Luke 7
7
Jesus Heals a Soldier’s Servant
1When Jesus finished saying all these things to the people, he went to Capernaum. 2There was an army officer who had a servant who was very important to him. The servant was so sick he was nearly dead. 3When the officer heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to him to ask Jesus to come and heal his servant. 4The men went to Jesus and begged him, saying, “This officer is worthy of your help. 5He loves our people, and he built us a synagogue.”
6So Jesus went with the men. He was getting near the officer’s house when the officer sent friends to say, “Lord, don’t trouble yourself, because I am not worthy to have you come into my house. 7That is why I did not come to you myself. But you only need to command it, and my servant will be healed. 8I, too, am a man under the authority of others, and I have soldiers under my command. I tell one soldier, ‘Go,’ and he goes. I tell another soldier, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and my servant does it.”
9When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to the crowd that was following him, he said, “I tell you, this is the greatest faith I have found anywhere, even in Israel.”
10Those who had been sent to Jesus went back to the house where they found the servant in good health.
Jesus Brings a Man Back to Life
11Soon afterwards Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his followers and a large crowd traveled with him. 12When he came near the town gate, he saw a funeral. A mother, who was a widow, had lost her only son. A large crowd from the town was with the mother while her son was being carried out. 13When the Lord saw her, he felt very sorry for her and said, “Don’t cry.” 14He went up and touched the coffin, and the people who were carrying it stopped. Jesus said, “Young man, I tell you, get up!” 15And the son sat up and began to talk. Then Jesus gave him back to his mother.
16All the people were amazed and began praising God, saying, “A great prophet has come to us! God has come to help his people.”
17This news about Jesus spread through all Judea and into all the places around there.
John Asks a Question
18John’s followers told him about all these things. He called for two of his followers 19and sent them to the Lord to ask, “Are you the One who is to come, or should we wait for someone else?”
20When the men came to Jesus, they said, “John the Baptist sent us to you with this question: ‘Are you the One who is to come, or should we wait for someone else?’ ”
21At that time, Jesus healed many people of their sicknesses, diseases, and evil spirits, and he gave sight to many blind people. 22Then Jesus answered John’s followers, “Go tell John what you saw and heard here. The blind can see, the crippled can walk, and people with skin diseases are healed. The deaf can hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is preached to the poor. 23Those who do not stumble in their faith because of me are blessed!”
24When John’s followers left, Jesus began talking to the people about John: “What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed blown by the wind? 25What did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, people who have fine clothes and much wealth live in kings’ palaces. 26But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, and I tell you, John is more than a prophet. 27This was written about him:
‘I will send my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare the way for you.’#Malachi 3:1
28I tell you, John is greater than any other person ever born, but even the least important person in the kingdom of God is greater than John.”
29(When the people, including the tax collectors, heard this, they all agreed that God’s teaching was good, because they had been baptized by John. 30But the Pharisees and experts on the law refused to accept God’s plan for themselves; they did not let John baptize them.)
31Then Jesus said, “What shall I say about the people of this time? What are they like? 32They are like children sitting in the marketplace, calling to one another and saying,
‘We played music for you, but you did not dance;
we sang a sad song, but you did not cry.’
33John the Baptist came and did not eat bread or drink wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon in him.’ 34The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look at him! He eats too much and drinks too much wine, and he is a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ 35But wisdom is proved to be right by what it does.”
A Woman Washes Jesus’ Feet
36One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him, so Jesus went into the Pharisee’s house and sat at the table. 37A sinful woman in the town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house. So she brought an alabaster jar of perfume 38and stood behind Jesus at his feet, crying. She began to wash his feet with her tears, and she dried them with her hair, kissing them many times and rubbing them with the perfume. 39When the Pharisee who asked Jesus to come to his house saw this, he thought to himself, “If Jesus were a prophet, he would know that the woman touching him is a sinner!”
40Jesus said to the Pharisee, “Simon, I have something to say to you.”
Simon said, “Teacher, tell me.”
41Jesus said, “Two people owed money to the same banker. One owed five hundred coins and the other owed fifty. 42They had no money to pay what they owed, but the banker told both of them they did not have to pay him. Which person will love the banker more?”
43Simon, the Pharisee, answered, “I think it would be the one who owed him the most money.”
Jesus said to Simon, “You are right.” 44Then Jesus turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? When I came into your house, you gave me no water for my feet, but she washed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. 45You gave me no kiss of greeting, but she has been kissing my feet since I came in. 46You did not put oil on my head, but she poured perfume on my feet. 47I tell you that her many sins are forgiven, so she showed great love. But the person who is forgiven only a little will love only a little.”
48Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
49The people sitting at the table began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”
50Jesus said to the woman, “Because you believed, you are saved from your sins. Go in peace.”
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The Holy Bible, New Century Version, Copyright © 2005 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
Luke 7
7
Jesus Heals an Army Officer's Servant
(Matthew 8.5-13; John 4.43-54)
1After Jesus had finished teaching the people, he went to Capernaum. 2In this town an army officer's servant was sick and about to die. The officer liked his servant very much. 3And when he heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish leaders to ask him to come and heal the servant.
4The leaders went to Jesus and begged him to do something. They said, “This man deserves your help! 5He loves our nation and even built us a synagogue.” 6So Jesus went with them.
When Jesus wasn't far from the house, the officer sent some friends to tell him, “Lord, don't go to any trouble for me! I am not good enough for you to come into my house. 7And I am certainly not worthy to come to you. Just say the word, and my servant will get well. 8I have officers who give orders to me, and I have soldiers who take orders from me. I can say to one of them, ‘Go!’ and he goes. I can say to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes. I can say to my servant, ‘Do this!’ and he will do it.”
