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He heals the centurion’s servant, raises up the widow’s son from death to life, and answers the disciples that John the Baptist sent to him. He commends John, and reproves the Jews for their unfaithfulness. He eats with the Pharisee. The woman washes his feet with her tears, and he forgives her her sins.

When Jesus had ended all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered into Capernaum. And a certain centurion’s servant was sick and ready to die, whom he made much of. And when the centurion heard of Jesus, he sent to him the elders of the Jews, beseeching him to come and heal his servant. And they came to Jesus and besought him urgently, saying, He is worthy that you should do this for him, for he loves our nation, and has built us a synagogue.

And 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. Therefore I did not think myself worthy to come to you. But speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. For I likewise am a man under authority, and have under me soldiers. 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.

When Jesus heard this, he marvelled at him, and turned about and said to the people that followed him, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, no, not in Israel.

10 And those who had been sent turned back home again, and found the servant that had been sick, whole.

11 And it happened after that, that he went into a town called Nain. And many of his disciples went with him, and crowds of people. 12 When he came near to the gate of the town, behold, there was a dead man being carried out. He had been the only son of his mother, and she was a widow, and a large group of townsfolk were with her. 13 And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, Weep not. 14 And he went and touched the bier, and those who were bearing it stood still. And he said, Young man, I say to you, arise! 15 And the dead man sat up and began to speak. And Jesus delivered him to his mother.

16 And there came a fear upon them all. And they glorified God, saying, A great prophet is risen among us, and God has visited his people.

17 And this talk of him went forth throughout all Judea, and throughout all the regions that lie round about.

18 And the disciples of John reported to him about all these things. 19 And John called to him two of his disciples and sent them to Jesus, saying, Are you he that was to come, or should we look for another?

20 When the men came to Jesus, they said, John the Baptist sent us to you, saying, Are you he that was to come, or should we wait for another?

21 And at that same time, Jesus cured many people of their infirmities and diseases, and of evil spirits; and to many who were blind, he gave sight. 22 And Jesus answered and said to John’s disciples, Go your ways 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 arise. To the poor, the glad tidings are preached; 23 and happy is he who is not offended by me.

24 When the messengers of John had departed, Jesus began to speak to the people about John. What did you go out into the wilderness to see? Did you go to see a reed shaken with the wind? 25 But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, those who are gorgeously apparelled and live delicately are in kings’ courts. 26 But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yea, I say to you, and more than a prophet. 27 This is he of whom it is written: Behold, I send my messenger before your face, to prepare your way before you. 28 For I say to you, among the children of women there is no greater prophet than John. Nevertheless, one who is less in the kingdom of God, is greater than he.

29 And all the people who heard, and the publicans, justified God, and were baptized with the baptism of John. 30 But the Pharisees and scribes rejected the counsel of God against themselves, and were not baptized by him.

31 And the Lord said, To what shall I liken the people of this generation, and what are they like? 32 They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling one to another, and saying, We have piped to you, and you have not danced; we have mourned to you, and you have not wept. 33 For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say he has the devil. 34 The Son of man has come, and eats and drinks, and you say, Here is a man who is a glutton and a drinker of wine, a friend of publicans and sinners. 35 Yet wisdom is justified by her children.

36 And one of the Pharisees invited him to eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee’s house and sat down to food. 37 And behold, a woman in that town who was a sinner, as soon as she knew that Jesus sat at food in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster jar of oyntment. 38 And she stood at his feet behind him, weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with oyntment.

39 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he spoke within himself, saying, If this man were a prophet, he would surely know who and what manner of woman this is that touches him; for she is a sinner. 40 And Jesus responded and said to him, Simon, I have something to say to you. And he said, Teacher, say on.

41 There was a certain lender who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 When they had nothing to pay, he forgave them both. Which of them, tell me, will love him most?

43 Simon answered and said, I suppose the one that was forgiven most.

And he said to him, You have truly judged.

44 And Jesus turned to the woman and said to Simon, Do you see this woman? I entered into your house and you gave me no water for my feet, but she has washed my feet with tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. 45 You gave me no kiss, but she, since the time I came in, has not ceased to kiss my feet. 46 My head with oil you did not anoint, but she has anointed my feet with oyntment. 47 Therefore I say to you, many sins are forgiven her, for she loved much. But he who is forgiven less, loves less.

48 And he said to her, Your sins are forgiven you.

49 And those who sat at food with him began to say within themselves, Who is this, who forgives sins in this way?

50 And he said to the woman, Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.

The Faith of the Centurion(A)

When Jesus had finished saying all this(B) to the people who were listening, he entered Capernaum. There a centurion’s servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die. The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant. When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, “This man deserves to have you do this, because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue.” So Jesus went with them.

He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to him: “Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed.(C) For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.” 10 Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well.

Jesus Raises a Widow’s Son(D)

11 Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went along with him. 12 As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out—the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. 13 When the Lord(E) saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, “Don’t cry.”

14 Then he went up and touched the bier they were carrying him on, and the bearers stood still. He said, “Young man, I say to you, get up!”(F) 15 The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.

16 They were all filled with awe(G) and praised God.(H) “A great prophet(I) has appeared among us,” they said. “God has come to help his people.”(J) 17 This news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding country.(K)

Jesus and John the Baptist(L)

18 John’s(M) disciples(N) told him about all these things. Calling two of them, 19 he sent them to the Lord to ask, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”

20 When the men came to Jesus, they said, “John the Baptist sent us to you to ask, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?’”

21 At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses(O) and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind. 22 So he replied to the messengers, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy[a] are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.(P) 23 Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.”

24 After John’s messengers left, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swayed by the wind? 25 If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear expensive clothes and indulge in luxury are in palaces. 26 But what did you go out to see? A prophet?(Q) Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 27 This is the one about whom it is written:

“‘I will send my messenger ahead of you,
    who will prepare your way before you.’[b](R)

28 I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God(S) is greater than he.”

29 (All the people, even the tax collectors, when they heard Jesus’ words, acknowledged that God’s way was right, because they had been baptized by John.(T) 30 But the Pharisees and the experts in the law(U) rejected God’s purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptized by John.)

31 Jesus went on to say, “To what, then, can I compare the people of this generation? What are they like? 32 They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling out to each other:

“‘We played the pipe for you,
    and you did not dance;
we sang a dirge,
    and you did not cry.’

33 For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine,(V) and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ 34 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’(W) 35 But wisdom is proved right by all her children.”

Jesus Anointed by a Sinful Woman(X)(Y)

36 When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37 A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. 38 As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.

39 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet,(Z) he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”

40 Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”

“Tell me, teacher,” he said.

41 “Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii,[c] and the other fifty. 42 Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”

43 Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.”

“You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.

44 Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet,(AA) but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You did not give me a kiss,(AB) but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You did not put oil on my head,(AC) but she has poured perfume on my feet. 47 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”

48 Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”(AD)

49 The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”

50 Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you;(AE) go in peace.”(AF)

Footnotes

  1. Luke 7:22 The Greek word traditionally translated leprosy was used for various diseases affecting the skin.
  2. Luke 7:27 Mal. 3:1
  3. Luke 7:41 A denarius was the usual daily wage of a day laborer (see Matt. 20:2).