Luke 7

Luke 7:1

VI. THE SON OF MAN EXPANDS HIS MINISTRY (7:1-9:50) A. Healing of the Centurion’s Servant (7:1-10) 7:1-3 At the conclusion of His discourse, Jesus left the multitude and entered Capernaum. There He was besieged by the elders of the Jews, who had come to ask help for a Gentile centurion’s servant. It seems that this centurion was especially kind to the Jewish people, even going so far as to build a synagogue for them. Like all the other centurions in the NT, he is presented in a good light (Luk_23:47; Act_10:1-48). It is rather unusual for a master to be so kindly disposed toward a slave as this centurion was. When the servant took sick, the centurion asked the elders of the Jews to implore Jesus to heal him. This Roman officer is the only one who sought blessing from Jesus for a servant, as far as we know. 7:4-7 It was a strange position for the elders of the people to be in. They did not believe in Jesus, yet their friendship for the centurion forced them to go to Jesus in a time of need. They said concerning the centurion that he was worthy. But when the centurion met Jesus, he said, I am not worthy, meaning I am not important enough.According to Matthew, the centurion went directly to Jesus. Here in Luke, he sent the elders. Both are correct. First, he sent the elders, then he himself went out to Jesus. The humility and faith of the centurion are remarkable. He did not consider himself worthy that Jesus should enter his house. Neither did he consider himself worthy to come to Jesus in person. But he had faith to believe that Jesus could heal without being bodily present. A word from Him would drive out the sickness. 7:8 The centurion went on to explain that he knew something about authority and responsibility. He had considerable experience in this realm. He himself was under the authority of the Roman government and was responsible to carry out its orders. In addition, he had soldiers under him who were instantly obedient to his orders. He recognized that Jesus had the same kind of authority over diseases that the Roman government had over him, and that he had over his subordinates. 7:9, 10 No wonder that Jesus marveled at the faith of this Gentile centurion. No one in Israel had made such a bold confession of Jesus’ absolute authority. Such great faith could never go unrewarded. When they got back to the centurion’s house, they found that the servant was completely well. This is one of two times in the Gospels when we read that Jesus marveled. He marveled at the faith of this Gentile centurion, and He marveled at the unbelief of Israel (Mar_6:6).

Luke 7:11

B. Raising of the Widow’s Son (7:11-17) 7:11-15 Nain was a little town southwest of Capernaum. As Jesus approached, He saw a funeral procession leaving the city. It was for the only son of a widow. The Lord had compassion on the bereft mother. Touching the frame on which the body was carriedapparently to stop the processionJesus ordered the young man to arise. Immediately life returned to the corpse, and the lad sat up. Thus the One who is Lord over death as well as over disease restored the boy to his mother. 7:16, 17 Fear seized the people. They had witnessed a mighty miracle. The dead was raised to life. They believed the Lord Jesus was a great prophet sent by God. But when they said God has visited His people, they probably did not understand that Jesus Himself was God. Rather they felt that the miracle was evidence that God was working in their midst in an impersonal sort of way. Their report of the miracle spread throughout all the surrounding region. Dr. Luke’s casebook records the restoration by Jesus of three only children: the widow’s son; Jairus’ daughter (Luk_8:42); and the child possessed by demons (Luk_9:38).

Luke 7:18

C. The Son of Man Reassures His Forerunner (7:18-23) 7:18-20 News of the miracles of Jesus filtered back to John the Baptist in prison in the castle of Machaerus, on the eastern shore of the Dead Sea. If Jesus was truly the Messiah, why didn’t He exercise His power in freeing John from Herod’s hands? So John sent two of his disciples to ask Jesus if He were really the Messiah, or if the Christ was still to come. It may seem strange to us that John should ever question Jesus’ Messiahship. But we must remember that the best of men suffer brief lapses of faith. Also, physical distress can lead to severe mental depression. 7:21-23 Jesus answered John’s question by reminding him that He was performing miracles such as the prophets predicted would be performed by the Messiah (Isa_35:5-6; Isa_61:1). Then He added, as a postscript to John, Blessed is he who is not offended because of Me. This may be understood as a rebuke; John had been offended by the failure of Jesus to seize the reins of authority and to manifest Himself in the way people expected. But it may also be interpreted as an exhortation to John not to abandon his faith. C. G. Moore says: I know of no hours more trying to faith than those in which Jesus multiplies evidences of His power and does not use it . . . There is need of much grace when the messengers come back saying: Yes, He has all the power, and is all that you have thought; but He said not a word about taking you out of prison. . . . No explanation; faith nourished; prison doors left closed; and then the message, Blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me. That is all!

