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.”
Currently Selected:
Luke 7: NCV
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
The Holy Bible, New Century Version, Copyright © 2005 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
Luke 7
7
A Roman Commander Has Faith
1Jesus finished saying all these things to the people who were listening. Then he entered Capernaum. 2There the servant of a Roman commander was sick and about to die. His master thought highly of him. 3The commander heard about Jesus. So he sent some elders of the Jews to him. He told them to ask Jesus to come and heal his servant. 4They came to Jesus and begged him, “This man deserves to have you do this. 5He loves our nation and has built our synagogue.” 6So Jesus went with them.
When Jesus came near the house, the Roman commander sent friends to him. He told them to say, “Lord, don’t trouble yourself. I am not good enough to have you come into my house. 7That is why I did not even think I was fit to come to you. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 8I myself am a man who is 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. He said, “I tell you, even in Israel I have not found anyone whose faith is so strong.” 10Then the men who had been sent to Jesus returned to the house. They found that the servant was 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. 12He approached the town gate. Just then, a dead person was being carried out. He was the only son of his mother. She was a widow. A large crowd from the town was with her. 13When the Lord saw her, he felt sorry for her. So he said, “Don’t cry.”
14Then he went up and touched the coffin. Those carrying it stood still. Jesus said, “Young man, I say to you, get up!” 15The dead man sat up and began to talk. Then Jesus gave him back to his mother.
16The people were all filled with wonder and praised God. “A great prophet has appeared among us,” they said. “God has come to help his people.” 17This news about Jesus spread all through 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. 19He sent them to the Lord. John told them to ask him, “Are you the one who is supposed to come? Or should we look for someone else?”
20The men came 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. They had illnesses, sicknesses and evil spirits. He also gave sight to many who were blind. 22So Jesus replied to the messengers, “Go back to John. Tell him what you have seen and heard. Blind people receive sight. Disabled people walk. Those who have skin diseases are made ‘clean.’ Deaf people hear. Those who are dead are raised to life. And the good news is announced to those who are poor. 23Blessed is anyone who does not give up their faith because of me.”
24So John’s messengers left. Then Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John. He said, “What did you go out into the desert to see? Tall grass waving in the wind? 25If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No. Those who wear fine clothes and have many expensive things are 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. It says,
“ ‘I will send my messenger ahead of you.
He will prepare your way for you.’ (Malachi 3:1)
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 is.”
29All the people who heard Jesus’ words agreed that God’s way was right. Even the tax collectors agreed. These people had all been baptized by John. 30But the Pharisees and the authorities on the law did not accept for themselves God’s purpose. So they had not been baptized by John.
31Jesus went on to say, “What can I compare today’s people to? What are they like? 32They are like children sitting in the market and calling out to each other. They say,
“ ‘We played the flute for you.
But you didn’t dance.
We sang a funeral song.
But you didn’t cry.’
33That is how it has been with John the Baptist. When he came to you, he didn’t eat bread or drink wine. And you say, ‘He has a demon.’ 34But when the Son of Man came, he ate and drank as you do. And you say, ‘This fellow is always eating and drinking far too much. He’s a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ 35All who follow wisdom prove that wisdom is right.”
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. He took his place at the table. 37There was a woman in that town who had lived a sinful life. She learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house. So she came there with a special jar of perfume. 38She stood behind Jesus and cried at his feet. And she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair. She 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. He would know what kind of woman she is. She is a sinner!”
40Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”
“Tell me, teacher,” he said.
41“Two people owed money to a certain lender. One owed him 500 silver coins. The other owed him 50 silver coins. 42Neither of them had the money to pay him back. So he let them go without paying. Which of them will love him more?”
43Simon replied, “I suppose the one who owed the most money.”
“You are right,” Jesus said.
44Then he turned toward the woman. He said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water to wash my feet. But she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45You did not give me a kiss. But this woman has not stopped kissing my feet since I came in. 46You did not 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. She has shown that she understands this by her great acts of love. 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 talk about this among themselves. They said, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”
50Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version®, NIrV®
Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998, 2014 by Biblica, Inc.®
Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.