Luke 7
BolesLuke 7:1-10
- THE AT
1 After he had ended all his sayings—Having ended his sermon, Luke proceeds to narrate other events. A parallel of this account is found in Matthew 8:5-13. Luke’s account is fuller at the beginning, but Matthew’s record is fuller at the close; Matthew records some things that Luke omits, and Luke records some that Matthew does not. The context here shows that this discourse which has just been narrated was delivered at one time, and not a mere collection of sayings or detached parts of different discourses. Jesus had ended all of these sayings “in the ears of the people”; the discourse recorded in chapter 6 was for the instruction of the people as well as his disciples. “He entered into Capernaum.” The language implies that he was not far from Capernaum when he delivered this discourse; Capernaum was the center of his operations, and to it he frequently returned from his preaching tours.
2, 3 And a certain centurion’s servant,—A “centurion” was a Roman officer commanding a hundred men. This one was probably in the service of Herod Antipas, and stationed at Capernaum as an important provincial town and a place of considerable traffic on the Sea of Galilee, to preserve order there and in the adjacent country. Matthew tells us that he was a gentile (Matthew 8:10), but he seems to have been very strongly attached to the Jewish nation. He may have been a proselyte to the Jewish faith; he would be called a “proselyte of the gate,” one who lived among the Jewish people and conformed to what were called the seven precepts of Noah, which prohibited blasphemy, idolatry, murder, robbery, rebellion, and eating of blood and things strangled. Those who submitted to circumcision and became naturalized Jews were termed “proselytes of righteousness.” The New Testament mentions three other centurions, and all of them are favorably mentioned. (Luke 23:47; Acts 10:1; Acts 27:1; Acts 27:3; Acts 27:43.) . His servant was sick and “at the point of death.” This servant was very dear to the centurion. Matthew reports the servant as being grievously tormented.
And when he heard concerning Jesus,—He heard of the miraculous power of Jesus and “sent unto him elders of the Jews.” They were persons who were elders or magistrates of the city; they may have been officers of the synagogue which this centurion had built. The term “elder” was first applied to men of age (Genesis 24:2; Genesis 50:7);and as persons of right age and experience would naturally be called to the management of public affairs (Joshua 24:31), it afterwards became an official title (Exodus 3:16; Exodus 4:29; Exodus 19:7; Exodus 24:1; Exodus 24:9). The office grew out of the patriarchal system. Matthew makes no mention of the elders of the Jews coming to Jesus. It may be that the centurion followed the elders, or what he did through his representatives may be said of himself as doing.
4, 5 And they, when they came to Jesus,—The elders were very urgent in their request that Jesus go as quickly as possible to the centurion’s house. They give as their reason that he was “worthy” that Jesus should do this for him. The Jews pleaded the worthiness of the centurion, but the centurion declared his own unworthiness; truly greatness and humility go together. The elders of the Jews wanted to repay him for what he had done in building a synagogue for them. This centurion had built a synagogue at his own expense. Every town where there were Jews had its synagogue.
6, 7 And Jesus went with them.—Messengers were sent in succession to an important person of whom a favor was desired, making the request in varied form with many expressions of humility in the East. Even when it was known that the request would be granted, it was customary to send again, urging the great one not to put himself to trouble, and offering apologies and expression of unworthiness. So the centurion followed this custom; he sent his friends to Jesus, saying: “Lord, trouble not thyself for I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof.”
8-10 For I also am a man set under authority,—Being a centurion this man would be under the authority of higher officials, as the centurion had command of only one hundred soldiers however, he could say to those under him: “Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh.” He could command his servants to do anything that he wished done, and they would do it. This centurion appears to have regarded the sickness of his servant either as due to some peculiar state of body or to demons, which were under the authority of Jesus, precisely as the centurion’s soldiers were subject to his order. It is remarkable that while Matthew calls the disease “palsy,” Luke, a physician, does not name the disease.
I have not found so great faith,—When Jesus heard what the centurion had said about commanding and having it done, he turned to the multitude that was following him and said: “I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.” These words were spoken to the Jews who followed Jesus. The centurion, a Gentile and a military man, Jesus commended as having greater faith than anyone he had found among God’s chosen people. This is the first recorded instance of faith in Christ’s power to heal at a distance; this great faith was not found in some favored Israelite, but in one far less privileged and favored, a Gentile. When those who had been sent to Jesus returned, they “found the servant whole.” Jesus had healed or restored to health the servant as the centurion had requested.
