Luke 7

Luke 7:1

Luke: The Man Christ Jesus Jesus in Galilee An EasyEnglish Bible Version and Commentary (2800 word vocabulary) on Luke 4:14 to 9:50

www.easyenglish.info Ian Mackervoy This commentary has been through Advanced Checking.

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Chapter 7 Examples of Jesus’ good deeds – Luke 7:1–50 The belief of the *centurion – Luke 7:1-10 v1 Jesus finished what he wanted to say to the people. Then he went to the town called Capernaum. v2 There a *centurion had a servant of whom he thought highly. The servant was sick and he was almost dead. v3 The *centurion heard about Jesus and he sent some leaders of the *Jews to him. They asked Jesus to come and to cure the *centurion’s servant. v4 When they came to Jesus, they appealed to him. They said to Jesus, ‘This man really deserves your help. v5 He loves our nation and he built us a *synagogue.’ v6 Jesus went with them.

Jesus was not far from the house when the *centurion sent friends to him with this message. ‘Sir, do not go out of your way. I do not deserve to have you come into my house. v7 That is why I did not come to you myself. Just give the order, and my servant will get well. v8 I am a man under authority as well. And I have soldiers over whom I have authority. I say to this one, “Go” And he goes. To another one I say, “Come.” And he comes. I say to my servant, “Do this.” And he does it.’

v9 When Jesus heard this, it astonished him. He turned to the crowd that followed him. He said to them, ‘I tell you something. I have not found such belief even in *Israel.’ v10 The men that the *centurion had sent went back to the house. There they found that the servant was well again.

Verses 1-10 Jesus went again to the town called Capernaum. A *centurion (that is, an officer in the *Roman army) near there had a sick servant. This *centurion cared about his servant who was close to death. There were no medicines to cure him. But the *centurion had *faith that Jesus could cure his servant.

He heard that Jesus was there. The *centurion would not come to Jesus himself. He was not a *Jew. Maybe he thought that Jesus would not accept him. So, he asked the *Jewish leaders to go to Jesus on his behalf. They were happy to do this for him because the *centurion had built a *synagogue for them.

The leaders came to Jesus and they asked him to go with them and to cure the servant. They told him that this *Roman officer loved the *Jews. Jesus started to go with them.

The *centurion knew that a *Jew would not want to enter the house of a foreigner. So, while Jesus was still coming toward his house, he sent friends to stop him. It was not necessary for Jesus to go out of his way. Although the *centurion was an officer in the *Roman army, he was a humble man. He said that he did not deserve to have Jesus in his house.

The *centurion knew what authority was. He had to obey the officers who had a higher rank than himself. And his own soldiers and servants had to obey him. He believed that Jesus had authority over diseases. He believed that there was the power to cure in the words of Jesus. If Jesus told the disease to go, it would go. Jesus did not need to be with the servant.

The *faith of this *centurion astonished Jesus. He was not a *Jew but he believed so much in Jesus. Many people in *Israel did believe in Jesus. But this man’s belief was extraordinary.

Jesus gave the order and he cured the sick servant. The widow’s son – Luke 7:11-17 v11 Soon afterwards, Jesus went to a town called Nain. His *disciples and a large crowd went there with him. v12 When Jesus came near to the town gate, he saw a funeral. The dead man was the only son of a woman who was a widow. A large crowd from the town was with her. v13 When the *Lord saw the widow, he had pity for her. He said to her, ‘Do not weep.’ v14 Jesus walked over to the procession. He touched the open bed on which the body lay. The people who carried it stopped. Then Jesus said, ‘Young man, I say to you: rise up’. v15 The dead man sat up and he began to speak. Then Jesus gave him to his mother.

v16 All the people were afraid and they praised God. They said, ‘A great *prophet has come among us. God has come to help his people.’ v17 This news about Jesus spread through the whole region called Judea and all the surrounding country.

Verses 11-17 Nain was a small town about 6 miles south and east of Nazareth. And it was about two miles to the south of the mountain called Tabor. It would have taken Jesus about a day to walk there from Capernaum. This is the only mention of Nain in the Bible.

A funeral procession had gone through the town. It was on its way to the place outside of Nain where its inhabitants buried dead people. The dead person was the only son of a widow. Probably now that her son was dead, she had no income to live. She would have to depend on the kindness of other people. A large crowd from the town came with the widow. It seems that the family was popular.

There was a large crowd of people with Jesus as he approached Nain. Jesus met the procession near the gate to the town. Immediately he felt sympathy and pity for the widow as she walked in front of the bed. He went over to her as she cried. Jesus said, ‘Do not weep.’ He touched the bed and the procession stopped. Then Jesus spoke to the dead body. He told the young man to get up. And the young man got up. Jesus gave the young man back to his mother.

