難道我們真的要親眼看見死人復活，纔能恢復久違了的「敬畏之心」，害怕起來（路7:16）嗎？
不少人年青有為，事業有成，甚至有一段童話般完美的婚姻，建立了一個令人羨慕的家庭。豈料飛來橫禍，受傷殘廢了或者染上了不治之症。這些人都是值得耶穌基督的同情和憐憫的，甚至很多信主的親友會為他禱告。可惜，耶穌基督好像看不見、聽不到！是當事人或者他的親友的信德和愛德不夠嗎？看，納因城的寡婦有求耶穌嗎？本城一大夥陪著她的人和她一樣，好像已接受了死亡的現實，並沒有打算求耶穌。耶穌基督卻主動復活了寡婦的獨生子，真是「有意栽花花不發，無心插柳柳成蔭。」納因城上上下下連柳也沒有插哩！
這正是我們要敬畏天主的原因！天父在我們祈求祂之前，已知道了我們的需要（瑪6:8）。但我們仍要祈禱，從而更認識自我，知所定位。很多時候，我們祈求一些不必要的，甚至對自己或者對身邊的人有害的事物，當然求而不得。當我們發現天主竟然賜給我們沒有祈求的事物，啟發了我們忽略了的潛能時，我們體會到天父的眷顧（路7:16），經驗到天父那不能言喻的奧妙，我們更加心悅誠服，更加渴望親近天父。
其實，有很多人是值得同情憐憫的，但為甚麼耶穌會如此厚待納因城的寡婦呢？莫非耶穌所看見的是自己的母親，臥在棺材裡的是自己。祂是多麼希望納匝肋的寡婦能獲得復活的安慰！
父啊！我在墳墓中期待著，正期待著祢的呼喚。亞孟。
Unrequested Grace (Luke 7:11-17)
Do we really have to see the dead raised so that we may restore our long forgotten "Fear of God", so that "Fear seized them all" (Luke 7:16)?
Many young people are successful in career and even have a fairytale like perfect marriage and an enviable family. Disasters strike at the wrong time. They become disabled or contract incurable diseases. These people deserve the compassion and mercy of Jesus. Their friends and relatives even pray for them. Unfortunately, Jesus does not seem to see or to hear! Are the faith and charity of the victims or their relatives and friends not strong enough? Look, did the widow of Nain beg Jesus? The large crowd from the city and the widow herself seemed to have resigned to fate, to have no intention to beg Jesus. Yet, Jesus Christ took the initiative to raise the only son of the widow. What unrequested grace! The whole city even had not dreamt of begging Jesus!
This is exactly why we should fear God! Before we pray to the Father, He already knows what we need. (Matthew 6:8) But we still have to pray in order to know ourselves and our position. Many times, we pray for some unnecessary things and even harmful things for ourselves and others. Of course, we won't get them. When we discover we have received things we have not prayed for and incidents that trigger our hidden potentials, we begin to know God's providence (Luke 7:16). We experience the ineffable mystery of the Father. We surrender and desire more to come close to the Father.
In fact, many deserve compassion but why did Jesus show compassion to the widow of Nain in particular? Did Jesus see his own mother, see himself in the mummy? How much Jesus wanted to console the widow of Nazareth with his resurrection!
Father! I am anticipating Your call from within my tomb. Amen.
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