Luke 7:11-17
- RAISING THE SON OF THE WIDOW OF NAIN
11 And it came to pass soon afterwards,—Soon after the restoration of the centurion’s servant in Capernaum, Jesus and his disciples and the great multitude went to the city “called Nain.” “Nain” is not used anywhere else in the Bible its exact location has not been determined. Many think that it was on the northern slope of Mount Hermon; immediately west of Endor, which lies in a further recess of the same range of mountains. It was probably about twelve or fifteen miles from Capernaum. Luke is the only writer of the gospel that records this miracle, as John is the only one that records the miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead. We do not know why others omitted the record of this miracle. Jesus was on one of his preaching tours through Galilee when he went to Nain.
12 Now when he drew near to the gate of the city,—This small town was a walled city, hence the “gate” of entrance to it. Most of the towns and villages were walled for protection. As Jesus and his company came near to the gate, “there was carried out one that was dead.” The burial of bodies within the town or city was forbidden, hence the sepulchers and tombs were located without the limits of the cities and villages. Luke describes very minutely the scene; it was a “funeral procession” of “the only son of his mother” and this mother “was a widow.”
13 And when the Lord saw her,—It is significant that the “Lord saw her”; no bereaved heart or contrite spirit ever escaped his attention. It seems that Jesus and his disciples with a multitude following him were going into the city of Nain and met the funeral procession as it came out of the city. It is very probable that this mother had never seen Jesus before; he was a stranger to her so far as we know, and yet when he saw her he said in his compassion for her, “Weep not.” The sympathies of Jesus are in full and lively exercise for this bereaved mother. The word translated “weep” is that which denotes the outward expression of grief. The people in, the East gave vent to their sorrow in loud shrieks and lamentations over the bodies of the dead. Oftentimes they employed persons whose office it was to sing dirges and utter dolorous groans and lamentations; they were “professional mourners.” The louder they would groan and shriek the greater was the grief supposed to be. It is not known whether there were such “professional mourners” in this funeral procession that Jesus met.
14 And he came nigh and touched the bier:—“The bier” was an open frame upon which the dead body, wrapped in folds of linen, was placed and carried on the shoulders of four, and sometimes six persons, to the grave or tomb. Jesus touched the bier as a signal for the bearers to stand still. “The bearers stood still.” There must have been a dignity and air of authority in our Lord to stop in this way the procession of such a solemn occasion by a simple gesture, or the mere laying his hand upon the bier. When the bearers stopped Jesus simply said: “Young man, I say unto thee, Arise.” The authority and power with which Jesus spoke should be observed. There are three records of Jesus’ raising the dead. The first is the raising of the daughter of Jairus (Matthew 9:18-19; Matthew 9:23-26; Mark 5:22-24; Mark 5:35-43; Luke 8:41-42; Luke 8:49-56); the widow’s son (Luke 7:11-17); and the raising of Lazarus (John 11:35-53). In all of these miracles Jesus’ authority is expressed by “Damsel, I say unto thee, Arise”; “Young man, I say unto thee, Arise”; and “Lazarus, come forth.” All of these forms are expressive of our Lord’s power to perform the act.
There are seven instances of restoration to life recorded in the Bible: (1) the child of the widow of Zarephath (1 Kings 17:22); (2) son of the Shunammite woman (2 Kings 4:33-36); (3) the case of a man raised by touching Elisha’s bones (2 Kings 13:21); (4) Jairus’ daughter (Matthew 9:18-19; Matthew 9:23-26; (5) the widow’s son (Luke 7:11-17); (6) the raising of Lazarus (John 11:35-53) and (7) Tabitha or Dorcas by Peter (Acts 9:36-42). Our Lord’s resurrection differs from all these; these all died again, but Jesus arose never to die again.
15 And he that was dead sat up,—The young man that was dead obeyed the voice of Jesus and sat up and began to speak. His speaking proved the reality of the raising from the dead to the large company. It should be recalled that Jesus and his disciples were present and a great multitude had followed them again there was a great multitude that waas following the funeral procession; putting these two large groups together, we have many witnesses to this resurrection. In no case where the dead were restored to life does the Bible tell us what they said; their experience and their knowledge of anything beyond death are withheld from us. The body was in full view and there was no possible chance for deception in this case. It is a beautiful touch of sympathy described by Luke when he reports that Jesus “gave him to his mother.”
16, 17 And fear took hold on all:—The people were filled with awe, and praised God for what they had seen. In their praise they said: “A great prophet is arisen among us; and, God hath visited his people.” They at once 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. It had been about four hundred years since the prophets ceased to bring God’s message to the people.
