Luke Chapter 7 1 Now when He concluded all His sayings in the hearing of the people, He entered Capernaum. 2 And a certain centurion s servant, who was dear to him, was sick and ready to die. 3 So when he heard about Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to Him, pleading with Him to come and heal his servant. 4 And when they came to Jesus, they begged Him earnestly, saying that the one for whom He should do this was deserving, 5 for he loves our nation, and has built us a synagogue. 6 Then Jesus went with them. And when He was already 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 enter under my roof. 7 Therefore I did not even think myself worthy to come to You. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. 8 For I also am a man placed under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to one, Go, and he goes; and to another, Come, and he comes; and to my servant, Do this, and he does it. 9 When Jesus heard these things, He marveled at him, and turned around and said to the crowd that followed Him, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel! 10 And those who were sent, returning to the house, found the servant well who had been sick. - We want to notice six specific things about this event. o Some say that a centurion was the equivalent of a regimental sergeant major. Others say he was the equivalent of a company commander. He was over 100 men typically. The centurions were the backbone of the Roman Army. Wherever they are spoken of in the New Testament they are spoken of well. 1
o Historians describe their qualifications this way: They must be not so much seekers after danger as men who can command, steady in action, and reliable; they ought not to be over anxious to rush into the fight; but when hard pressed they must be ready to hold their ground and die at their post. The centurion was a man among men! The attitude of this centurion to his slave was quite unusual. It seems evident that he loved this slave and would go to any trouble to save him. You might remember.. in Roman law a slave was defined as a human tool; he had no rights; a master could treat him as he wished. o He was a sincerely righteous man. A man needs more than a casual interest before he would go to the length and expense of building a synagogue. The Romans encouraged religion from a purely cynical motive. o It kept the people in order. It was said that the people of the Roman world generally considered all modes of religion equally true. o The philosophers considered all religion.. equally false. o The magistrates considered all religion.. as equally useful. 2
But this centurion was no cynic he was clearly a deeply religious man. He had an extremely unusual attitude toward the Jews. If the Jew despised the Gentiles, the Gentiles hated the Jews. The Romans called the Jews a filthy race they spoke of Judaism as a barbarous superstition. But.. the whole atmosphere of this story implies a close bond of friendship between this centurion and the Jews. He was a humble man. He knew. that a strict Jew was forbidden by the law to enter the house of a Gentile. Acts 10:28 and he said to them, You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with or to visit any one of another nation; but God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean. RSV He would not even come to Jesus himself. He persuaded his friends, Jewish elders, to approach Jesus. This was a man accustomed to commanding. who had an amazing humility in the presence of true greatness. He was a man of faith. His faith was based on sound argument.. from his own experience. If his authority produced the results it did.. how much more must that of Jesus. 3
Question: It is an attribute of God that His word alone is sufficient unto all things. Ps. 148:5.. Let them praise the name of the LORD! For he commanded and they were created. RSV It is amazing that this centurion understood this.. as also being true of Jesus. He had a perfect confidence that says. Lord I know that you can do this. Jesus said.. I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel! o And the end result was And those who were sent, returning to the house, found the servant well who had been sick. Have you ever been amazed by someone s faith? 11 Now it happened, the day after, that He went into a city called Nain; and many of His disciples went with Him, and a large crowd. 12 And when He came near the gate of the city, behold, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother; and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the city was with her. 13 When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, Do not weep. 14 Then He came and touched the open coffin, and those who carried him stood still. And He said, Young man, I say to you, arise. 15 So he who was dead sat up and began to speak. And He presented him to his mother. 16 Then fear came upon all, and they glorified God, saying, A great prophet has risen up among us ; and, God has visited His 4
people. 17 And this report about Him went throughout all Judea and all the surrounding region. - This event is only recorded by Luke. o Nain was a day s journey from Capernaum. (25 miles SW) Just outside the gate He met the funeral procession. The dead were always carried out of a Jewish city for Burial. o There was a great crowd of townspeople with her. Most likely the funeral procession would be headed by a band of professional mourners with their flutes and cymbals, uttering in a kind of frenzy their cries of grief. o But the simple statement he was his mother s only son and she was a widow says it all. Jesus had compassion on her. There is no stronger word in the Greek language for sympathy than is used here. Jesus was moved to the depths of His being. The dead young man was the only son of his mother. The woman was now completely alone and possibly unprotected, without a close male relative. It seems that no bereaved heart ever escaped His attention. He says Weep not but it was impossible, at the moment, for this bereaved widow to respond to such a command. 5