The effect that this had on the people was to cause fear. To see a dead person rise up alive scared them. But they knew that it was the work of God. So, all the people praised God for what he had done. They called Jesus a great *prophet. But they did not know him yet as the *Christ.

Jesus spoke with such authority that even dead people obeyed him. He has the power of life and death. This is further evidence that Jesus is the *Christ, the Son of God.

The report of this astonishing *miracle spread through the whole region. Jesus and John the *Baptist – Luke 7:18-35 v18 John’s *disciples told him about all these things. John called to him two of his *disciples. v19 He sent them to the *Lord with this question. ‘Are you the one who is to come? Or should we wait for someone else?’

v20 The men came to Jesus. They said to him, ‘John the *Baptist sent us to ask you. “Are you the one who is to come? Or should we expect someone else?” ’

v21 At that time, Jesus cured many people who had diseases, illnesses, and evil spirits. And he gave sight to many people who were blind. v22 Jesus answered John’s *disciples, ‘Go back to John. Tell him what you have seen. Tell him what you have heard. Blind people can see. People who could not walk can now do so. I have cured people who had *leprosy. Deaf people can hear. I have raised dead people to life again. I have given the good news to the poor people. v23 God will *bless the person who does not lose his *faith in me.’

v24 After John’s *disciples left, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John. ‘You went into the desert to see John. You did not expect him to be weak like grass as the wind blows on it. v25 You went into the desert to see John. You did not expect to see a man in fine clothes. Those people in splendid clothing who live in luxury are in kings’ palaces. v26 You went into the desert to see a *prophet. Yes, I tell you, John is even more than a *prophet. v27 John is the one about whom the Bible spoke. It says, “Look! I will send my servant ahead of you. He will prepare the way before you.” v28 I tell you that John is greater than anyone else. No mother ever had a son as great as John is! But even the least important person in the *kingdom of God is greater than John.’

v29 (All the people heard what Jesus said. This included people who collected taxes. And they all agreed that God’s way was the right way. This was because John had *baptised them. v30 But the *Pharisees and experts in the law refused God’s purpose for them. They did not let John *baptise them.)

v31 ‘I will describe the people who live now. This is what they are like. v32 They are like children who sit in the market place. They shout to each other. They say, “We played music for you but you did not dance. We sang a sad song but you did not cry.”

v33 John the *Baptist has come. He neither eats bread nor drinks wine. You say, “He has a *demon in him.” v34 The Son of Man has come. He both eats and drinks. You say, “Look at him. He eats too much food and he drinks too much wine. He is a friend of those people who collect taxes and of *sinners.” v35 But all who accept God’s wisdom recognise its truth.’

Verses 18-20 Some of John’s *disciples had seen the things that Jesus had done. They had seen that Jesus had cured many people. And they saw when Jesus raised the widow’s son from death. They went and they told John about Jesus. So, John sent two of them to Jesus to find out if Jesus was the *Christ.

It seems strange that John should ask this question. He had *baptised Jesus. The voice from heaven said that Jesus was the Son of God (Matthew 3:16-17, Mark 1:11). John knew that Jesus would *baptise with the Holy Spirit and fire (Matthew 3:11, Luke 3:16). John told some of his *disciples that Jesus was the *Lamb of God. And he told them that Jesus would take away the *sin of the world (John 1:29).

For some reason John needed further proof that Jesus was the *Christ. Soon after John had *baptised Jesus, Herod put John in prison. So, John could not have seen Jesus as he did these *miracles. He could not have heard Jesus as he taught. In the prison, perhaps John began to doubt that Jesus was the *Christ. Perhaps John started to think that Jesus was just another *prophet. Perhaps the *Christ had not really come yet. Perhaps Jesus did not do what John expected the *Christ to do.

However, it is possible that John did not have these doubts. Perhaps John was using this question to show his *disciples that Jesus was the *Christ. They had remained loyal to John, but John was not trying to get *disciples for himself. His constant desire was to introduce people to Christ (John 3:26-30).

Verses 21-23 Even in the day that John’s *disciples came, Jesus had cured many people. He had made people free from evil spirits. And he had given sight to people who were blind. So, Jesus sent his answer back to John. He told John’s *disciples to tell John what they had seen. And he told them to tell John what they had heard. Then Jesus told them some of those things. All these things proved that Jesus was the *Christ (Isaiah 35:5-6, Isaiah 61:1: Luke 4:18-21). Those who accept this, God will *bless.