And this report went forth concerning him—Such a miracle would be reported quickly and would have a wide circulation; the whole country would ring with the many accounts and rumors of his work. All Galilee, Samaria, and Judea would be talking of this great prophet and of his wonderful power. With the rumor would go the probability that this prophet was the Messiah himself. The crowds that witnessed this would help to norate the report. One crowd followed Jesus and another was following the bier and friends of the widow and her son; both crowds help to broadcast the great miracle which they had witnessed.
Luke 7:18-35
- JESUS JOHN THE BAPTIST
18 And the disciples of John told him—A parallel of this is found in Matthew 11:2-19. The whole country was in excitement over Jesus; the report of his wonderful works had reached the ears of both his enemies and his friends. The disciples of John the Baptist learned of the increased fame of Jesus from the reports that went out. John had been cast in prison; we do not know just how long he had been in prison, but his disciples found a way of telling John while he was in prison at Machaerus about the works and fame of this new prophet who seemed to outstrip John himself.
19 And John calling unto him two of his disciples—John was at this time in prison, but his disciples seemed to have had free access to him; so far as Luke’s account is concerned we would not know that John was in prison; we learn this from Matthew. John was probably seventy miles away from the place where Jesus was preaching and in prison. We do not know what his purpose was in sending two of his disciples to Jesus some think that John was in doubt; others think that he sent his disciples to Jesus that they might be strengthened in their faith. John had designated Jesus to his disciples as the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world (John 1:29.) It matters not whether John sent these disciples to relieve his own doubts or those of his disciples; the fact remains that he sent two of them to ask Jesus: “Art thou he that cometh, or look we for another?”
20 And when the men were come unto him,—Since John was in prison at Machaerus, fifteen miles southeast from the northern extremity of the Dead Sea, and about seventy miles from the cities on the Sea of Galilee, it would take these two disciples of John several days to bring the message from John to Jesus. They were faithful to the trust imposed upon them, and came directly to Jesus and reported that they were messengers from John the Baptist and that John had propounded the question. The question was: “Art thou the coming one, the Messiah, or should we look for another?” The Greek implies by another, one of a different kind. The point in John’s mind seems to have been—it is time for the Messiah.
21 In that hour he cured many of diseases—In the presence of these two disciples that John had sent Jesus “cured many of diseases and plagues and evil spirits.” The disciples of John witnessed all of these miracles. Jesus cured diseases of ordinary kind, such as plagues and scourges, which meant diseases that were believed to be sent as special punishments from God. He cast out evil spirits and restored sight to many that were blind. Luke, as a physician, carefully divides the diseased into three classes, and distinguishes each of these from the blind. The three classes are “diseases and plagues and evil spirits.”
22, 23 And he answered and said unto them,—Jesus gave a very emphatic answer to the messengers of John; they were to report to John what they had seen and heard. There was no mustering of military forces; no gathering of armies; no training of men for carnal war; no preparation for breaking down the towers of the Herods of that day and releasing his prisoners at the point of his conquering sword; no amassing of wealth to finance any great movement. But there was every demonstration of tender sympathy with human woes and of miraculous power, stooping low to touch the blind, the lame, the leper, the deaf, and the dead. The only detailed account of raising the dead in the ministry of Jesus up to this time is that of the widow’s son and, possibly, according to a few historians, of Jairus’ daughter; but we do not know how many cases of raising the dead there were that are mentioned. We know that many miracles were performed by Jesus of which we have no detailed account. (John 21:25.) As great as these things were, the greatest spiritual miracle, which is the climax of this list of marvelous works and of evidence, was the poor “have good tidings preached to them.”
24, 25 And when the messengers of John were departed,— Jesus began his eulogy of John so soon as the messengers of John left. He began by asking some vivid questions about the interest of the people in John. Matthew records the same questions (Matthew 11:7-8). Jesus’ testimony concerning John is one of those tender, earnest, and exquisitely beautiful utterances of our Lord that sparkles like diamonds in the twilight. This testimony is reserved until after John’s messengers have gone that it may not seem to be words of compliment so common in speeches of flattery. John’s work was done chiefly in the wilderness of Judea; hence the people went out there to hear him.
Jesus asked them if they went out to see “a reed shaken with the wind?” The “reed” was a tall, slender plant, easily shaken about by the wind; it grew in abundance along the Jordan where John baptized. John was no slender, trifling character blown about by every new doctrine; he was no delicate, spiritual character, merely amusing himself by turning himself into a preacher; he was more like the sturdy oak which cannot be moved so easily.
