Luke 7

King James Version

Full text for Luke Chapter 7

1¶ Now when he had ended all his sayings in the audience of the people, he entered into Capernaum.

2And a certain centurion's servant, who was dear unto him, was sick, and ready to die.

3And when he heard of Jesus, he sent unto him the elders of the Jews, beseeching him that he would come and heal his servant.

4And when they came to Jesus, they besought him instantly, saying, That he was worthy for whom he should do this:

5For he loveth our nation, and he hath built us a synagogue.

6Then Jesus went with them. And when he was now not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying unto him, Lord, trouble not thyself: for I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof:

7Wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee: but say in a word, and my servant shall be healed.

8For I also am a man set under authority, having under me soldiers, and I say unto one, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth [it].

9When Jesus heard these things, he marvelled at him, and turned him about, and said unto the people that followed him, ‹I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.›

10And they that were sent, returning to the house, found the servant whole that had been sick.

11¶ And it came to pass the day after, that he went into a city called Nain; and many of his disciples went with him, and much people.

12Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her.

13And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, ‹Weep not.›

14And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare [him] stood still. And he said, ‹Young man, I say unto thee, Arise.›

15And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother.

16And there came a fear on all: and they glorified God, saying, That a great prophet is risen up among us; and, That God hath visited his people.

17And this rumour of him went forth throughout all Judaea, and throughout all the region round about.

18And the disciples of John shewed him of all these things.

19¶ And John calling [unto him] two of his disciples sent [them] to Jesus, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another?

20When the men were come unto him, they said, John Baptist hath sent us unto thee, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another?

21And in that same hour he cured many of [their] infirmities and plagues, and of evil spirits; and unto many [that were] blind he gave sight.

22Then Jesus answering said unto them, ‹Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached.›

23‹And blessed is [he], whosoever shall not be offended in me.›

24And when the messengers of John were departed, he began to speak unto the people concerning John, ‹What went ye out into the wilderness for to see? A reed shaken with the wind?›

25‹But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they which are gorgeously apparelled, and live delicately, are in kings' courts.›

26‹But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? Yea, I say unto you, and much more than a prophet.›

27‹This is [he], of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.›

28‹For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.›

29And all the people that heard [him], and the publicans, justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John.

30But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him.

31And the Lord said, ‹Whereunto then shall I liken the men of this generation? and to what are they like?›

32‹They are like unto children sitting in the marketplace, and calling one to another, and saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned to you, and ye have not wept.›

33‹For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine; and ye say, He hath a devil.›

34‹The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners!›

35‹But wisdom is justified of all her children.›

36¶ And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to meat.

37And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that [Jesus] sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment,

38And stood at his feet behind [him] weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe [them] with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed [them] with the ointment.

39Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw [it], he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman [this is] that toucheth him: for she is a sinner.

40And Jesus answering said unto him, ‹Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee.› And he saith, Master, say on.

41‹There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty.›

42‹And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most?›

43Simon answered and said, I suppose that [he], to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, ‹Thou hast rightly judged.›

44And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, ‹Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped [them] with the hairs of her head.›

45‹Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet.›

46‹My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment.›

47‹Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, [the same] loveth little.›

48And he said unto her, ‹Thy sins are forgiven.›

49And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also?

50And he said to the woman, ‹Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.›

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Jesus heals a centurion's servant from afar, marveling at the centurion's great faith. He then raises a widow's only son from the dead in Nain, demonstrating his power over death and showing compassion. Later, Jesus answers John the Baptist's query about his identity by pointing to his miracles and then praises John, while also rebuking the generation that rejects both of them. Finally, a sinful woman anoints Jesus' feet at a Pharisee's house, and Jesus forgives her sins, highlighting that great love stems from great forgiveness.

