Dear Christian friends:

When someone is dying or near death people think his future is without hope. Prayer can't help him. The mother in today's Gospel lesson was in such big trouble. Her husband had died a few years ago, and now her only son had died and his funeral was going out of the city to the burial place. It seemed that prayer now can't help her. But Jesus helped her. We also have the same experience.

Therefore, let us attend to our text, the Gospel Lesson, and see that


I. The mothers situation seemed hopeless.

A. Her son's death meant her family is ended.

Her husband had already died before. Now her only son is dead and gone. We don't know if she had any daughters. The lesson did not say. No matter, the son can't marry and have grand sons to continue the family name and land. That was very important for Jews.

B. Her son's death also meant that now she had no man to work and earn money to support her. No money for rent, food and clothing. How will she support herself?

C. Her son's death also meant that her dream of a happy, comfortable home is gone, vanished.

I think the mother is worried sad and has much grief. She thinks the future is hopeless and prayer can't help her now.

II. We, the same as this mother, have hopeless situations. We have bad times when we think praying can't help.

A. Maybe a husband or wife dies. Perhaps a son or daughter dies. Perhaps we have a divorce. Maybe we must move far away and leave behind family members, good neighbors and good friends. We feel sad, grief and depression. We think the future is hopeless. Prayer can't help.

B. These bad happenings mean that our dream of a happy comfortable home is gone. (Tell about Russell Yates, whose wife drowned all 5 children in their Houston, Texas home, last Wednesday.) His dream of a happy family and home is gone, vanished.

Why do these bad things happen to us? Why must we die? Why does our life here on earth become hopeless? Why do our dream's vanish?

III. Because we are sinners. We have broken God's holy laws, the Ten Commandments.

A. Adam's fall into sin brought death to all people, also to us.

1. St. Paul says in Romans 5:12, "Through one man sin entered into the world and death with sin, and therefore death came to all people because all have sinned."

2. In the Old Testament Lesson we read about the mother whose son became sick and died while the prophet Elijah was living in her home. She confessed that her son died because of her sin. (1 Kings 17:18)

3. And St. Paul writes in Romans 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death."

B. Therefore, when we meet death we feel we can't pay. We feel God is punishing us for our sins. We become angry with God or we blame others. The mother in the Old Testament Lesson became angry with God when her dear son died. She said to Elijah, "Man of God, why did you come here. Why? You came here and God remembered my sins and killed my son."

C. When we meet death we don't know what to say or what to pray.

1. The mother in the Gospel Lesson did not pray when her son died and the mother in the Old Testament Lesson also did not pray when her son died. She became angry and blamed Elijah and God.

2. Do you know what to say and what to pray when a member of your family is dying or when you are dying? When the doctor tells you that you will die in three months, what should you pray? Should you pray for healing? Or should you pray that God helps you to accept death? Should you pray for death without pain?

When you go to the hospital to visit a family member, who is very sick and dying, what should you say to him? Should you not talk about his dying and act like he will get well? Often we don't want to visit a dying person. We don't know what to say. We don't know what to pray.

Well, we often don't know what to think or say or pray or do when death comes to our family or friends, but Jesus knows. God knows what to do.

IV. God saw our need when faced with sin and death; He sent His Son to give us life, without our prayer.

A. Here in the Gospel Lesson we see Jesus face to face with death. We read, "When Jesus saw the mother, He felt compassion for her and said, "Don't cry." etc. (verses 13-15)

1. Jesus came here on earth to accept our sin, our death and our punishment. He died on the cross so that God can forgive all our sins. Jesus accepted our sins and paid for our sins so that we can have His holiness. (1 Corinthians 5:21)

B. In the Gospel Lesson here Jesus raised the mother's son. In the Old Testament Lesson Elijah prayed and made that mother's son alive again. Jesus has power over sin, death and Satan. He will raise us from death when He comes again on the Last Day. Through faith in Jesus we have eternal life.

C. God gives us again our families and friends.

Jesus and Elijah both gave the sons again to their mothers. In heaven we will see our family members again who have died. Jesus will give our family again to us!

D. God gives us our dreams again.

He raised the mother's son. Now the son can continue the family. God gives us the dream of eternal life in heaven. He gives us a wonderful future although we have none here on earth.

E. God gives us a prayer. He teaches us to pray to Him in time of trouble. He has given us the Lord's Prayer also! We don't feel ashamed to pray to God now. He loves us in Jesus. He is our "Father in heaven," and we are His dear children. Now we have a prayer at all times, good times or bad times!

Through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God has come to help us in our need. He comes to us through the preaching of Good News, through Baptism and through the Lord's Supper and gives us faith. The same as Jesus had heart for the mother in our text, He has heart for us in time of death and other losses. He does this also when we know not what to pray and before we pray.

Let us praise God with the people in our text, saying, "God has come to help His people." Yes, truly He has!

Amen.