Verses 24-30 The *disciples of John the *Baptist went to report to him. Then Jesus spoke to the crowd about John. John was a *prophet and he was more than a *prophet. God sent him for a special task. John was the person that God promised to send on order to prepare for the *Christ (Malachi 3:1). John had to tell people to get ready for the *Christ to come. And he pointed to Jesus as the one who would take away the *sins of the world. John *preached in the desert and he *baptised people in the Jordan River.

The people knew that John was a *prophet. Crowds of them came to hear him speak. And he *baptised many of them as they *repented of their *sins. There was no person greater than John. Jesus came to bring in God’s *kingdom. John was born before; in Jesus Christ the *kingdom came. So, the least person in the *kingdom of God is greater than John was.

The ordinary people heard what Jesus said. They believed that he was declaring God’s message. John the *Baptist had *baptised many of them. And they expected the *Christ to come soon. But many of the *Pharisees and experts in the law did not *repent. They had not allowed John to *baptise them. And they would not believe what Jesus said.

Verses 31-35 The people failed to understand either John the *Baptist or the *Lord Jesus. Jesus compared the people with little children at play. The children shout at each other. The game was to act to the music. They should dance to the happy song as at a wedding. And they should cry to the sad song as at a funeral. But the other children would not play the game. So, the people, especially many *Pharisees and leaders, did not accept either John the *Baptist or Jesus. They would not accept John or Jesus because of opposite reasons:

(1) John the *Baptist was too serious for them. He was like the sad song. He did not eat much normal food. He did not drink wine. They said that he had a *demon. They thought that he was mad. They would not accept him or what he taught.

(2) Jesus did eat normal food and he drank wine. He was like the happy song. But they said that he ate too much. They said that he drank too much. And he had the wrong type of friends. They would not accept him or what he taught.

Really, these were just foolish excuses. They were not even true. John was not mad and he did not have a *demon. Jesus did not eat or drink too much. The reality was that both John and Jesus declared the same message from God. It was that message from God which the people really did not like. That was the reason why they made these excuses.

But God’s wisdom is for those people who accept it. And they prove how right it is. They can accept what God taught them by John the *Baptist. Also, they will believe in Jesus, who is the wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:30). The *Pharisee and the *sinful woman – Luke 7:36-50 v36 One of the *Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him. So, Jesus went into the *Pharisee’s house and he sat down to eat. v37 There was a woman in that town who had lived a *sinful life. She heard that Jesus was eating at the *Pharisee’s house. So, she brought an *alabaster bottle of *perfume. v38 She stood behind Jesus at his feet. She cried and her tears washed his feet. She wiped his feet with the hair of her head and she kissed them. And she poured the *perfume on them.

v39 The *Pharisee who had invited Jesus saw this. He said to himself, ‘This man is not really a *prophet. A *prophet would know who touches him. He would know what sort of woman she is. He would know that she is a *sinner.’

v40 Jesus answered him, ‘Simon, I have something to say to you.’ He said to Jesus, ‘Teacher, tell me.’

v41 Jesus said, ‘A certain man lent money to two other people. One owed him 500 *denarii and the other one owed him 50 *denarii. v42 Neither of them had the money to pay back what they owed. So, the man cancelled both the debts. Which of the two will love him more?’

v43 Simon (the *Pharisee) answered him. ‘I suppose the one who owed the most. For him, the man cancelled a larger debt.’

Jesus said, ‘Yes, you have given the right answer.’

v44 Jesus turned toward the woman. He said to Simon, ‘Look at this woman. When I came into your house, you did not give to me water to wash my feet. But this woman washed my feet with her tears and she dried them with her hair. v45 You did not greet me with a kiss. But from the time I came in, she has kissed my feet. v46 You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured *perfume on my feet. v47 I tell you that God has forgiven her many *sins. Therefore, she loves much. But the person that God has not forgiven much will not love much.’

v48 Then Jesus said to the woman, ‘I have forgiven you for your *sins.’

v49 The other guests began to say among themselves, ‘This man does not have authority to forgive *sins.’

v50 But Jesus said to the woman, ‘Your belief in me has saved you. Go and be *at peace with God.’

Verses 36-38 Simon, a *Pharisee, invited Jesus to have a meal with him. Jesus came to the house and he sat down to eat. Rather he placed himself ready to eat. In those days, some rich people followed a *Roman custom. They did not actually sit for a meal. They lay down on the left side with their feet away from the low table.

