Luke 7

¹Luke 7:1. When Jesus had concluded His discourse in the hearing of the people, He went to Capernaum.²Luke 7:2. There a highly valued servant of a centurion was sick and about to die.³Luke 7:3. When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to ask Him to come and heal his servant.⁴Luke 7:4. They came to Jesus and pleaded with Him earnestly, “This man is worthy to have You grant this,⁵Luke 7:5. for he loves our nation and has built our synagogue.”⁶Luke 7:6. So Jesus went with them. But when He was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends with the message: “Lord, do not trouble Yourself, for I am not worthy to have You come under my roof.⁷Luke 7:7. That is why I did not consider myself worthy to come to You. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.⁸Luke 7:8. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell one to go, and he goes, and another to come, and he comes. I tell my servant to do something, and he does it.”⁹Luke 7:9. When Jesus heard this, He marveled at the centurion. Turning to the crowd following Him, He said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such great faith.”¹⁰Luke 7:10. And when the messengers returned to the house, they found the servant in good health.

¹¹Luke 7:11. Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain. His disciples went with Him, accompanied by a large crowd.¹²Luke 7:12. As He approached the town gate, He saw a dead man being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her.¹³Luke 7:13. When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said, “Do not weep.”¹⁴Luke 7:14. Then He went up and touched the coffin, and those carrying it stood still. “Young man,” He said, “I tell you, get up!”¹⁵Luke 7:15. And the dead man sat up and began to speak! Then Jesus gave him back to his mother.¹⁶Luke 7:16. A sense of awe swept over all of them, and they glorified God. “A great prophet has appeared among us!” they said. “God has visited His people!”¹⁷Luke 7:17. And the news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and all the surrounding region.

¹⁸Luke 7:18. Then John’s disciples informed him about all these things.¹⁹Luke 7:19. So John called two of his disciples and sent them to ask the Lord, “Are You the One who was to come, or should we look for someone else?”²⁰Luke 7:20. When the men came to Jesus, they said, “John the Baptist sent us to ask, ‘Are You the One who was to come, or should we look for someone else?’”²¹Luke 7:21. At that very hour Jesus healed many people of their diseases, afflictions, and evil spirits, and He gave sight to many who were blind.²²Luke 7:22. So He replied, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.²³Luke 7:23. Blessed is the one who does not fall away on account of Me.”²⁴Luke 7:24. After John’s messengers had left, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swaying in the wind?²⁵Luke 7:25. Otherwise, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? Look, those who wear elegant clothing and live in luxury are found in palaces.²⁶Luke 7:26. What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.²⁷Luke 7:27. This is the one about whom it is written: ‘Behold, I will send My messenger ahead of You, who will prepare Your way before You.’²⁸Luke 7:28. I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John, yet even the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”²⁹Luke 7:29. All the people who heard this, even the tax collectors, acknowledged God’s justice. For they had received the baptism of John.³⁰Luke 7:30. But the Pharisees and experts in the law rejected God’s purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptized by John.

³¹Luke 7:31. “To what, then, can I compare the men of this generation? What are they like?³²Luke 7:32. They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling out to one another: ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not weep.’³³Luke 7:33. For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon!’³⁴Luke 7:34. The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look at this glutton and drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’³⁵Luke 7:35. But wisdom is vindicated by all her children.”

³⁶Luke 7:36. Then one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to eat with him, and He entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table.³⁷Luke 7:37. When a sinful woman from that town learned that Jesus was dining there, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume.³⁸Luke 7:38. As she stood behind Him at His feet weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears and wipe them with her hair. Then she kissed His feet and anointed them with the perfume.³⁹Luke 7:39. When the Pharisee who had invited Jesus saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, He would know who this is and what kind of woman is touching Him—for she is a sinner!”⁴⁰Luke 7:40. But Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.” “Tell me, Teacher,” he said.⁴¹Luke 7:41. “Two men were debtors to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.⁴²Luke 7:42. When they were unable to repay him, he forgave both of them. Which one, then, will love him more?”⁴³Luke 7:43. “I suppose the one who was forgiven more,” Simon replied. “You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.⁴⁴Luke 7:44. And turning toward the woman, He said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? When I entered your house, you did not give Me water for My feet, but she wet My feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.⁴⁵Luke 7:45. You did not greet Me with a kiss, but she has not stopped kissing My feet since I arrived.⁴⁶Luke 7:46. You did not anoint My head with oil, but she has anointed My feet with perfume.⁴⁷Luke 7:47. Therefore I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven, for she has loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little.”⁴⁸Luke 7:48. Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”⁴⁹Luke 7:49. But those at the table began to say to themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”⁵⁰Luke 7:50. And Jesus told the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”