Medium Summary

The chapter opens with Jesus entering Capernaum, where a centurion, beloved by the Jewish elders, seeks his help for a dying servant. The centurion, demonstrating extraordinary faith, believes Jesus can heal with a mere word, deeming himself unworthy for Jesus to enter his home, which greatly impressed Jesus. Subsequently, Jesus travels to Nain and, moved by compassion for a grieving widow, raises her only son from the dead, causing fear and glorification of God among the people. John the Baptist, hearing of these deeds, sends disciples to inquire if Jesus is the expected Messiah. Jesus responds by performing various miracles before them and instructs them to report these signs, affirming his messianic role. He then praises John as a great prophet, yet laments the generation's spiritual blindness, comparing them to children who reject both John's asceticism and his own approach. The chapter concludes with Jesus dining at a Pharisee's house, where a sinful woman anoints his feet with tears and ointment. Jesus uses the parable of two debtors to illustrate that her great love signifies her understanding of great forgiveness, declaring her sins forgiven and her faith as having saved her.

Long Summary

Luke chapter 7 begins with Jesus entering Capernaum after concluding his teachings. There, a centurion, whose servant was gravely ill and near death, sent Jewish elders to entreat Jesus for healing. The elders vouched for the centurion's worthiness, citing his love for their nation and his building of their synagogue. As Jesus approached the house, the centurion, through friends, expressed his profound humility and faith, stating he was unworthy for Jesus to enter his roof and believing a mere word from Jesus would suffice to heal his servant. Jesus marveled at this faith, declaring he had not found such great faith, no, not in Israel, and the servant was found whole upon the messengers' return. The narrative then shifts to Jesus' journey to Nain, accompanied by his disciples and a large crowd. Nearing the city gate, they encountered a funeral procession for a widow's only son. Moved with compassion, Jesus commanded the woman not to weep, then touched the bier and spoke to the dead young man, bidding him to arise. Immediately, the man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus restored him to his mother. This miraculous event instilled fear in the onlookers, who glorified God, proclaiming a great prophet had risen and that God had visited his people, spreading his fame throughout the region. Subsequently, John the Baptist, from prison, sent two disciples to Jesus, asking if He was the Messiah or if they should await another. In that hour, Jesus performed many healings and exorcisms, then instructed John's messengers to report what they had witnessed: the blind seeing, the lame walking, lepers cleansed, the deaf hearing, the dead raised, and the poor receiving the gospel. He added a blessing for those not offended by Him. After their departure, Jesus spoke to the crowds about John, affirming his prophetic stature as the messenger foretold to prepare the way, and declaring him the greatest born of women, yet lesser than the least in the kingdom of God. He then criticized the generation's inconsistency, likening them to children who rejected both John's austere lifestyle and his own more social approach, concluding that wisdom is justified by her children. Finally, a Pharisee invited Jesus to dine. During the meal, a woman known as a sinner entered, weeping, and washed Jesus' feet with her tears, wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and anointed them with costly ointment. The Pharisee silently judged Jesus for allowing this. Jesus, perceiving his thoughts, told the parable of two debtors, one owing much and one little, both forgiven. He then contrasted the woman's abundant expressions of love and devotion with the Pharisee's lack of customary hospitality, explaining that her many sins were forgiven because she loved much, while one forgiven little loves little. He then declared to the woman that her sins were forgiven and that her faith had saved her, bidding her to go in peace.

Core Concepts

  • Faith and AuthorityThe centurion's profound faith, demonstrated by his belief that Jesus could heal with a mere word, highlights the power of faith and Jesus' divine authority over illness and distance.
  • Compassion and ResurrectionJesus' raising of the widow's son at Nain showcases his deep compassion for the suffering and his ultimate power over death, bringing life back to the deceased.
  • Messianic SignsJesus' response to John the Baptist's disciples, detailing the miracles he performed (healing, raising the dead, preaching to the poor), serves as direct evidence of his messianic identity, fulfilling prophetic expectations.
  • Rejection of WisdomJesus laments the generation's spiritual blindness, comparing them to fickle children who reject both John the Baptist's asceticism and his own more accessible ministry, failing to recognize divine wisdom in either.
  • Forgiveness and LoveThe sinful woman's anointing of Jesus' feet and Jesus' subsequent parable illustrate that a profound understanding of one's great forgiveness leads to an outpouring of great love and devotion.
  • Humility and HospitalityThe contrast between the sinful woman's humble and lavish devotion and the Pharisee's critical lack of customary hospitality underscores the spiritual significance of humility and genuine welcome over outward righteousness.
  • The Kingdom of GodJesus' statement that the least in the kingdom of God is greater than John the Baptist emphasizes the unique spiritual status and blessings available through participation in the new covenant established by Christ.