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The Widow’s Son

Whenever I read a story about a healing or a raising like this one about a widow’s dead son, I find myself naturally wondering why more healings couldn’t have been done, given that Jesus had the power. Why anybody should have had to die in Judea during his ministry. However, the Jesus in these plays at any rate will be an enigma to his followers, a force of nature (or super-nature) with his own agenda that they’ll never quite grasp. He’ll refuse to give straightforward answers, and act willfully and even shockingly at times, and generally be too quick on his feet for anyone to drop a net over, though not so swift that anyone who really tries won’t be able to keep pursuing him.

For what it’s worth, I happen to think this is a pretty accurate portrait of Jesus (though accuracy won’t always be my number one goal in these plays) especially as you meet him for the first time, appearing and reappearing among the strange foliage of the dark and ancient wood that is the Gospels.