𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗠-𝗨𝗣

• Name at least one thing you do to cheer yourself up when you’re sad. 

• How do people make you feel loved? Can you share instances of this? 

• How do you show someone you care for them? Can you give an example?

𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗗

𝘚𝘰𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘢 𝘵𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘕𝘢𝘪𝘯, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘥 𝘸𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘩𝘪𝘮. 𝘈𝘴 𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘸 𝘯𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘸𝘯, 𝘣𝘦𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥, 𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘶𝘵, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘸𝘪𝘥𝘰𝘸, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘥 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘩𝘦𝘳. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘴𝘢𝘸 𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘳, “𝘋𝘰 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘱.” 𝗟𝗨𝗞𝗘 𝟳:𝟭𝟭-𝟭𝟯

(Read also 𝗟𝗨𝗞𝗘 𝟳:𝟭𝟰–𝟭𝟳.)

Grief is inevitable. There are many ways we experience it. How do you think you would face loss, separation, or death? The effects can be hard to describe and may seem impossible to overcome. As a widow, the woman had already experienced grief through the loss of her husband, and now, we see her leading a funeral procession for her only son. Imagine the toll of this loss on her emotionally and financially. Back then, women had limited job options and relied on their husbands or sons to live. She was grieving not only the loss of her son, but perhaps her future. But thankfully, this is not how her story ends.

𝟭. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝘀𝗮𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗱𝗼𝘄 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗴𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗳.

𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘴𝘢𝘸 𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘳... 𝗟𝗨𝗞𝗘 𝟳:𝟭𝟯

Luke’s Gospel shows that Jesus intently cares for widows, orphans, and the outcasts in society. Luke emphasized how, after granting the request of a Centurion (someone important in society) for healing, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘴𝘢𝘸 the widow (someone less significant in society) amidst a large crowd. The word 𝘴𝘢𝘸 here goes beyond looking—it means to perceive and notice. Jesus doesn’t care only for those seemingly more important; He cares about each of us. He is the God who sees (Genesis 16:13). Recall one of the clearest times you felt seen by God. What happened? 

𝟮. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗱𝗼𝘄. 

𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘴𝘢𝘸 𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘳, “𝘋𝘰 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘱.” 𝗟𝗨𝗞𝗘 𝟳:𝟭𝟯

Isaiah 53:4 shows how Jesus would be when He came to earth—one who bears our griefs and carries our sorrows. As Jesus saw the widow, He was moved to minister to her. He probably felt what she felt, and was hurt because she was hurt. He bore her grief and suffered with her. When we approach God in our pain, we can expect to be met with kindness, understanding, and mercy. What encouragement does Hebrews 4:15–16 have for us when we are in need?

𝟯. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝘁𝗼𝘂𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗱𝗼𝘄’𝘀 𝘀𝗼𝗻.

𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘶𝘱 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘰𝘶𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘪𝘦𝘳, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥, “𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘢𝘯, 𝘐 𝘴𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘦.” 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘴𝘢𝘵 𝘶𝘱 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘑𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘴 𝘨𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳. 𝗟𝗨𝗞𝗘 𝟳:𝟭𝟰-𝟭𝟱

Out of compassion, Jesus healed the widow’s son and raised him from the dead, something no one could possibly do. Culturally, a person who touches the dead becomes unclean. But Jesus, because of His power and holiness, did not become unclean. Instead, the man was raised to life. Jesus did this miracle willingly—no one asked Him to do it. He acted on the widow’s behalf and restored her joy and hope. That’s the power of Jesus! How have you experienced God moving on your behalf? 

When the 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘥 saw what He had done, they glorified God and recognized the work of the Father through Jesus (Luke 7:16–17). Jesus’ presence is a physical manifestation of God. He sees us, cares about us, and acts on our behalf no matter how seemingly insignificant we may be. Jesus uses our seemingly impossible situations to show His miraculous power, give people hope, and point us to God.

𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡

• How do you usually deal with grief? How can this change now that you know that God sees you, is compassionate towards you, and moves on your behalf? 

• Who among your family or friends are experiencing grief or loss? How can you point them to our compassionate Jesus who is able and willing to give us hope? 

• Pray for someone you know needs a miracle. Commit to share the hope we have in Jesus and challenge them to step out in faith and seek God.

𝗣𝗥𝗔𝗬𝗘𝗥

• Thank Jesus for His compassionate heart toward us, no matter how seemingly big or small we are in society. Thank Him for saving us and for always meeting us where we are. 

• Ask God to show you how He has been with you and will continue to be with you through tough times. Pray for a greater awareness of His presence and work in your life. 

• Pray for eyes of faith as you seek God for miracles this year. May His work and your faith help you point others to Him.