In the Gospel of Luke we find a special group of families which we may well ponder. They are those in which we find that touching word “Only-Begotten.” We know the word well from the writings of the Apostle John, the disciple whom Jesus loved. It instantly brings to our mind that “God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son.” (John 3:1616For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)); or “The only-begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth”. (John 1:1414And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)); or “the only-begotten Son in the bosom of the Father”. (John 1:1818No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. (John 1:18)). In all John uses this beautiful word five times of our Lord Jesus, including once in his First Epistle. But Luke, earlier in the Scriptures, uses the very same word of three families: as though to teach us something of the pathos contained in it, before the Spirit would use it of "the only-begotten of the Father.”
1) The Widow of Nain
Luke, you remember, was a doctor, and had that trained mind that took in the details of the sickness and sorrow to which, doubtless, (like most doctors today), he was no stranger. In Luke 7:11-1511And it came to pass the day after, that he went into a city called Nain; and many of his disciples went with him, and much people. 12Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her. 13And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not. 14And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise. 15And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother. (Luke 7:11‑15), we have the story of our Lord meeting a funeral coining out of the city of Nain. It was of a dead man, the only-begotten son of his mother, and she was a widow. And when the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her, and said unto her, “Weep not!” And He came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And He said, “Young man, I say unto thee, Arise!” And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And He delivered him to his mother.
What sympathy, what understanding, what grace, shine forth from our Savior here. How well He knew that mother’s heart, and shared her sorrow. And He did not claim the young man to follow Him, but gave him back to the widowed mother, to be her comfort and stay. And “Jesus Christ” is “the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” He does not change. And we will find His sympathy and love and understanding just the same today, as it was long ago outside the gate of Nain.
2) Jairus
In Luke 8:41-5641And, behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue: and he fell down at Jesus' feet, and besought him that he would come into his house: 42For he had one only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she lay a dying. But as he went the people thronged him. 43And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any, 44Came behind him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched. 45And Jesus said, Who touched me? When all denied, Peter and they that were with him said, Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? 46And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me. 47And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before him, she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately. 48And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace. 49While he yet spake, there cometh one from the ruler of the synagogue's house, saying to him, Thy daughter is dead; trouble not the Master. 50But when Jesus heard it, he answered him, saying, Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole. 51And when he came into the house, he suffered no man to go in, save Peter, and James, and John, and the father and the mother of the maiden. 52And all wept, and bewailed her: but he said, Weep not; she is not dead, but sleepeth. 53And they laughed him to scorn, knowing that she was dead. 54And he put them all out, and took her by the hand, and called, saying, Maid, arise. 55And her spirit came again, and she arose straightway: and he commanded to give her meat. 56And her parents were astonished: but he charged them that they should tell no man what was done. (Luke 8:41‑56), we have the lovely story of Jairus, the ruler of the synagogue, whose only-begotten daughter, about twelve years of age, lay dying. Jairus besought the Lord to come to his house to heal her, but there was a delay on the way, and before He reached the home, a messenger came to say the little girl was dead. And they all wept and bewailed her; but He said, “Weep not; she is not dead, but sleepeth.” But they laughed at Him, knowing she was dead. And He put them all out, and took her by the hand, and called, saying, “Maid, arise!” (Mark recalls the very words the Savior used “Talitha Cumi!” Perhaps they mean literally: “Little Darling, I say unto thee, arise!”) And her spirit came again, and she arose straightway: and He commanded to give her meat. And her parents were astonished: but He charged them that they should tell no man what was done.
Again we see the loving thoughtful sympathy of our Lord; and again let us remember He is the same today. Perhaps you have lost a little one. That “little darling” is not lost: He will give it back again: not in just the way He gave Jairus back his little darling, but in a better way. You remember when Job lost all his children, and all his goods: he got back double as many of the possessions, but only the same number of children, for the Lord was going to give him back the other children. They were not lost; but only gone on a little before their father. And what comfort to remember the Lord sees our children today as “little darlings”. Perhaps others do not; but the Lord does. And He has purchased them with His own blood, and loves them so dearly that He would have each darling child in His Home, with Himself, forever.
3) the Son With an Evil Spirit
In Luke 9:3838And, behold, a man of the company cried out, saying, Master, I beseech thee, look upon my son: for he is mine only child. (Luke 9:38), we read of a poor distracted father who had brought his son possessed with an unclean spirit to the disciples, but they could not cast it out. It was a most terrible case, and in his anguish the father cried: “Master, I beseech Thee, look upon my son: for he is my only-begotten!” It is not by accident the Spirit uses this touching word in these three lovely stories: rather is it to prepare our hearts, that we may more deeply enter into what it meant for God to give His only-begotten Son for you and for me. May we learn the lesson, in part at least, for never will we know it all. But these three cases should teach us something of what it cost the Father to redeem us poor lost sinners. The father in the story before us did not have much faith, but the Lord rebuked the unclean spirit, and it came out, and He delivered him again to his father. In each case He gave the child back to the parent: though indeed He might have claimed them: but it is
“He who has fashioned a mother’s heart
And furnished it all with love.”
And He knows and understands and cares as none other can, even more than the nearest and the dearest. And let us ever remember that His sympathy today, in our sorrows with our children, is just as real and true as it was long ago.
In sickness or in health, in life or in death, the best thing we can do with our children is to commit them to our Lord Jesus Christ.