Luke 7

₁When Jesus had finished saying all these things to the people, he went to Capernaum. ₂A Roman officer there had a servant who was very dear to him; the man was sick and about to die. ₃When the officer heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to ask him to come and heal his servant. ₄They came to Jesus and begged him earnestly, “This man really deserves your help. ₅He loves our people and he himself built a synagogue for us.”

₆So Jesus went with them. He was not far from the house when the officer sent friends to tell him, “Sir, don't trouble yourself. I do not deserve to have you come into my house, ₇neither do I consider myself worthy to come to you in person. Just give the order, and my servant will get well. ₈I, too, am a man placed under the authority of superior officers, and I have soldiers under me. I order this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes; I order that one, ‘Come!’ and he comes; and I order my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.”

₉Jesus was surprised when he heard this; he turned round and said to the crowd following him, “I tell you, I have never found faith like this, not even in Israel!”

₁₀The messengers went back to the officer's house and found his servant well.

₁₁Soon afterwards Jesus went to a town called Nain, accompanied by his disciples and a large crowd. ₁₂Just as he arrived at the gate of the town, a funeral procession was coming out. The dead man was the only son of a woman who was a widow, and a large crowd from the town was with her. ₁₃When the Lord saw her, his heart was filled with pity for her, and he said to her, “Don't cry.” ₁₄Then he walked over and touched the coffin, and the men carrying it stopped. Jesus said, “Young man! Get up, I tell you!” ₁₅The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.

₁₆They all were filled with fear and praised God. “A great prophet has appeared among us!” they said; “God has come to save his people!”

₁₇This news about Jesus went out through all the country and the surrounding territory.

₁₈When John's disciples told him about all these things, he called two of them ₁₉and sent them to the Lord to ask him, “Are you the one John said was going to come, or should we expect someone else?”

₂₀When they came to Jesus, they said, “John the Baptist sent us to ask if you are the one he said was going to come, or if we should expect someone else.”

₂₁At that very time Jesus cured many people of their sicknesses, diseases, and evil spirits, and gave sight to many blind people. ₂₂He answered John's messengers, “Go back and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind can see, the lame can walk, those who suffer from dreaded skin diseases are made clean, the deaf can hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is preached to the poor. ₂₃How happy are those who have no doubts about me!”

₂₄After John's messengers had left, Jesus began to speak about him to the crowds: “When you went out to John in the desert, what did you expect to see? A blade of grass bending in the wind? ₂₅What did you go out to see? A man dressed up in fancy clothes? People who dress like that and live in luxury are found in palaces! ₂₆Tell me, what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes indeed, but you saw much more than a prophet. ₂₇For John is the one of whom the scripture says: ‘God said, I will send my messenger ahead of you to open the way for you.’ ₂₈I tell you,” Jesus added, “John is greater than anyone who has ever lived. But the one who is least in the Kingdom of God is greater than John.”

₂₉All the people heard him; they and especially the tax collectors were the ones who had obeyed God's righteous demands and had been baptized by John. ₃₀But the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law rejected God's purpose for themselves and refused to be baptized by John.

₃₁Jesus continued, “Now to what can I compare the people of this day? What are they like? ₃₂They are like children sitting in the market place. One group shouts to the other, ‘We played wedding music for you, but you wouldn't dance! We sang funeral songs, but you wouldn't cry!’ ₃₃John the Baptist came, and he fasted and drank no wine, and you said, ‘He has a demon in him!’ ₃₄The Son of Man came, and he ate and drank, and you said, ‘Look at this man! He is a glutton and a drinker, a friend of tax collectors and other outcasts!’ ₃₅God's wisdom, however, is shown to be true by all who accept it.”

₃₆A Pharisee invited Jesus to have dinner with him, and Jesus went to his house and sat down to eat. ₃₇In that town was a woman who lived a sinful life. She heard that Jesus was eating in the Pharisee's house, so she brought an alabaster jar full of perfume ₃₈and stood behind Jesus, by his feet, crying and wetting his feet with her tears. Then she dried his feet with her hair, kissed them, and poured the perfume on them. ₃₉When the Pharisee saw this, he said to himself, “If this man really were a prophet, he would know who this woman is who is touching him; he would know what kind of sinful life she lives!”

₄₀Jesus spoke up and said to him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”

“Yes, Teacher,” he said, “tell me.”

₄₁“There were two men who owed money to a moneylender,” Jesus began. “One owed him 500 silver coins, and the other owed him fifty. ₄₂Neither of them could pay him back, so he cancelled the debts of both. Which one, then, will love him more?”

₄₃“I suppose,” answered Simon, “that it would be the one who was forgiven more.”

“You are right,” said Jesus. ₄₄Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your home, and you gave me no water for my feet, but she has washed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. ₄₅You did not welcome me with a kiss, but she has not stopped kissing my feet since I came. ₄₆You provided no olive oil for my head, but she has covered my feet with perfume. ₄₇I tell you, then, the great love she has shown proves that her many sins have been forgiven. But whoever has been forgiven little shows only a little love.”

₄₈Then Jesus said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.”

₄₉The others sitting at the table began to say to themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?”

₅₀But Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”