Luke 7
7
A Roman Commander Has Faith
1Jesus finished saying all these things to the people who were listening, and then he went into Capernaum. 2A Roman commander there had a servant who was sick and about to die. His master thought highly of him, 3so when he heard about Jesus, he sent some of the Jewish elders to ask him to come and heal his servant. 4They went to Jesus and begged him, “This man deserves to have you do this, 5because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue.” 6So Jesus went with them.
When Jesus came near the house, the Roman commander sent some of his friends to him. He told them to say, “Lord, don’t trouble yourself. I’m not good enough to have you come into my house. 7I didn’t even feel I was fit to come to you. But just say the word and my servant will be healed. 8I myself am under authority, and I have soldiers who obey my orders. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes. I tell that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
9When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at the commander. Jesus turned to the crowd that was following him and said, “I tell you, I haven’t found anyone even in Israel whose faith is this strong.” 10Then the men who’d been sent to Jesus returned to the house and found that the servant had been healed.
Jesus Raises a Widow’s Son From the Dead
11Some time later, Jesus went to a town called Nain. His disciples and a large crowd went along with him. 12Just as he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out. He was the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. A large crowd from the town was with her. 13When the Lord saw her, he felt compassion for her and said, “Don’t cry.”
14Then he went up and touched the coffin. The people who were carrying it stood still. Jesus said, “Young man, I tell you, get up!” 15The man who had died sat up and started to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.
16All the people were filled with wonder, and they praised God. “A great prophet has appeared among us!” they said. “God has come to help his people.” 17This news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the whole country.
Jesus and John the Baptist
18John’s disciples told him about all these things. So he chose two of them 19and sent them to the Lord to ask him, “Are you the one who is supposed to come, or should we look for someone else?”
20When the men got to Jesus they said, “John the Baptist sent us to ask you, ‘Are you the one who is supposed to come, or should we look for someone else?’ ”
21At that time Jesus healed many people who had illnesses, sicknesses, and evil spirits, and he restored the sight of many who were blind. 22Then Jesus replied to the messengers, “Go back to John and tell him what you have seen and heard: People who are blind receive their sight, those who are disabled walk, those with skin diseases are made clean, those who are deaf hear, those who have died are restored to life, and the good news is announced to the poor. 23Blessed is anyone who does not give up their faith because of me.”
24Then John’s messengers left, and Jesus began to speak to the crowd about him. He said, “What did you go out into the desert to see? Tall grass waving in the wind? 25If not that, then what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes and live in luxury are found in palaces. 26Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 27He is the one written about in Scripture where it says,
“ ‘I will send my messenger ahead of you,
and he will prepare your way for you.’
28I tell you, no one more important than John has ever been born. But the least important person in God’s kingdom is more important than John.”
29When all the people, including the tax collectors, heard Jesus’ words, they agreed that God’s way was right, because they’d all been baptized by John. 30But the Pharisees and the experts in the law rejected God’s purpose for themselves, because they hadn’t been baptized by John.
31Jesus went on to say, “What can I compare today’s people to? What are they like? 32They’re like children sitting in the market and calling out to each other who say,
“ ‘We played the flute for you,
but you didn’t dance.
So we sang a funeral song,
but you didn’t cry.’
33When John the Baptist came, he didn’t eat bread or drink wine, and you said, ‘He has a demon.’ 34But when the Son of Man came, he did eat and drink, but you said, ‘He always eats and drinks way too much, and he has tax collectors and sinners for friends.’ 35But wisdom is proved right by all its followers.”
A Sinful Woman Pours Perfume on Jesus
36One of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee’s house and took his place at the table. 37In that town there was a woman who had lived a sinful life. When she learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. 38She stood behind Jesus and cried at his feet, then she began to wet his feet with her tears. She wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and poured perfume on them.
39The Pharisee who had invited Jesus saw this. He said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him—what kind of woman she is. She’s a sinner!”
40Jesus responded, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”
“Tell me, teacher,” he said.
41“Two people owed money to a certain lender. One of them owed him 500 silver coins, while the other owed 50 silver coins. 42Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he told them both they didn’t have to pay. Which of them will love him more?”
43Simon replied, “I suppose the one who owed the most money.”
“You’re right,” Jesus said.
44Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? When I came into your house, you didn’t give me any water to wash my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45You didn’t give me a kiss, but this woman hasn’t stopped kissing my feet since I came in. 46You didn’t put any olive oil on my head, but she has poured this perfume on my feet. 47So I tell you this: Her many sins have been forgiven, as her acts of great love have shown. But whoever has been forgiven only a little loves only a little.”
48Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
49The other guests began to ask each other, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”
50Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”
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