9When Jesus heard this, he was so surprised that he turned and said to the crowd following him, “In all of Israel I've never found anyone with this much faith!”
10The officer's friends returned and found the servant well.
A Widow's Son
11Soon Jesus and his disciples were on their way to the town of Nain, and a big crowd was going along with them. 12As they came near the gate of the town, they saw people carrying out the body of a widow's only son. Many people from the town were walking along with her.
13When the Lord saw the woman, he felt sorry for her and said, “Don't cry!”
14Jesus went over and touched the stretcher on which the people were carrying the dead boy. They stopped, and Jesus said, “Young man, get up!” 15The boy sat up and began to speak. Jesus then gave him back to his mother.
16Everyone was frightened and praised God. They said, “A great prophet is here with us! God has come to his people.”
17News about Jesus spread all over Judea and everywhere else in that part of the country.
John the Baptist
(Matthew 11.1-19)
18-19John's followers told John everything that was being said about Jesus. So he sent two of them to ask the Lord, “Are you the one we should be looking for? Or must we wait for someone else?”
20When these messengers came to Jesus, they said, “John the Baptist sent us to ask, ‘Are you the one we should be looking for? Or are we supposed to wait for someone else?’ ”
21At that time Jesus was healing many people who were sick or in pain or were troubled by evil spirits, and he was giving sight to a lot of blind people. 22#Is 35.5,6; Is 61.1. Jesus said to the messengers sent by John, “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard. Blind people are now able to see, and the lame can walk. People who have leprosy#7.22 leprosy: See the note at 4.27. are being healed, and the deaf can now hear. The dead are raised to life, and the poor are hearing the good news. 23God will bless everyone who doesn't reject me because of what I do.”
24After John's messengers had gone, Jesus began speaking to the crowds about John:
What kind of person did you go out to the desert to see? Was he like tall grass blown about by the wind? 25What kind of man did you really go out to see? Was he someone dressed in fine clothes? People who wear expensive clothes and live in luxury are in the king's palace. 26What then did you go out to see? Was he a prophet? He certainly was! I tell you that he was more than a prophet. 27#Ml 3.1. In the Scriptures, God calls John his messenger and says, “I am sending my messenger ahead of you to get things ready for you.” 28No one ever born on this earth is greater than John. But whoever is least important in God's kingdom is greater than John.
29 #
Mt 21.32; Lk 3.12. Everyone had been listening to John. Even the tax collectors#7.29 tax collectors: See the note at 3.12. had obeyed God and had done what was right by letting John baptize them. 30But the Pharisees and the experts in the Law of Moses refused to obey God and be baptized by John.
31Jesus went on to say:
What are you people like? What kind of people are you? 32You are like children sitting in the market and shouting to each other,
“We played the flute,
but you would not dance!
We sang a funeral song,
but you would not cry!”
33John the Baptist did not go around eating and drinking, and you said, “John has a demon in him!” 34But because the Son of Man goes around eating and drinking, you say, “Jesus eats and drinks too much! He is even a friend of tax collectors and sinners.” 35Yet Wisdom is shown to be right by what its followers do.
Simon the Pharisee
36A Pharisee invited Jesus to have dinner with him. So Jesus went to the Pharisee's home and got ready to eat.#7.36 got ready to eat: On special occasions the Jewish people often followed the Greek and Roman custom of lying down on their left side and leaning on their left elbow, while eating with their right hand. This is how the woman could come up behind Jesus and wash his feet (see verse 38).
37 #
Mt 26.7; Mk 14.3; Jn 12.3. When a sinful woman in that town found out that Jesus was there, she bought an expensive bottle of perfume. 38Then she came and stood behind Jesus. She cried and started washing his feet with her tears and drying them with her hair. The woman kissed his feet and poured the perfume on them.
39The Pharisee who had invited Jesus saw this and said to himself, “If this man really were a prophet, he would know what kind of woman is touching him! He would know that she is a sinner.”
40Jesus said to the Pharisee, “Simon, I have something to say to you.”
“Teacher, what is it?” Simon replied.
41Jesus told him, “Two people were in debt to a moneylender. One of them owed him 500 silver coins, and the other owed him 50. 42Since neither of them could pay him back, the moneylender said that they didn't have to pay him anything. Which one of them will like him more?”
43Simon answered, “I suppose it would be the one who had owed more and didn't have to pay it back.”
“You are right,” Jesus said.
44He turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Have you noticed this woman? When I came into your home, you didn't give me any water so I could wash my feet. But she has washed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. 45You didn't greet me with a kiss, but from the time I came in, she has not stopped kissing my feet. 46You didn't even pour olive oil on my head,#7.44-46 washed my feet … greet me with a kiss … pour olive oil on my head: Guests in a home were usually offered water so they could wash their feet, because most people either went barefoot or wore sandals and would come in the house with very dusty feet. Guests were also greeted with a kiss on the cheek, and special ones often had sweet-smelling olive oil poured on their head. but she has poured expensive perfume on my feet. 47So I tell you that all her sins are forgiven, and that is why she has shown great love. But anyone who has been forgiven for only a little will show only a little love.”
48Then Jesus said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.”
49Some other guests started saying to one another, “Who is this who dares to forgive sins?”
50But Jesus told the woman, “Because of your faith, you are now saved.#7.50 saved: Or “healed.” The Greek word may have either meaning. May God give you peace!”
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Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.