak about how they need to meet Jesus too. If we’re not speaking, are we still dead?

After the young man was made alive, Jesus helped him out of the bier, and returned him back to his mother. There was a big celebration that day. The widow was not weeping anymore, but laughing, shouting for joy, and praising God. The once dead young man, was alive and given another chance in life.

Then the people started glorifying God. The whole funeral procession became a part of the life procession of Jesus. All of them went back into the city rejoicing.

Whatever you’re going through right now – whether it is pain or sickness; or a loss of a loved one; or loss of a job, or lost opportunities; or maybe your struggles is with your family; or you have issues outside the family – yes, we have problems and sorrows in this life. When we meet Jesus, He will turn our sorrows into joy.

I would like to end by going back to the story I told you in the beginning. After we admitted our patient whom we nicknamed Lazarus into the ICU, his family made him DNR (do not resuscitate) – which means no more artificial way of keeping him alive. Even though his heart continued to beat he never did wake up. Twelve hours later, he died quietly into the night.

Friends, we are all going to die. We pray that we will not experience death for Jesus will soon come. However, if God decided to delay His return in our lifetime, all of us will die.

I don’t want to sound morbid, but if you die, I will cry for you. If I go before you, I hope that you will cry for me.

But because we accepted Christ, we will not remain dead! We will hear Jesus calling us “Arise!” And we will live forever more. No more nights, no more pain, no more tears, no more death. All our sorrows will be turned into joy.

(*photos taken from the web)