Luke 7:1
‘After he had ended all his sayings in the ears of the people, he entered into Capernaum.' Having completed the giving of the new Law Jesus now returned to Capernaum.... [ Continue Reading ]
‘After he had ended all his sayings in the ears of the people, he entered into Capernaum.' Having completed the giving of the new Law Jesus now returned to Capernaum.... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And a certain centurion's servant, who was dear to him, was sick and at the point of death.' In or near Capernaum lived a Centurion and his household, and a servant whom he loved dearly was sick, and indeed at the point of death. By the fact that he was concerned about it we see both the centurion... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And when he heard about Jesus, he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him that he would come and save his servant.' He was also a humble man. He did not despatch his soldiers to bring Jesus in, as he might have done. Nor did he go himself in order to exercise his influence as a servant of Rome.... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And they, when they came to Jesus, besought him earnestly, saying, “He is worthy that you should do this for him, for he loves our nation, and himself built us our synagogue.' The Jews were very impressed by good works. It was something for which Jews were well known. To them this, together with h... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And Jesus went with them. And when he was now not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying to him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy that you should come under my roof,” Jesus responded to their plea, and the cry for help, and went on His way. It is probable t... [ Continue Reading ]
‘That is why I did not think myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant shall be healed.' Indeed, he tells Jesus, that is why he had not come himself. He realised that he was only a Gentile and that he had no call on a Prophet of Israel. All therefore that he requested was that... [ Continue Reading ]
‘For I also am a man set under authority, having under myself soldiers. And 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.' He assured Jesus that he had no doubt that He could do this because he knew that He was a man who en... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And when Jesus heard these things, he marvelled at him, and turned and said to the crowd who followed him, “I say to you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.” ' When Jesus heard these words he marvelled. Here was a man with a high view of God, and a high view of Him, higher than an... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And those who were sent, returning to the house, found the servant whole.' And when those who had been sent returned to the Centurion's house they discovered that the servant had fully recovered. He was made whole. Luke here tells the story so as to bring out the acknowledged uncleanness and unwo... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And it came about soon afterwards, that he went to a city called Nain; and his disciples went with him, and a great crowd.' Jesus' popularity with the ordinary people continued, and a great crowd followed Him as he and His disciples approached Nain. Nain is the modern Nen in the plain of Jezreel s... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Now when he drew near to the gate of the city, behold, there was carried out one that was dead, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow, and many people of the city was with her.' But when He drew near to that town He saw a funeral procession coming towards Him. Burials took place outside t... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said to her, “Do not cry.” ' We are not told of any request made to Jesus. Perhaps all thought that there was nothing that He could do. But Jesus of His own volition went forward to help her because He was filled with compassion at her need.... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And he came near and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still.' Then He came near to the bier and touched it, probably in a recognised way in order to indicate that the carriers should stop. This was not a time for words. And they did stop immediately. This required a certain level of faith,... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And he who was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he gave him to his mother.' And the dead man sat up and began to talk (compare 1 Kings 17:22 LXX where the child on being raised from the dead by Elijah ‘cried out'). And Jesus then handed him over to his mother. For ‘He gave him to his mother' co... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And fear took hold on all, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet is arisen among us,” and, “God has visited his people.” ' The people were filled with awe at what He had done. And the result was that the view that Jesus was a ‘great Prophet' received a new boost, and men began to say, ‘... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And this word went forth concerning him in the whole of Judaea, and all the region round about, and the disciples of John told him of all these things.' So the word of what He was doing, and especially of the raising of the dead, spread around the whole of Palestine (Judaea in its widest sense) an... [ Continue Reading ]
JOHN THE BAPTISER SENDS AN APPEAL TO JESUS (7:17-23). Meanwhile, while all this was going on, John the Baptiser was languishing in prison. But he was regularly being visited by some of his brave disciples, and heard reports of what was going on and what was being said. It is clear, however that he... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And John, calling to him two of his disciples, sent them to the Lord, saying, “Are you he who is coming, or look we for another?” ' Having heard the news of this rapid spreading of the word and of all that was taking place (as much as his disciples could tell him) John called two of his disciples a... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And when the men were come to him, they said, “John the Baptiser has sent us to you, saying, Are You He Who is coming, or look we for another?” So the men came to Jesus with the message. The question is repeated a second time so as to bring it home to the reader. It was the question that all were... [ Continue Reading ]
‘In that hour he cured many of diseases and plagues and evil spirits, and on many that were blind he bestowed sight.' While John's disciples were there Jesus continued performing His wonders, He healed diseases and plagues, He cast out evil spirits, He gave sight to the blind. He revealed the power... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And he answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things which you have seen and heard; the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good tidings preached to them.” And then He turned to John's disciples and to... [ Continue Reading ]
“And blessed is he, whoever shall find no occasion of stumbling in me.” And then He adds that John must believe and trust Him. He will be blessed if he does not find what Jesus is doing as a stumblingblock. In other words He is saying to John. ‘Yes, I am the Coming One as you will recognise if you... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And when the messengers of John were departed, he began to say to the crowds concerning John, “What did you go out into the wilderness to behold? A reed shaken with the wind?” ' Jesus now turned to challenge the crowds. He did not want them to see John as failing. Indeed the problem lay not with J... [ Continue Reading ]
