Luke 7:1–35

A CENTURION’S FAITH

7When he had concluded saying all this to the people who were listening, he entered Capernaum.^{d 2}A centurion’s servant, who was highly valued by him, was sick and about to die. ³When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to him, requesting him to come and save the life of his servant. ⁴When they reached Jesus, they pleaded with him earnestly, saying, “He is worthy for you to grant this, ⁵because he loves our nation and has built us a synagogue.”^e

⁶Jesus went with them, and when he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to tell him, “Lord, don’t trouble yourself, since I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. ⁷That is why I didn’t even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed.^{Af 8}For I too am a man placed under authority, having soldiers under my command. 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.”

⁹Jesus heard this and was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, “I tell you, I have not found so great a faith even in Israel.” ¹⁰When those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the servant in good health.

A WIDOW’S SON RAISED TO LIFE

¹¹Afterward he was on his way to a town called Nain. His disciples and a large crowd were traveling with him. ¹²Just as he neared the gate of the town, a dead man was being carried out. He was his mother’s only son, and she was a widow.^g A large crowd from the town was also with her. ¹³When the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her^h and said, “Don’t weep.” ¹⁴Then he came up and touched the open coffin, and the pallbearers stopped. And he said, “Young man, I tell you, get up!”ⁱ

¹⁵The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother.^{j 16}Then fear^A came over everyone,^k and they glorified God,^l saying, “A great prophet has risen among us,”^m and “God has visited^B his people.”^{n 17}This report about him went throughout Judea and all the vicinity.

IN PRAISE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST

¹⁸Then John’s disciples told him about all these things.^o So John summoned two of his disciples ¹⁹and sent them to the Lord, asking, “Are you the one^p who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”

²⁰When the men reached him, they said, “John the Baptist sent us to ask you, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?’ ”

²¹At that time Jesus healed many people of diseases,^q afflictions, and evil spirits,^r and he granted sight to many blind people.^{s 22}He replied to them, “Go and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive their sight, the lame walk, those with leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear,^t the dead are raised, and the poor are told the good news,^{u 23}and blessed is the one who isn’t offended by me.”

²⁴After John’s messengers left, he began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swaying in the wind? ²⁵What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothes? See, those who are splendidly dressed and live in luxury are in royal palaces. ²⁶What then did you go out to see? A prophet?^v Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. ²⁷This is the one about whom it is written:

See, I am sending my messenger

ahead of you;

he will prepare your way before you.^Dw

²⁸I tell you, among those born of women no one is greater than John,^E but the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”

²⁹(And when all the people, including the tax collectors, heard this, they acknowledged God’s way of righteousness, because they had been baptized with John’s baptism.^{a 30}But since the Pharisees and experts in the law^b had not been baptized by him, they rejected the plan of God for themselves.^c)

AN UNRESPONSIVE GENERATION

³¹“To what then should I compare the people of this generation, and what are they like? ³²They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to each other:

We played the flute for you,

but you didn’t dance;

we sang a lament,

but you didn’t weep!

³³For John the Baptist did not come eating bread or drinking wine,^d and you say, ‘He has a demon!’ ³⁴The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’^{e 35}Yet wisdom is vindicated by all her children.”