Luke 7:24

D. The Son of Man Praises His Forerunner (7:24-29) 7:24 Whatever Jesus might say to John in private, He had nothing but praise for him in public. When the people had flocked out to the desert near Jordan, what had they expected to find? A fickle, spineless, wavering opportunist? No one could ever accuse John of being a reed shaken by the wind. 7:25 Had they then expected to find a Hollywood-style playboy, fashionably dressed, and wallowing in luxury and ease? No, that is the type of person who hangs around king’s courts, seeking to enjoy all the pleasures of the palace and to make endless contacts for his own profit and gratification. 7:26 It was a prophet they went out to seean embodied conscience who declared the word of the living God no matter what the cost to him might be. Indeed, he was more than a prophet. 7:27 He himself was the subject of prophecy, and he had the unique privilege of introducing the King. Jesus quoted from Mal_3:1 to show that John had been promised in the OT, but in so doing, He made a very interesting change in the pronouns. In Mal_3:1, we read, Behold, I send My messenger, and he will prepare the way before Me. But Jesus quoted it, Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You. The pronoun Me is changed to You. Godet explains this change as follows: In the prophet’s view, He who was sending, and He before whom the way was to be prepared, were one and the same person, Jehovah. Hence the before me in Malachi. But for Jesus, who, in speaking of Himself, never confounds Himself with the Father, a distinction became necessary. It is not Jehovah who speaks of Himself, but Jehovah speaking to Jesus; hence the form before Thee. From which evidence, does it not follow from this quotation that, in the prophet’s idea, as well as in that of Jesus, Messiah’s appearing is the appearing of Jehovah? 7:28 Jesus continued to praise John by asserting that among those born of women, there was not a greater prophet than John. This superiority did not refer to his personal character but to his position as forerunner of the Messiah. There were other men who were as great as he in zeal, honor, and devotion. But no one else had the privilege of announcing the coming of the King. In this, John was unique. Yet, the Lord added, the least one in the kingdom of God is greater than John. To enjoy the blessings of the kingdom is greater than to be the forerunner of the King. 7:29 Jesus is probably still speaking in verse 29, and thus the (supplied) word Him should be him. He is recalling the reception given to John’s preaching. The common people and the avowed sinners, like the tax collectors, repented and were baptized in the Jordan. In believing John’s message and acting upon it, they justified God, that is, they reckoned God to be righteous in demanding that the people of Israel should first repent before Christ could reign over them. This use of the word justify clearly shows that it cannot mean to make righteous; no one could make God righteous. Rather it means to account God as being right in His decrees and requirements.

Luke 7:30

E. The Son of Man Criticizes His Own Generation (7:30-35) 7:30-34 The Pharisees and teachers of the law refused to submit to John’s baptism, and thus rejected God’s program for their welfare. In fact, it was impossible to please the generation of which they were the leaders. Jesus likened them to children playing in the marketplace. They didn’t want to play either wedding or funeral. They were perverse, wayward, unpredictable, and refractory. No matter what ministry God used among them, they took exception to it.

John the Baptist gave them an example of austerity, asceticism, and self-denial. They didn’t like it, but criticized him as demon-possessed. The Son of Man ate and drank with tax collectors and sinners, that is, He identified Himself with those whom He came to bless. But still the Pharisees were unhappy; they called Him a glutton and a tippler. Fast or feast, funeral or wedding, John or Jesusnothing and no one pleased them! Ryle admonishes: We must give up the idea of trying to please everyone. The thing is impossible, and the attempt is mere waste of time. We must be content to walk in Christ’s steps, and let the world say what it likes. Do what we will, we shall never satisfy it, or silence its ill-natured remarks. It first found fault with John the Baptist and then with his blessed Master. And it will go on cavilling and finding fault with that Master’s disciples so long as one of them is left upon earth. 7:35 But wisdom is justified by all her children. Wisdom here represents the Savior Himself. The small minority of disciples who honor Him are wisdom’s children. Even though the mass of the people reject Him, yet His true followers will vindicate His claims by lives of love, holiness, and devotedness.

