A Centurion’s Faith at Capernaum
7 When Yeshua finished all His drash in the hearing of the people, He entered Capernaum. 2 Now a certain centurion had a valued slave, who was ill and about to die. 3 When he heard about Yeshua, he sent Jewish elders to Him, asking Him to come and save his slave. 4 When they came to Yeshua, they begged Him earnestly, saying, “He is worthy for You to grant this, 5 for he loves our people and even built our synagogue.”
6 Now Yeshua started to go with them; and when He wasn’t far from the house, the centurion sent friends to say to Him, “Master, do not trouble Yourself, for I’m not worthy for You to come under my roof. 7 That is why I didn’t consider myself worthy to come to You. But say the word and let my servant be healed. 8 For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.”
9 Now when Yeshua heard this, He was amazed at him. Turning to the crowd following Him, He said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such great faith.” 10 When those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave in good health.
An Amazing Report Spreads throughout all Judea
11 The next day Yeshua traveled to a town called Nain, and coming along with Him were His disciples and a large crowd. 12 Just as He came near the town gate, behold, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother, a widow. A considerable crowd from the town was with her.
13 When the Lord saw her, He felt compassion for her and said, “Don’t cry.” 14 Then He came up and touched the coffin, and the pallbearers came to a standstill. He said, “Young man! I tell you, get up!” 15 The dead man sat up and began speaking, and Yeshua gave him to his mother.[a]
16 Fear took hold of them all, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has appeared among us, and God has visited His people.” 17 This report concerning Him spread throughout all Judea and the surrounding region.
John Seeks Confirmation from Prison
18 John’s disciples reported to him about all these things. Calling two of his disciples, 19 John sent them to the Lord, saying, “Are you the One who is to come, or should we look for another?”
20 When they appeared before Him, the men said, “John the Immerser sent us to you, saying, ‘Are you the One who is to come, or shall we look for another?’”
21 At this very hour He was healing many of diseases, sicknesses, and evil spirits; and He granted sight to many who were blind. 22 And answering, He said to them, “Go report to John what you saw and heard: the blind see, the lame walk, those with tzara’at are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news proclaimed to them. [b] 23 Blessed is he who is not led to stumble because of Me.”
24 And after John’s messengers left, He began to speak about John to the crowds. “What did you go out to the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 25 No? So what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine garments? Look, those who wear finery and live in luxury are in the palaces of kings! 26 Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, even more than a prophet. 27 This is the one about whom it is written,
‘Behold, I send My messenger before You,
who will prepare Your way before You.’[c]
28 I say to you, there is no one greater than John among those born of women; yet the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”
29 And when all the people heard, even the tax collectors, they affirmed God’s justice, because they had been immersed with John’s immersion. 30 But the Pharisees and Torah lawyers, not having been immersed by John, declared God’s purpose invalid for themselves.
31 “So then, to what shall I compare the people of this generation? What are they like? 32 They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to each other, saying,
‘We played the flute for you,
and you didn’t dance.
We sang a dirge, and you didn’t weep.’
33 “For John the Immerser has come not eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ 34 The Son of Man has come eating and drinking. and you say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ 35 Yet wisdom is vindicated by all her children.”
An Unwelcome Woman Finds Favor
36 Now one of the Pharisees was asking Yeshua if He would eat with him. Upon entering the Pharisee’s home, He reclined at the table. 37 And behold, a woman in the town who was a sinner, when she discovered that Yeshua was reclining at the Pharisee’s home, brought an alabaster jar of perfume. 38 As she stood behind Him at His feet, weeping, she began to drench His feet with tears and kept wiping them with her head of hair. Then she was kissing His feet and anointing them with perfume.
39 Now when the Pharisee who invited Him saw this, he said to himself, “If this were a prophet, He would know what sort of woman is touching Him—that she’s a sinner.”
40 And answering, Yeshua said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.”
And he said, “Say it, Teacher!”
41 “A moneylender had two debtors. One owed him five hundred denarii,[d] but the other fifty. 42 When neither could repay him, he canceled both debts. So which of them will love him more?”
43 Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled.”
“You have judged correctly,” Yeshua said. 44 Turning toward the woman, He said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered into your house, and you didn’t give Me water for My feet. But she has drenched My feet with tears and wiped them with her hair. [e] 45 You didn’t greet Me with a kiss; but from the time she entered, she has not stopped kissing My feet. 46 You didn’t anoint My head with oil, but she has anointed My feet with perfume. 47 For this reason I tell you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven—for she loved much. But the one who is forgiven little, loves little. 48 He then said to her, “Your sins have been forgiven.”
49 But those who were reclining at table with Him began to say to one another, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?”
50 Then He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in shalom.”
Footnotes
- Luke 7:15 1 Kings 17:23.
- Luke 7:23 Isa. 35:5-6; 61:1-2a.
- Luke 7:27 Mal. 3:1.
- Luke 7:41 1 denarius = 1 day’s wage.
- Luke 7:45 cf. Gen. 18:4-8.