o Then He came and touched the open coffin, and those who carried him stood still. Jesus never gave a command without supplying the power to obey it. His touching the coffin signaled them to stop. o There was authority in His words, but the acts of Jesus also compelled obedience. It was not a coffin as we know them coffins were not used in the east. o This was an open frame upon which the body was placed and carried on the shoulders of four to six persons to the grave or tomb. o Very often long wicker-work baskets were used for carrying the body to the grave. o And He said, Young man, I say to you, arise. There are three records of Jesus raising the dead. The daughter of Jairus. The widow s son. And.. the raising of Lazarus. In each of these cases we can observe the authority and power of Jesus. Damsel, I say unto thee, arise. Young man, I say unto thee, arise. And.. Lazarus, come forth. 6
o So he who was dead sat up and began to speak. His speaking. proved to the large company the reality of his being raised from the dead. The body was in full view. and there was no possible chance for deception in this case. The Lord finished His work by taking him by the hand and presenting him to his mother. o Then fear came upon all A sense of awe. o Words would be too feeble to express her joy. It had been about four hundred years since the prophets ceased to bring God s message to the people. They recalled Elijah and Elisha and declared that a great prophet like these had arisen among us and that God had visited his people again with a prophet. The miracle was quickly reported throughout the region. Question: What different reactions do people have to the death of a friend or loved one? How do you respond to another person s grief? 18 Then the disciples of John reported to him concerning all these things. 19 And John, calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to Jesus, saying, Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another? 20 When the men had come to Him, they said, John the Baptist has sent us to You, saying, Are You the Coming One, 7
or do we look for another? 21 And that very hour He cured many of infirmities, afflictions, and evil spirits; and to many blind He gave sight. 22 Jesus answered and said to them, Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard: that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them. 23 And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me. 24 When the messengers of John had departed, He began to speak to the multitudes concerning John: What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 25 But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed those who are gorgeously appareled and live in luxury are in kings courts. 26 But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. 27 This is he of whom it is written: Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You. 28 For I say to you, among those born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he. 29 And when all the people heard Him, even the tax collectors justified God, having been baptized with the baptism of John. 30 But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the will of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him. 31 And the Lord said, To what then shall I liken the men of this generation, and what are they like? 32 They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another, saying: We played the flute for you, And you did not dance; We mourned to you, And you did not weep. 8
33 For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, He has a demon. 34 The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners! 35 But wisdom is justified by all her children. - It is thought.. that John at this time, had been in prison about a year. o He was approximately 70 miles away from where Jesus was preaching at this time o We notice a couple of things here: (1.) John s disciples.. were still John s disciples. (2.) They had access to John. - John expected that the Messiah would set up the kingdom as he had been announcing. o He suddenly found himself in prison and in danger of being put to death. and still the kingdom had not come. John was anxious concerning the Messiah. o He most assuredly knew the Old Testament well and knew the works of the Messiah but he did not see the kingdom coming. - Jesus answers the question.. but it s not the answer John expected. o John might have expected him to say My armies are massing, Caesarea, the headquarters of the Roman government, is about to fall. The sinners are being obliterated. And the judgment has begun. Your release is eminent. (William Barclay) 9
o But instead Jesus, who was performing Messianic miracles, reminded John s disciples of Isaiah 61:1-2 which he had read in Nazareth. 1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good tidings to the afflicted; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; 2 to proclaim the year of the LORD s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn RSV These miraculous deeds pointed to the fact that He was the Messiah. They had to have faith in His message and His works. Even if it didn t fit their preconceived ideas and expectations of the promised coming Kingdom. o But wisdom is justified by all her children. Both John and Jesus were fulfilling the mission God sent them to achieve. The Bible Exposition Commentary makes this statement about this verse People who want to avoid the truth about themselves can always find something in the preacher to criticize. This is one way they justify themselves. But God s wisdom is not frustrated by the arguments of the wise and prudent. It is demonstrated in the changed lives of those who believe. This is how true wisdom is justified. - When the messengers of John had departed, He began to speak to the multitudes concerning John o Jesus paid his own tribute to John the Baptist and took this opportunity to teach the people about John s ministry. He noted that John was a man of strong conviction! Not like a reed blowing in the wind. 10
