MARY, OUR MOTHER

SCRIPTURE COMMENTARY #212

And he came near and touched the bier. And they that carried it stood still. And he said: "Young man, I say to thee, arise." And he that was dead sat up and begun to speak. And he gave him to his mother. (Luke 7:14-15)

THE OMNIPOTENCE OF OUR LORD: In the last chapter we heard how Jesus cured a man who was at the very gates of death. In this chapter, a still greater miracle is related, namely the calling back to life by our Lord of a young man who was actually dead. Elias, too, (Old Testament) raised the dead; not, however, by his own power, but by his prayers; for we are told that he stretched himself three times on the body of the widow's son, and prayed fervently to God, saying: "O Lord, my God, let the soul of this child, I beseech Thee, return into his body." And at the prayer of the holy prophet God called the dead boy back to life. Therefore Elias did not of himself raise the dead, but he prayed to God, and in answer to his prayer God restored the boy to life. The raising up of the young man of Naim was quite different. Our Lord did not pray to God to raise him up, but commanded the dead man, saying: "Young man, I say to thee, arise!" and immediately the youth sat up and spoke. It was by His own Almighty word and power that He raised up this young man, and He showed thereby that He was not only a Prophet, but the Almighty Lord of life and death, or, in other words, that He was God. Elias prayed as a servant; Jesus commanded as God!

[From 'A Practical Commentary on Holy Scripture' by Bishop Knecht, D.D.]
(1899 Douay-Rheims Bible)