< Luke 7 >
1 After he had ended all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he went to Capernaum.
2 Here the slave of a certain Roman captain, a man dear to his master, was ill, and at the point of death.
3 So when the captain heard about Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to ask him to come and save his slave.
4 And they, when they reached Jesus, asked him earnestly to do this. "He deserves that you should do this," they said,
5 "for he loves our nation, and himself has built a synagogue for us."
6 So Jesus started to go with them, but while he was not far from the house, the captain sent friends to him with a message. "Lord do not trouble yourself, for I am not fit that you should come under my roof,
7 "and so I did not think myself worthy to come to you; but speak the word, and let my man be cured.
8 "For I also am a man obedient to authority, and have soldiers under me. And I say to one ‘come,’ and he comes, and to my slave ‘do this or that,’ and he does it."
9 But when Jesus heard this he was astonished and he turned and said to the crowd that was following him, "I tell you that not even in Israel have I found faith like that."
10 And those who had been sent, on returning to the house, found the slave well.
11 Soon afterward he went to a city called Nain, accompanied by his disciples, and a great crowd of people.
12 Now when he drew near the gate of the city, behold, they were there carrying out one who was dead, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow.
13 A great crowd accompanied her. And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, "Do not weep."
14 And he came near and touched the bier; the bearer stopped and he said, "Young man, I bid you to rise."
15 And he who was dead sat up and began to speak; and he gave him to his mother.
16 And awe took hold on them all, and they began to glorify God saying. "A great prophet has risen among us;" and, "God has visited his people."
17 And the report of what Jesus had done went forth throughout Judea and the surrounding regions.
18 John’s disciples brought him word of all these things
19 and, calling a certain two disciples to him, he sent them to Jesus, to say, "Are you ‘the coming one,’ or if we are to expect another?"
20 So the men came to Jesus and said, "Johnthe Baptist has sent us to ask you if you are the coming one, or if we are to expect another."
21 At that moment Jesus was healing many people of diseases and plagues and evil spirits, and to many that were blind he was freely giving their sight.
22 So he answered them. "Go your way, tell Johnwhat you have seen and heard. How the blind are seeing, the lame are walking, the lepers are being cleansed, the deaf are hearing, the dead are being raised, and the poor are hearing the proclamations of glad tidings.
23 "And blessed is he who finds no cause of stumbling in me."
24 When John’s messengers were gone he began to speak to the crowds about John, saying, "What went out you out to the desert to behold? A reed shaken by the wind?
25 "But what you went out to behold? A man clothed in soft robes? Behold, men who are gorgeously dressed and live in luxury are in kings’ palaces.
26 "But what went you to see? A prophet?
27 "Yes, I tell you and more than a prophet. This is he who it is written. "Behold I send a messenger before thy face, Who shall prepare thy way before thee.
28 "I tell you that among all that are born of women not one is greater than John; yet he that is little in the kingdom of God is greater than he."
29 On hearing this all the people and the tax-gatherers acknowledged the justice of God by being baptized with the baptism of John;
30 but the Pharisees and lawyers who had refused his baptism, frustrated God’s purpose for themselves.
31 "To what then shall I compare the men of this generation?
32 "To What are they like, they are like children sitting in the market- place and calling to one another. "‘We have piped to you,’ they say, ‘and you have not danced; we have wailed, and you did not cry.’
33 "For Johnthe Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon!’
34 "The son of man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Behold a gluttonous man and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners!’
35 "Nevertheless, wisdom is justified by all her children."
36 One of the Pharisees kept urging him to dine, so he entered the house and reclined at table.
37 Now there was a woman who was in the city, a sinner and when she knew that that Jesus was reclining at meat in the Pharisees house, she brought an alabaster vase of perfume,
38 and standing behind, at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears, and to wipe them with her hair, while she tenderly kissed his feet, and poured the perfume over them.
39 When he noticed this the Pharisee, who had invited him, said to himself, "If this man were really a prophet he would have perceived who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, and would know that she is a sinner."
40 Jesus then spoke to him. "Simon, I have a word to say to you." "Rabbi, say on," he replied.
41 "There were once to men," said Jesus, "in debt to one money- lender. One owed him fifty pounds; the other five.
42 "When they had nothing pay he forgave them with such charm. "Tell me, then, which of these will love him most?"
43 "I take it," said Simon, "the one he forgave the most."
44 "You have rightly judged." answered Jesus, and turning to the woman, he said to Simon. "Do you see this woman? When I came into your house you gave me no water for my feet; but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.
45 "You gave me no kiss; but she, since she came in, has never ceased tenderly kissing my feet;
46 "you never anointed my head with oil; but she has anointed my feet with my feet with perfume.
47 "This is why I tell you that her sins, many as they are, are forgiven, for her love is great; but he who is forgiven little, loves but little.
48 "Your sins are forgiven," he said to her.
49 Then the other guest began to say among themselves, "Who is this even to forgive sins?"
50 But he said to the woman. "Your faith has saved you. Go in peace."