Luke 7:36

F. A Sinner Anoints the Savior (7:36-39) 7:36 In the incident which follows, we have an illustration of wisdom being justified by one of her children, namely the sinful woman. As Dr. H. C. Woode8ring said so pointedly, When God cannot get religious leaders to appreciate Christ, He will get harlots to do so. Simon, the Pharisee, had asked Jesus home to eat with him, perhaps through curiosity or perhaps through hostility. 7:37, 38 A sinful woman appeared in the room at the same time. We do not know who she was; the tradition that she was Mary Magdalene lacks scriptural support. This woman brought a white translucent flask of perfume. As Jesus reclined on a couch while eating, with His head near the table, she stood at His feet. She washed His feet with her tears, wiped them with her hair, and kissed them repeatedly. Then she anointe8ed them with the costly perfume. Such worship and sacrifice revealed her conviction that there was nothing too good for Jesus. 7:39 Simon’s attitude was quite different. He felt that prophets, like Pharisees, should be separate from sinners. If Jesus were truly a prophet, he concluded, He would not let a sinner bestow such affection on Him.

Luke 7:40

G. Parable of the Two Debtors (7:40-50) 7:40-43 Jesus read his mind, and courteously asked Simon permission to say something to him. With consummate skill, the Lord told the story of the creditor and the two debtors. One owed fifty dollars, the other five. When neither of them could repay at all, he cancelled both debts. At this point Jesus asked Simon which borrower would love the lender more. The Pharisee correctly answered, I suppose the one whom he forgave more. In admitting this, he condemned himself, as Jesus proceeded to show him. 7:44-47 From the time the Lord had entered the house, the woman had lavished affection upon Him. The Pharisee, by contrast, had given Him a very cool reception, not even attending to the usual courtesies, such as washing the guest’s feet, kissing His cheek and giving Him oil for His head. Why was this? The reason was that the woman had the consciousness of having been forgiven much, whereas Simon did not feel he had been a great sinner at all. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.Jesus did not suggest that the Pharisee was not a great sinner. Rather He emphasized that Simon had never truly acknowledged his vast guilt and been forgiven.

If he had, he would have loved the Lord as deeply as the harlot. We are all great sinners. We can all know great forgiveness. We can all love the Lord greatly. 7:48 Jesus then publicly announced to the woman that her sins had been forgiven. She had not been forgiven because of her love to Christ, but her love was a result of her forgiveness. She loved much because she had been forgiven much. Jesus took this occasion to announce publicly the forgiveness of her sins. 7:49, 50 The other guests inwardly questioned Jesus’ right to forgive sins. The natural heart hates grace. But Jesus again assured the woman that her faith had saved her and that she should go in peace. This is something psychiatrists cannot do. They may try to explain away guilt complexes, but they can never give the joy and peace that Jesus gives. Our Lord’s conduct in eating at this Pharisee’s table is misused by some Christians in defense of the practice of keeping up intimacy with unconverted people, going to their amusements, and indulging in their pleasures. Ryle gives this warning: Those who use such an argument would do well to remember our Lord’s behavior on this occasion. He carried His Father’s business with Him to the Pharisee’s table. He testified against the Pharisee’s besetting sin. He explained to the Pharisee the nature of free forgiveness of sins, and the secret of true love to Himself. He declared the saving nature of faith. If Christians who argue in favor of intimacy with unconverted people will visit their houses in the spirit of our Lord, and speak and behave as He did, let them by all means continue the practice. But do they speak and behave at the tables of their unconverted acquaintances as Jesus did at Simon’s table? This is a question they would do well to answer.