The Widow of Nain in Art
Two artists’ views of an often overlooked Bible story
The story of the Widow of Nain in Luke’s gospel is interesting. The focus could be the miracle. Jesus restored a dead young man to life as he was being carried to his grave. That is pretty amazing. Worth writing about—no question!
But the focus isn’t on the miracle. It is on the compassion. Why did Jesus intrude on this funeral procession?
It wasn’t for pity for the young life cut short. It was for what that young man’s life meant to those around him—particularly his mother.
We don’t know how the young man died. What is it illness or accident? We know only that he was the only son of a widow. He was the family provider.
Jesus saw a woman in distress and a society that couldn’t cope with supporting her. They had problems of their own. The social system as known to everyone was about to fail. All the widow’s friends, gathered on this day to help her mourn, would soon desert her. Bad things were going to happen if someone didn’t take preemptive action.
Jesus, a stranger, intruded. Thank God!
There are several well-know depictions of this scene. Let’s compare just two.
Mario Minniti tackled the topic in the 1600s. The elements of the story are here. The crowd is bewildered. Jesus and the young man are central.
But look at this modern depiction by artist Corinne Peters. Here’s a link this work on her website where you can view other excellent modern Christian art.
Here, too, the focus is the reaction of the crowd just as the miracle is occurring. There is still no time to put their experience in perspective. They are frozen in the moment. They are joyful. They are relieved. At the same time they are frightened at the power of Jesus.