Jesus heals the centurion’s servant
7
📚Now when he had finished his whole discourse in the hearing of the people, he went to Capernaum. 2 📚And a certain centurion’s servant, who was highly regarded by him, was sick and about to die. 3 📚And when he heard of Jesus, he sent Jewish elders to him, begging him to come and heal his servant. 7:3 Judging from Matthew’s account, the centurion himself came later.⚜
4 📚And when they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, saying that the one for whom he should do this was worthy,
7:4 Compare this with what the man thought of himself (vs 6,7). It was surely a rare thing for the Jews to speak so well of a Roman, or anyone of another nation.⚜
5 📚“For he loves our nation, and he has built us a synagogue 📖”.
6 📚Then Jesus went with them. And when he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying to him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy that you should come under my roof. 7 📚So I did not even think myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. 8 📚For I too am a man placed under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go’, and he goes; and to another, ‘Come’, and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this’, and he does it”.
9 📚When Jesus heard these things, he looked at him with admiration, and turned around and said to the people who were following him, “I tell you, I have not found faith so great, not even in Israel”.
10 📚And those who had been sent, returning to the house, found the servant who had been sick, in good health.
Jesus raises a young man from death
11 And a day later this happened: He went to a city called Nain, and many of his disciples went with him, and a large crowd.
7:11 Nain was a town about ten kilometers from Nazareth.⚜
12 📚Now when he was approaching the gate of the city, suddenly there was a dead man being carried out. He was the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the city was with her.
13 📚And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said to her, “Do not weep”.
14 📚And he came and touched the coffin, and those who were carrying him stood still. And he said, “Young man, I say to you, get up”.
15 📚And the dead man sat up, and began to speak. And he handed him over to his mother.
7:15 Thrice it is recorded that Jesus raised the dead to life – here, at Luke 8:53-55, and at John 11:43-44. See note on Jesus’ miracles at Matt 8:3.⚜
16 📚And everyone was seized by reverential awe, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has arisen among us”, and, “God has visited his people”.
7:16 See Luke 1:64-65; 2:13, 20, 28; 5:25; 13:13; 17:15; 18:43; 23:47; 24:53. This is a characteristic note in Luke’s Gospel. Note on praise at Ps 31:1-3. They called Jesus a prophet (Matt 16:13-14; 21:11). They did not understand He was much more than a prophet (Matt 16:15-17).⚜
17 📚And this report about him spread through all Judea, and through all the surrounding region.
Jesus answers the question of John the Baptist
18 📚And the disciples of John informed him of all these things. 19 📚And John, having called two of his disciples, sent them to Jesus, saying, “Are you the one who is to come? Or should we look for another?”
20 📚When the men came to him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to you, saying, ‘Are you the one who is to come? Or should we look for another?’ ”
21 📚And at that very time he cured many people of diseases, afflictions, and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind.
22 📚Then Jesus answering said to them, “Go your way and tell John what things you have seen and heard, how the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them. 23 📚And blessed is he who does not stumble because of me”.
Jesus praises John the Baptist
24 📚And when the messengers from John had gone, he began to speak to the people concerning John, “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 25 📚But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Look, those who are splendidly dressed and live in luxury, are in royal palaces. 26 📚But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and much more than a prophet. 27 📚This is the one about whom it is written,
See, I send my messenger before your face,
who will prepare your way before you.
28 📚“For I tell you, Among those born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist. But he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he”.
29 📚And all the people who heard this, and the tax collectors, declared God righteous, having been baptized with the baptism of John. 30 📚But the Pharisees and lawyers 📖 rejected the purpose of God for themselves, not having been baptized by John.
7:29-30 These verses are not found in Matthew. Many of the common people had repented and gone to John to be baptized. See Matt 3:5-6. But the religious leaders had rejected John’s message – Matt 3:7-10. In doing so they had rejected God’s good purpose for them.⚜
31 📚And the Lord said, “To what, then, shall I compare the men of this generation? And what are they like? 32 📚They are like children sitting in the marketplace, calling to one another, and saying,
‘We have played the flute to you,
and you have not danced;
we have wailed for you, and you have not wept.’
33 📚For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ 34 📚The Son of man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ 35 📚But wisdom is justified by all her children”.
7:18-35 Matt 11:2-19. At that time John was in prison because of his preaching.⚜
Jesus in the house of Simon the Pharisee
36 📚And one of the Pharisees 📖 asked him to eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee’s house, and sat down at the table. 37 📚And just then a woman in the city, who was a sinner 📖, knowing that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster jar of fragrant oil, 38 📚and stood behind him at his feet weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and wipe them with the hairs of her head, and she kissed his feet, and anointed them with the oil.
7:38 In this way she showed her repentance and faith and pure love for the Lord of glory (v 47).⚜
39 📚Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, “If this man were a prophet he would know who and what kind of woman this is who is touching him; for she is a sinner”.
7:39 Probably the Pharisee never once considered that Jesus was more than a prophet. The way he regarded this woman was the usual way many Pharisees looked down on others. See Luke 18:9-12.⚜
40 📚And Jesus responded and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you”. And he said, “Teacher, say it”.
41 📚“There was a certain moneylender who had two debtors. The one owed five hundred silver pieces, and the other fifty.
7:41 A “silver piece” – “denarius” – was a day’s wage for a laborer (Matt 20:2).⚜
42 📚And when they had nothing to pay with, he freely forgave them both. So tell me, which of them will love him most?”
43 📚Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave most”. And he said to him, “You have rightly judged”.
44 📚And he turned to the woman, and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You gave me no water for my feet, but she washed my feet with tears and wiped them with the hairs of her head. 45 📚You gave me no kiss, but this woman since the time I came in has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 📚You did not anoint my head with oil, but this woman anointed my feet with fragrant oil.
7:44-46 The Pharisee had not shown the hospitality usually shown to guests. Jesus was not complaining for His own sake, but was trying to teach this Pharisee a very important lesson that had to do with much more than mere hospitality. But we should understand that the Lord Jesus well observes our attitude and behavior toward Him.⚜
47 📚Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But the one who has been forgiven little, loves little”.
7:47 She was not forgiven because of her love for God; she loved God because she was forgiven. This is the meaning of vs 41-43. By her behavior toward Christ she showed both that she was forgiven and loved God. Compare Matt 25:32-46. Notes on forgiveness at Matt 6:12; 9:5-7; 12:31; 18:23-25.⚜
48 📚And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven”.
49 📚And those who sat at the table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”
7:48-49 Compare Matt 9:2-6.⚜
50 📚And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace”.
7:36-50 Only Luke relates this incident. Matthew, Mark and John record another time when Jesus was anointed (Matt 26:6-13; Mark 14:3-9; John 12:1-8).⚜
7:50 It was not her love for God which saved her and brought peace, nor was it her weeping on Christ’s feet. It was her faith that saved her. Saved here means receiving forgiveness, deliverance from her sinful life, and being made right with God. See Rom 3:22-24; 5:1; Gal 2:16; 3:26; Eph 2:8-9.⚜