LukeChapter 7

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¹Jesus finished saying all these things to the people. Then he went to Capernaum. ²There a centurion had a servant he valued highly. The servant was sick and about to die. ³The centurion heard about Jesus. So he sent some Jewish elders to him. He asked them to have Jesus come and heal his servant. ⁴They came to Jesus and begged him with all their hearts. They said, "This man deserves to have you do this for him. ⁵He loves our nation, and he built our synagogue." ⁶So Jesus went with them. He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends with a message. It said, "Lord, don't trouble yourself. I am not good enough to have you come under my roof. ⁷That is why I did not think I was good enough to come to you. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. ⁸I am a man under authority myself. And I have soldiers under me. I tell one, 'Go,' and he goes. I tell another, 'Come,' and he comes. I tell my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it." ⁹When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at the centurion. He turned to the crowd following him. He said, "I tell you, I have not found faith this great even in Israel." ¹⁰Then the men who had been sent went back to the house. They found the servant well. ¹¹Soon after that, Jesus went to a town called Nain. His disciples went with him, and a large crowd went along too. ¹²He came near the town gate. Just then a dead man was being carried out. He was his mother's only son, and she was a widow. A large crowd from the town was with her. ¹³When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her. He said to her, "Don't cry." ¹⁴Then he went up and touched the coffin. The men carrying it stood still. He said, "Young man, I tell you, get up!" ¹⁵The dead man sat up and began to talk! Then Jesus gave him back to his mother. ¹⁶Everyone was filled with awe, and they praised God. "A great prophet has come among us!" they said. "God has come to help his people!" ¹⁷This news about Jesus spread all through Judea and the whole land around it. ¹⁸John's disciples told him about all these things. ¹⁹So John called two of his disciples. He sent them to ask the Lord, "Are you the one who was going to come? Or should we look for someone else?" ²⁰The men came to Jesus and said, "John the Baptist sent us to ask you, 'Are you the one who was going to come? Or should we look for someone else?'" ²¹At that very time Jesus healed many people of their diseases and sicknesses. He freed many from evil spirits. And he gave sight to many who were blind. ²²So he answered the men, "Go back and tell John what you have seen and heard. Blind people see. Lame people walk. People with leprosy are made clean. Deaf people hear. Dead people are raised to life. And the good news is preached to the poor. ²³Blessed is anyone who does not stumble and turn away because of me." ²⁴After John's messengers left, Jesus began to talk to the crowds about John. "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A tall grass blowing in the wind? ²⁵If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, people who wear fancy clothes and live in luxury are in palaces. ²⁶So what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you. And he is more than a prophet. ²⁷John is the one the Scriptures talk about. They say, 'Look, I will send my messenger ahead of you. He will prepare your way in front of you.' ²⁸I tell you, no one ever born of a woman is greater than John. But even the least important person in the kingdom of God is greater than he is." ²⁹All the people who heard this agreed that God's way was right. Even the tax collectors agreed. For they had been baptized by John. ³⁰But the Pharisees and the experts in the law turned down God's plan for them, because they had not been baptized by John. ³¹"What can I compare the people of today to? What are they like? ³²They are like children sitting in the marketplace. They call out to each other, 'We played the flute for you, but you did not dance. We sang a sad funeral song, but you did not cry.' ³³John the Baptist came. He did not eat bread or drink wine. And you say, 'He has a demon!' ³⁴The Son of Man came eating and drinking. And you say, 'Look at him! He eats too much and drinks too much wine. He is a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' ³⁵But wisdom is proved right by all her children." ³⁶One of the Pharisees invited Jesus to eat with him. So Jesus went to the Pharisee's house and took his place at the table. ³⁷A woman in that town had lived a sinful life. She learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house. So she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. ³⁸She stood behind Jesus at his feet, crying. Her tears began to wet his feet. She wiped them with her hair. Then she kissed his feet and poured the 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 men owed money to a man who lent money. One owed him five hundred silver coins. The other owed him fifty.a ⁴²Neither of them could pay him back. So he canceled the debts of both of them. Now which of them will love him more?" ⁴³Simon answered, "I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled." "You have judged rightly," Jesus said. ⁴⁴Then 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. But she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. ⁴⁵You did not greet me with a kiss. But she has not stopped kissing my feet since I came in. ⁴⁶You did not put oil on my head. But she has poured perfume on my feet. ⁴⁷So I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven, for she has loved much. But the one who has been forgiven little loves only a little." ⁴⁸Then Jesus said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." ⁴⁹The other guests began to say among themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?" ⁵⁰Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you. Go in peace."