His point was this.. it was not a vacillating, swaying character that men went out to see in the wilderness but a man immovable like a mighty tree. He was not dressed luxuriously but instead, he was rightly understood by the people to be a prophet. And more than a prophet! o He was the Messiah s forerunner. Jesus pays John a great tribute when he says that. among those born of women none is greater than John. His position as the forerunner of the Messiah set him apart and placed him far above everyone else who had lived on the earth. But then we see the limitation of John when he says: but he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he. But why? It was because.. John marked a watershed dividing line in history. We date all time as before Christ and after Christ.. B.C. and A.D.. Jesus is the dividing line. Therefore all who come after Him and who receive and obey Him are of necessity granted a greater blessing than those who went before. o 2Cor. 5:17.. Therefore, if any one is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come. RSV 11
Coffman s statement at this point is worth noting: o Greater than he.. This seemingly paradoxical statement is resolved by the considerations (1) that John the Baptist was not in the kingdom of Christ, the same not being set up till after John s death, and (2) that the term greater has reference to privilege, rather than to character. o And the Lord said, To what then shall I liken the men of this generation, and what are they like? He gives an illustration of children playing in the square. One group wants to play wedding but the other group refused. The other group of children wants to play funeral. One group wants to pipe and dance the other to weep. They wanted to have their way and acted ugly when they could not. Jesus purposely selects a joyful game and then the opposite a.. sad game. This generation, Jesus says, is exactly like this group of children. John the Baptist came among them with austere habits his food was not bread, but locust and wild honey; his drink not wine, but probably water. And they couldn t bear it.. they said, He hath a demon 12
On the other hand The son of man came eating and drinking - - - like the most of men. This didn t suit them either.. They railed at him and said, Behold, a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. The conclusion was this.. Neither mode of life would satisfy them. They were sullen, sour, and as unreasonable as the group of children in the square. o Whoever God sent them.. they wanted someone else. o And whatever the messenger s message.. they wanted another. 36 Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him. And He went to the Pharisee s house, and sat down to eat. 37 And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee s house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, 38 and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil. 39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, This man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner. 40 And Jesus answered and said to him, Simon, I have something to say to you. So he said, Teacher, say it. 41 There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love 13
him more? 43 Simon answered and said, I suppose the one whom he forgave more. And He said to him, You have rightly judged. 44 Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. 45 You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. 46 You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. 47 Therefore 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. 48 Then He said to her, Your sins are forgiven. 49 And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, Who is this who even forgives sins? 50 Then He said to the woman, Your faith has saved you. Go in peace. 1 - This Pharisee was named Simon. o Luke only records this incident. - Jesus is invited to eat with this Pharisee. o Why? Curiosity? To make a statement? Contempt? - Let s imagine for a minute what transpired here: o The guests are arriving Simon is receiving them with all courtesy. Embracing each in turn. Slaves are ready to wash the dust of the road from their sandaled feet, and to pour sweet olive oil over their heads to soften the parched skin. 1The Holy Bible, New King James Version, (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc.) 1982. 14
But there s one guest that s not treated with these courtesies. o Again, we ask why? It seems odd to us, but it was customary for anyone to come into the house during a feast and sit and converse with those who were invited to the feast. The invited quests reclined at the table, while the uninvited guests set around the wall. o And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner At this point we see the contrast. between the self righteousness of Simon the Pharisee and an earnest penitent sinner. She knew where she stood. Simon only thought he did! o Next we see a contrast in their actions: He withheld water. she gave precious tears. He gave no kiss to his cheek she covered his feet with kisses. He begrudged even a drop of oil.. she broke the box of rare ointment for her Lord. o Simon came to the conclusion that Jesus was not a Prophet. Why? Because This man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner. But now... Jesus does the very thing which the Pharisees considered as a mark of a prophet. He reads the mind of the Pharisee. 15
He speaks directly to Simon.. as he gives answer to the unspoken thought. There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. A common sense argument.. no one could fail to see the application. Her faith led her to trust for forgiveness. Then He said to her, Your sins are forgiven. - The Pharisees are the most tragic figures in the New Testament. o They totally cut themselves off.. and refused to respond to the love Jesus. Why? Because Jesus wasn t what they expected in God s Messiah. Because. Jesus didn t play by their rules. And because they said to themselves.. we have no need: We want no forgiveness. - Forgiveness gave a new life to the woman who recognized her need and came to Jesus. o And we need to understand as well.. that refusal to admit our sins and recognize our need of Jesus cuts us off as surely as it cut off the Pharisee. 16