In that town, there was this woman. All the people there knew of her character. Probably she was a *prostitute. However, they all knew her to be a *sinner by the way that she lived. It seems that this woman had heard Jesus teach. She had *repented of her *sins and Jesus had forgiven her. She wanted to thank Jesus for what he had done for her. She had heard that Jesus was in Simon’s house. So, she came in.

It was quite normal for poor people to come into such a meal. There they could receive what the guests had left.

The woman came behind the feet of Jesus. Jesus would have removed his *sandals so his feet were bare. She wept and her tears fell onto the feet of Jesus. She wiped his feet with her hair and she kissed his feet. Also, she had brought with her an *alabaster bottle of expensive *perfume oil. She broke the bottle and she poured the *perfume on his feet.

*Alabaster was a type of soft stone. It was common to put expensive *perfumes in bottles that people had made out of *alabaster. The stone bottle would keep the *perfume oil pure. The top of the bottle was a long narrow section. To pour the *perfume oil, she had to break that long narrow section.

Verses 39-43 The *Pharisee saw what the woman did. He thought about it. He thought that Jesus could not be a *prophet. If Jesus were a *prophet, he would know about this woman. He would have known her bad character. He would have known that she was a *sinner. He would not allow her to do these things. A *prophet would not allow such a *sinner even to touch him. He would not let her waste expensive *perfume in this way. But Jesus did know about this woman. And he did allow her to wash his feet with her tears and to pour the *perfume on his feet.

Jesus knows what is in the hearts and minds of people. He knew the thoughts of Simon the *Pharisee. Simon did not speak aloud, but Jesus answered the thoughts of Simon.

Jesus told this story. A man lent some money to two other men. To one, he lent 500 *denarii, and to the other man, he lent 50 *denarii. One *denarius was a coin worth about a day’s wages for a farm worker. Neither man could pay what he owed. So, the man cancelled both debts.

Then Jesus asked Simon which of the two would love the man most. Simon had to give the right answer. The word ‘love’ here probably means to give thanks and to be grateful. There is no definite word ‘to thank’ in the *Hebrew or the *Aramaic languages.

Verses 44-47 Jesus then explained the purpose of the story. He drew Simon’s attention to the woman again. He showed Simon what the woman had done. And he contrasted that with what Simon had neglected to do.

It was the custom in that country to wash feet when you went into a house for a meal. People there either wore *sandals, or they walked with bare feet. And the roads were very dusty. When they entered a house, they took off their *sandals. Then the host would wash the feet of his guests or he would provide water for this purpose. Simon did not wash the feet of Jesus. He did not even provide water for Jesus to wash his own feet. In this, Simon did not respect his guest. However, the woman washed the feet of Jesus with her tears. And she wiped his feet with her hair as the towel. She did respect Jesus when Simon had neglected his duties to his guest.

It was the custom to greet a guest with a kiss, usually on the cheek. People did this as a friendly greeting. Simon did not greet Jesus in this way. The woman kissed the feet of Jesus continuously, since the time that she came in.

Among the *Jews, it was common to pour a little oil on the head of a guest. The oil that they used had a sweet *perfume. Simon did not do this for Jesus. He did not even use the ordinary oil. But the woman poured expensive *perfume over the feet of Jesus.

Often in a town, people did not follow these customs. So perhaps Simon did nothing wrong except that he did not respect Jesus.

Jesus told Simon that the woman had *sinned much. But God had forgiven her many *sins. Therefore, she had much love for God. Jesus did not complete the story to say whether God had forgiven Simon. A person’s love for God will be in proportion to his opinion of his *sins. If in his opinion his *sin is small, his love for God will also be small. Those people whom God has forgiven should love him much. In God’s opinion, all *sins are great. The size of one *sin against another *sin does not matter. The price that Jesus paid to forgive us was his death. We all need God to forgive our *sins, so we all should be very grateful to God for the death of Christ.

Verses 48-50 Jesus spoke to the woman. He said to her that he has forgiven her all her *sins. He did not forgive because she loved much. She loved much because he had forgiven her. The *Lord Jesus saved her because she believed in Him.

The woman knew that God had forgiven her. Perhaps Jesus spoke these words for the benefit of the other guests. They heard what Jesus said to the woman. This caused them to ask questions in their minds. They wondered whether Jesus really could have authority to forgive *sins. No man has authority to forgive *sins. But Jesus said that he had done that. In this, he declared that he is God. Only God can forgive *sins.

© 2013, Wycliffe Associates (UK)

This publication is in EasyEnglish Level B (2800 words).

April 2013

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var w4 = new Array;w4[0]=’<b%3Ecenturion</b%3E ~ an officer in the Roman army.