Luke presents four
dramatic encounters with Jesus—by sketching each scene with precisely detailed
reporting in Luke 7. Interestingly, in Luke 7 Jesus exemplifies and enacts the
ethical teachings described in Luke 6.
He begins with a
military man, a career officer in the Roman army—a centurion—who commanded a
unit of 100 men. This man’s “highly valued” servant is dying. He’d heard about
Jesus, so he asked several friends—Jewish elders—to go to Jesus and ask him to
come and heal him. They reach Jesus and “plead earnestly” on behalf of their
Gentile friend, explaining “This man deserves to have you do this, because he
loves our nation and has built our synagogue” (Luke 7:5).
Jesus decides to go
and when they’ve almost reached their destination, he gets a second message the
centurion has sent: “Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not
deserve to have you come under my roof. That is why I did not even consider
myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed.
“For I myself am a
man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he
goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and
he does it” (Luke 7:6-8).
Amazed by the
centurion’s words, Jesus tells the crowd around him: “I tell you, I have not
found such great faith even in Israel” (Luke 7:9) And when the messengers
returned to the house they found the servant well.
Now, Jesus is
walking along towards the town of Nain with his disciples accompanied by a
large crowd. As they reach the town gate “a dead person was being carried
out—the only son of his mother, and she was a widow” (Luke 7:12). Here we see
Jesus’ deep compassion in action.
The Message captures the moment: “When Jesus saw her, his heart
broke. He said to her, ‘Don’t cry.’ Then he went over and touched the coffin.
The pallbearers stopped. He said, ‘Young man, I tell you: Get up.’ The dead son
sat up and began talking. Jesus presented him to his mother” (Luke 7:13-15 Message).
What a miracle!
Jesus raised a dead person back to life! No wonder the crowds swirling around
him were filled with awe and praised God. Once again the news about Jesus
spreads throughout Judea and the surrounding country.
Luke records the
miracles, but he doesn’t avoid the low times of discouragement either. John the
Baptist’s disciples shared the good news of Jesus’ ministry with John in his
prison cell. John is not seeing things firsthand, so quite possibly is
questioning his life’s work while locked up. The freedom of the desert is now a
fading memory, and John is unsure if Jesus is the Messiah or whether to expect
someone else. So he sends two of his disciples to ask Jesus "Are you the one who was to come, or are we to look for another?"
Jesus was in the
midst of curing many who suffered diseases, sicknesses, evil spirits, and
blindness. So Jesus tells John’s disciples: “Go back and report to John what
you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have
leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is
proclaimed to the poor. Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of
me” (Luke 7:22-23).
Jesus then speaks
about John to the crowd: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? . . .
A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom
it is written: ‘I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your
way before you.’ I tell you among those born of women there is no one greater
than John; yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he”
(Luke 7:24-28).
The closing scene in
Luke 7, may well be the best known of these astonishing encounters with Jesus.
A Pharisee named Simon invites Jesus to a meal with him. When Jesus enters
Simon’s home and takes his place at dinner, an uninvited guest—a woman known
and ostracized for her “bad” reputation—also arrives.
Having learned that
Jesus was a guest in the home of the Pharisee she came carrying “a bottle of
very expensive perfume and stood at his feet, weeping, raining tears on his
feet. Letting down her hair, she dried his feet, kissed them, and anointed them
with the perfume” (Luke 7:38-39 Message).
Simon can’t believe
that Jesus permits this, and questions whether or not Jesus is a true prophet.
Jesus responds by telling Simon a simple parable. Two men owe money to a
banker. Neither man can afford to repay their debt. One owes five hundred
pieces of silver, the other fifty. The banker cancels both men’s debts. Jesus
asks Simon, “which of the two would be more grateful?”
Simon answered, “I
suppose the one who was forgiven the most.”
“That’s right,” said
Jesus. Then turning to the woman, but speaking to Simon, he said, “Do you see
this woman? I came to your home; you provided no water for my feet, but she
rained tears on my feet and dried them with her hair. You gave me no greeting,
but from the time I arrived she hasn’t quit kissing my feet. You provided
nothing for freshening up, but she has soothed my feet with perfume . . . She
was forgiven many, many sins, and so she is very, very grateful. If the
forgiveness is minimal, the gratitude is minimal.
“Then he spoke to
her, ‘I forgive your sins.’
“That set the dinner
guests talking behind his back: ‘Who does he think he is, forgiving sins!’
“He ignored them and
said to the woman, ‘Your faith has saved you. Go in peace’” (Luke 7:40-50 Message).