“But what did you go out to? A man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, those who are gorgeously apparelled, and live delicately, are in kings' courts.” They had not gone out to him in the desert because he walked in king's courts, and wore beautiful clothing, and lived in luxury, for those who were li... [ Continue Reading ]
“But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and much more than a prophet.” What did they go out to see? They went to see a prophet, a prophet from God. And yes, even more than that, they went out to see one who was more than just a mere prophet, he was the prophet who was the Pre... [ Continue Reading ]
“This is he of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before your face, Who will prepare your way before you.” For he was the one of whom God had said that he was His messenger, sent before His very eyes, to prepare the way for God to act and to enable Israel to behold its God (Malachi 3:1... [ Continue Reading ]
“I say to you, Among those who are born of women there is none greater than John, yet he who is but little (or ‘least') within the Kingly Rule of God is greater than he.” So among those born of women there is no greater than John the Baptiser. But now in Jesus what John pointed to is fulfilled (as H... [ Continue Reading ]
“And all the people when they heard, and the public servants, justified God, being baptised with the baptism of John, but the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected for themselves the counsel of God, being not baptised of him.” Having stated the position Jesus now deals with response to that position. T... [ Continue Reading ]
“To what then shall I liken the men of this generation, and to what are they like? They are like children who sit in the marketplace, and call one to another, who say, ‘We piped to you, and you did not dance, We wailed, and you did not weep.' For these Pharisees and lawyers and their ilk are like... [ Continue Reading ]
“For John the Baptiser is come eating no bread nor drinking wine; and you say, ‘He has a demon.' ” So when John, like Elijah of old, goes into the wilderness and clothes himself in goatskin and eats wild honey (Mark 1:6) they cry, ‘He has a demon'. (The wilderness was seen among other things as a p... [ Continue Reading ]
“The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and you say, Behold, a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of public servants and sinners!” And when Jesus walks among men and eats and drinks with them, they say, “See, He is a gluttonous man, He is wine-lover, He is a friend of public servants a... [ Continue Reading ]
“And wisdom is justified of all her children.” Thus the proverb was clearly true. The wisdom of the Scribes had produced children suited to it, who could not agree with any but themselves. While those who have found the true wisdom and responded to Jesus have entered under His kingly Rule. Their wi... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he entered into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to a meal.' The story begins with Jesus being invited to the house of ‘one of the Pharisees'. He appears to be on fairly good terms with Jesus, but it becomes quite apparent that... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And behold, there was a woman who was in the city, a sinner; and when she knew that he was sitting at a meal in the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster cruse of ointment, and standing behind at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her h... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Now when the Pharisee who had bidden him saw it, he spoke within himself, saying, “This man, if he were a prophet, would have perceived who and what manner of woman this is who touches him, that she is a sinner.” ' The Pharisee was horrified, but courteously said nothing. He could see at once what... [ Continue Reading ]
And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he says, “Teacher, say on.” We learn immediately that Jesus knew exactly what he was thinking. For He casually turned to him and said, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” It says something for Simon that he showed no... [ Continue Reading ]
“A certain money lender had two debtors, the one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they had not wherewith to pay, he forgave them both. Which of them therefore will love him most?” The illustration was simply told. Two men had borrowed money from a moneylender, one fifty thousand... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Simon answered and said, “He, I suppose, to whom he forgave the most.” And he said to him, “You have rightly judged.” Simon had no difficulty in answering that one. It was the one who was forgiven the most. And Jesus replied that he had got it absolutely right.... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And turning to the woman, he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered into your house, you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wetted my feet with her tears, and wiped them with her hair.” Up to this point Simon had probably been ignoring the woman and pretending that he had not noti... [ Continue Reading ]
“You gave me no kiss, but she, since the time I came in, has not ceased to kiss my feet.” The welcoming kiss was not so much a requirement as the washing of feet, but it would still be given to a welcome guest. Again Jesus had been kept in His place. He must not be made to feel too welcome. But thi... [ Continue Reading ]
“You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment.” It is clear how bare had been Simon's welcome. He had neglected all the means normally used to make a favoured guest feel welcome and to make him comfortable. But this woman had made up for Jesus' lack of welcome by... [ Continue Reading ]
“For this reason I say to you, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much, but to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.” And what did all this prove? It proved that she had good reason to be grateful to Jesus. And Jesus knew the reason why. He knew that she had been burden... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” ' So He turned to the woman and assured here, “Your sins have been and are forgiven.” They would be welcome words, a further assurance of what she already knew in her heart. And possibly spoken as much to the hearers as to her. He would be very well aw... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And those who sat at the meal with him began to say within themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” ' But those who were there recognised the implication of what He had said. He was guaranteeing that her sins were forgiven. He was taking on Himself a divine prerogative. He was setting Him... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.” ' Then Jesus turned to the woman again and said, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.” He wanted her to know that in the end it was her faith in Him that had saved her. She had been delivered from a life of sin because she belie... [ Continue Reading ]