(Luke) Shining Light Tells the Good Story 7
7
A SOLDIER FROM THE PEOPLE OF IRON
1When Creator Sets Free (Jesus) was finished speaking to the people, he went to Village of Comfort (Capernaum).
2A head soldier of the People of Iron (Romans) had a servant he cared deeply about who was sick and near death. 3When the head soldier heard about Creator Sets Free (Jesus), he asked some elders from the tribes of Wrestles with Creator (Israel) to go to him and ask him to heal the servant.
4-5The elders found Creator Sets Free (Jesus) and begged him to help the head soldier. “He is a man of honor who loves our nation and has built a gathering house for us. He is worth helping.”
6So Creator Sets Free (Jesus) followed them. They were not far from the house when the head soldier sent some messengers to say to him, “Honored One, I do not want you to bring trouble on yourself by coming into my house. 7That’s why I did not think it wise to come to you myself. If you will only speak a word, my servant will be healed. 8I too am a man under orders and have many soldiers under me. I say to this one ‘go,’ and he goes, and to another ‘come,’ and he comes. My servants do what I say.”
9Creator Sets Free (Jesus) was amazed at this answer. He turned to the large crowd that was with him and said, “I have never seen such great faith, not even among the tribes of Wrestles with Creator (Israel).”
10When the elders returned to the head soldier, they found the servant well.
THE SON OF A WIDOW
11Not long after this, Creator Sets Free (Jesus) and the ones who walked the road with him went to Village of Harmony (Nain). A large crowd of people trailed behind him. 12As he came near the village gate, a man who had crossed over was being carried, wrapped in a blanket, to a burial site. He was the only son of his mother, a widow. A crowd of people from the village were walking with her. 13When Creator Sets Free (Jesus) saw her, he felt pity for her and said, “Do not weep. The Great Spirit has seen your tears.”
14He walked up, opened the blanket, and laid his hands on the young man. The ones carrying it stopped and waited to see what he would do. “Young man,” he said out loud, “rise up!” 15To the amazement of all, he sat up and began to talk. Creator Sets Free (Jesus) then gave him back to his mother.
Her weeping turned to joy as she threw her arms around her son and kept kissing his face.
16Great fear and trembling fell on the crowd. They gave honor to the Great Spirit and said, “A great prophet has been sent to us! The Giver of Breath has come to visit his people!” 17News about this traveled far and wide throughout the Land of Promise (Judea) and into the surrounding villages and territories.
ARE YOU THE ONE?
18Followers of Gift of Goodwill (John), who performed the purification ceremony,#7:18 Baptism told him what Creator Sets Free (Jesus) had done. 19He sent two of his followers to ask the Wisdomkeeper a question. 20When they found Creator Sets Free (Jesus), they asked him the question from Gift of Goodwill (John), “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for someone else?”
21The messengers watched as he healed many who were sick and tormented by evil spirits, and gave sight to the ones who were blind.
22He told them, “Go back to Gift of Goodwill (John) and tell him about the things you have seen with your own eyes and heard with your own ears. The blind can see again, the lame can walk, the ones with skin disease have been healed and ceremonially cleansed! Ears that cannot hear have been opened and the poor have been told the good story! Even the dead have come back to life again!”
Creator Sets Free (Jesus) sent them back to him with these last words:
23“Creator’s blessing rests on the ones who do not stumble and leave the path because of me.”
A TRUE PROPHET
24When the messengers left, Creator Sets Free (Jesus) spoke to the people about Gift of Goodwill (John). “What were you looking for in the desert wilderness? A frail reed blowing in the wind? 25Did you see a man in costly garments? No! The ones who wear costly clothes and buy whatever they want live in grand houses. 26Were you looking for a true prophet? Yes! He is a true prophet but also much more! 27He is the one spoken of in the Sacred Teachings, ‘Look! I am sending my messenger ahead of you. He will make a clear path.’#7:27 Malachi 3:1
28“Listen closely, no one born of a woman has ever been greater, but now the smallest one who walks Creator’s good road is greater than he is.”
29When the people and tribal tax collectors heard this, they agreed that the ways of the Great Spirit were true and right, for they had received the purification ceremony#7:29 Baptism of Gift of Goodwill (John). 30But the scroll keepers and Separated Ones (Pharisees) turned away from the Great Spirit’s plan for them, for they had refused the ceremony of Gift of Goodwill (John).
31“This generation, what can I compare them to?” Creator Sets Free (Jesus) told the crowd. 32“They are like children at a trading post, teasing each other, saying, ‘You did not dance when we played the drum! You did not cry when we played a sad flute song.’
33“Gift of Goodwill (John) did not feast or drink wine, but you say, ‘He has an evil spirit.’ 34The True Human Being comes feasting and drinking and you say, ‘He eats too much and is a drunk, a friend of tribal tax collectors and outcasts with broken ways!’ 35But wisdom is proved right through the behavior of her children.”
A MEAL WITH A SPIRITUAL LEADER
36A spiritual leader from the Separated Ones (Pharisees), named Man Who Listens (Simon), invited Creator Sets Free (Jesus) to a meal. So he went to his house and joined the guests at the table.
37There was a woman in the village, an outcast with broken ways, who heard that Creator Sets Free (Jesus) was eating with the spiritual leader. So she went to the house and brought with her a small pottery jar of sweet-smelling ointment. 38She came up behind Creator Sets Free (Jesus) and began to weep at his feet. Her tears fell on his feet, and she wiped them with her hair. Then she kissed his feet and rubbed the ointment on them.
39When the spiritual leader saw this, he thought to himself, “If this man were a true prophet he would know who is touching him. He would see what kind of woman this is—an outcast!”
40Creator Sets Free (Jesus) knew what he was thinking and said to him, “Man Who Listens (Simon), I have something to say to you.”
“Wisdomkeeper,” he answered, “say what you will.”
41“Two men were in debt to the same person. One owed him five hundred horses, the other two buffalo hides. 42Neither of them had enough to pay him back, so he released them from their debt. Which one do you think will love him the most?”
43“I suppose it would be the one who owed him the most.”
“You have answered well,” Creator Sets Free (Jesus) told him.
44Then he turned to the woman and said to Man Who Listens (Simon), “Do you see this woman? When I entered your house, you did not offer me water to wash the dust from my feet, but she washed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45You did not welcome me with a kiss, but this woman is still kissing my feet. 46You did not put oil on my head, but she has rubbed sweet-smelling ointment on my feet. 47I tell you, she is forgiven and set free from her broken ways because of her great love. But small is the love of one who has been forgiven only for small things.”
Creator Sets Free (Jesus) looked at her with kindness in his eyes.
48“You are forgiven!” he said to her.
49The other guests at the table began to grumble to each other and say, “Who is this man who thinks he can forgive wrongdoings?”
50Creator Sets Free (Jesus) ignored them and said to the woman, “Your faith in me has healed your broken ways. Go in peace.”
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(Luke) Shining Light Tells the Good Story 7: FNVNT
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