But what went ye out to see?—This is another one of those questions which Jesus asked about John; it helped to drive home the answer that Jesus gave to it. John was no man clothed in soft raiment; he was clothed in a garment of rough “camel’s hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins.” (Matthew 3:4.) He was not clothed in fine raiment, neither did he seek any “soft, easy” places, but his work was done in the wilderness. He did not live in luxury and was not dressed in gorgeous apparel. Luke adds “in kings’ courts” John did not live in idle ease in the palace of kings. His work and manner of dress belonged to the sturdy yeomanry of the wilderness, and those who came out of the cities to hear him.
26, 27 But what went ye out to see? a prophet?—If the people did not go out to see a person living in luxury and dressed in fine apparel, that is, an effeminate person, then what did they expect to find? Anticipating their reply he asks: “A prophet?” A “prophet” was not only one who foretold future events, but also one who was divinely commissioned as a religious teacher, or who would instruct men as to the will of God. John was more than an ordinary prophet; he had a message far different from that of any prophet; he had a work far different from the work that any prophet had done. All the people accepted John as a prophet (Luke 20:6), but Jesus ranked John far higher than a prophet. John was the special messenger (Malachi 3:1) to get the people ready for the coming of Christ; therefore he was much more than a prophet; he was the great forerunner of the Messiah. Jesus here points John out as the one who fulfilled the prophecy uttered by Malachi. The word “prophet” in the original means to “speak before, in front of, in behalf of, or for another.”
28 I say unto you, Among them that are born—Jesus here means to say that there is none greater than John the Baptist; none enjoyed the distinction that he enjoyed; his relative position to the Messiah placed him far above everyone else who had lived on the earth. This does not mean that John excelled all others in piety and purity of character; it only means that the position John held and his relation to Jesus as the Messiah placed him out of the class of all others. Jesus adds, “Yet he that is but little in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”
29 And all the people when they heard,—Matthew does not record this verse; Luke throws in a brief allusion to the effect of these teachings on his hearers. Many think that verses 29 and 20 belong to the language of Jesus; others think that Luke adds these verses to the speech of Jesus. They do not seem to belong to the discourse of Jesus; their whole diction and form are historical. However, they show the success of John’s ministry. The people who heard and the publicans “justified God” by being baptized with the baptism of John. In the strictest sense no one can make God more just than he is, since he is infinitely just; it means that the people perceived, confessed, and declared God’s justice in all of his acts among men. These had been prepared to make this confession as they had been baptized of John, and must have openly confessed their sins.
30 But the Pharisees and the lawyers—There were two classes, Pharisees and lawyers, not included among the first two classes mentioned above, the people and the publicans, who did not join in praising God, but “rejected for themselves the counsel of God, being not baptized of him.” These Pharisees and lawyers thwarted the good purpose of God toward them by refusing to submit to John’s baptism. They did not confess their sins, and hence were not baptized by John. They annulled God’s purposes of grace so far as they applied to them. Had they submitted to John’s baptism they would have received God’s blessings, because they would have been carrying out God’s purpose with them. “Pharisees” were a sect of religionists who were strict conformists to the traditions of the fathers; “lawyers” were those who were well informed in the traditions of the fathers and the law of Moses; both classes were teachers of the people. They set the example of disobedience to God.
31-35 Whereunto then shall I liken the men—Here again Jesus asks some pointed questions to stimulate an interest in what he is about to say; he does this to make his answers the more emphatic. He answered his own questions by saying that they were “like unto children that sit in the marketplace, and call one to another.” His illustration here was familiar to the people. The market place was open like our modern city squares, where people trade, hear the news, and the children have their games and sports. The Jews at this time were as foolish and perverse and hard to please as a lot of children at play, calling one to another in the market place, “We piped unto you, and ye did not dance”; that is, they played on the pipe as at a wedding, but they would not respond. The children were imitating a marriage procession or feast in their play, but some of them refused to respond. Jesus changed the figure;the children first imitated the glad wedding march, but some of them would not play; then they went to the extreme and imiated a funeral procession, and some would not play that either; they were contrary and would not respond to either play. Jesus says that these Jews were like these children playing in the market place.
For John the Baptist is come—Jesus made his own application the point of his illustrations was the unreasonableness common to children and to childish men. John the Baptist came among them with very abstemious habits—his food not bread, but locusts and wild honey; his drink not wine, but probably cold water. They could not bear that, for they said, “He hath a demon”; that is, no man would live as he lived if he were not possessed with a demon. “The Son of man” came “eating and drinking” like the most of men, but this did not suit them any better; they railed at him and said: “Behold, a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners!” Neither mode of life would satisfy them; they were sulky, sour, and as unreasonable as a group of disagreeable children.