Luke Chapter 7

(Luke 7:1 NASB)  When He had completed all His discourse in the hearing of the people, He went to Capernaum.
(Luke 7:2 NASB)  And a certain centurion’s slave, who was highly regarded by him, was sick and about to die.
(Luke 7:3 NASB)  And when he heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders asking Him to come and save the life of his slave.
(Luke 7:4 NASB)  And when they had come to Jesus, they earnestly entreated Him, saying, “He is worthy for You to grant this to him;
(Luke 7:5 NASB)  for he loves our nation, and it was he who built us our synagogue.”

Luke 7:5:      Yeshua finished His discourse in Judea and went to Capernaum.  A certain centurion sent some Jewish elders to invite Yeshua to his home to heal a servant of his who was very ill.  The elders told Yeshua that this man was worthy for his request to be given.
Why was this man worthy?  Is this the beginning of the Gentile Church in Scripture?  (Just kidding…)  Or is it because he did good things for Israel?  Keep in mind what Torah specifically states about those who bless Israel (Gen. 27:29).

 

(Luke 7:6 NASB)  Now Jesus started on His way with them; and when He was already not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to Him, “Lord, do not trouble Yourself further, for I am not worthy for You to come under my roof;
(Luke 7:7 NASB)  for this reason I did not even consider myself worthy to come to You, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed.

Luke 7:7:      This centurion knows Elohim and he knows the power of Elohim.  He knows that Elohim only needs to say the Word, and his servant will be healed.  This is written in the Tanakh (Psalm 33:9, 107:20).
The centurion was truly a humble man with a humble spirit who deserved honor (Prov. 29:23).

 

(Luke 7:8 NASB)  “For I, too, am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes; and to my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.”
(Luke 7:9 NASB)  Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled at him, and turned and said to the multitude that was following Him, “I say to you, not even in Israel have I found such great faith.”
(Luke 7:10 NASB)  And when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave in good health.

Luke 7:10:      The centurion knew that Yeshua had authority over the world, even over life and death.  He knew that Yeshua was the Prophet sent by Elohim.  The centurion did not just have a good feeling toward Yeshua.  He demonstrated his faithfulness in the Father  through his actions.

 

(Luke 7:11 NASB)  And it came about soon afterwards, that He went to a city called Nain; and His disciples were going along with Him, accompanied by a large multitude.
(Luke 7:12 NASB)  Now as He approached 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 sizeable crowd from the city was with her.

Luke 7:12:      The travelings of Yeshua were an intentionally planned journey.  He intended to ruin into this funeral.

 

(Luke 7:13 NASB)  And when the Lord saw her, He felt compassion for her, and said to her, “Do not weep.”
(Luke 7:14 NASB)  And He came up and touched the coffin; and the bearers came to a halt. And He said, “Young man, I say to you, arise!”
(Luke 7:15 NASB)  And the dead man sat up, and began to speak. And Jesus gave him back to his mother.

Luke 7:15:      Yeshua was accomplishing many things with this miracle.  Most often it is taught that Yeshua was displaying the power of Elohim with this miracle.  He was, but He was doing much more than that.  He was proving that His message was true (Repent!  For the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!)  (Isa. 26:19)
We do not know how many He raised from the dead, but we know He did this often enough to validate His message.  In this case, He was also accomplishing a command in Torah by caring for the widow by bringing her only son back.

 

(Luke 7:16 NASB)  And fear gripped them all, and they began glorifying God, saying, “A great prophet has arisen among us!” and, “God has visited His people!”
(Luke 7:17 NASB)  And this report concerning Him went out all over Judea, and in all the surrounding district.

Luke 7:17:      A great fear gripped them all because of the wonderful works He performed.  This was prophesied in the Tanakh (Jer. 33:9).

 

(Luke 7:18 NASB)  And the disciples of John reported to him about all these things.
(Luke 7:19 NASB)  And summoning two of his disciples, John sent them to the Lord, saying, “Are You the Expected One, or do we look for someone else?”
(Luke 7:20 NASB)  And when the men had come to Him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to You, saying, ‘Are You the Expected One, or do we look for someone else?'”

Luke 7:20:      John sent His disciples to Yeshua to ask Him if He is the Expected One.  This was during the time of John’s imprisonment (Matt. 11:2-3).  This was likely a time when John was depressed, confused, and in great danger.  He was beheaded a short time later.

 

(Luke 7:21 NASB)  At that very time He cured many people of diseases and afflictions and evil spirits; and He granted sight to many who were blind.
(Luke 7:22 NASB)  And He answered and said to them, “Go and report to John what you have seen and heard: the BLIND RECEIVE SIGHT, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the POOR HAVE THE GOSPEL PREACHED TO THEM.

Luke 7:22:      Yeshua tells them to tell John what they have personally witnessed.  Yeshua did not want them to have simply a verbal answer, but to give them an answer that is proven by Scripture.  The things they witnessed are the things that would happen when the Kingdom comes (Isa. 29:18-19, 32:1-4, 35:5-6).

 

(Luke 7:23 NASB)  “And blessed is he who keeps from stumbling over Me.”

Luke 7:23:      This would appear to be a message to John for him not to miss who He is.  Yeshua is a stumbling block for those who reject Him and His Word (Isa. 8:13-16).

 

(Luke 7:24 NASB)  And when the messengers of John had left, He began to speak to the multitudes about John, “What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind?
(Luke 7:25 NASB)  “But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who are splendidly clothed and live in luxury are found in royal palaces.

Luke 7:25:      Yeshua asked the people what it was they were going out in the wilderness to see.  If they were looking for a weak man, they were looking in the wrong place.  John was a strong man who lived off the wilderness.  He was much like Elijah (2 Kings 1:7-8).

 

(Luke 7:26 NASB)  “But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and one who is more than a prophet.
(Luke 7:27 NASB)  “This is the one about whom it is written, ‘BEHOLD, I SEND MY MESSENGER BEFORE YOUR FACE, WHO WILL PREPARE YOUR WAY BEFORE YOU.’

Luke 7:27:      This is a quote from Malachi 3:1.  This is the man who will prepare the way for the coming of Messiah.  He is Elijah who was to come before the great and terrible Day of Yahweh.  He came to restore the hearts of the children to the Father and the heart of the Father to the children (Mal. 4:4-5).  How did he do this?  It was with his message of “Repent!  For the Kingdom of heaven is at hand!” (Matt. 3:1-3)

 

(Luke 7:28 NASB)  “I say to you, among those born of women, there is no one greater than John; yet he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”

Luke 7:28:      There are three explanations for this passage.  It is possible that Yeshua saying that he who is least in the kingdom to come will be greater than John the Baptist is now.
Yeshua could also be stating that they have the privilege of seeing and hearing things that the prophets were not privy too (Matt. 13:16-17).
He could also be saying that we are to be placing ourselves as least, and then we will be called great in the kingdom (Luke 9:46-48).

 

(Luke 7:29 NASB)  And when all the people and the tax-gatherers heard this, they acknowledged God’s justice, having been baptized with the baptism of John.
(Luke 7:30 NASB)  But the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected God’s purpose for themselves, not having been baptized by John.

Luke 7:30:      To reject John’s baptism was to reject the need for repentance.  John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance (Luke 3:3).  The Pharisees and lawyers were rejecting the straight paths to Torah and embracing their traditions.

 

(Luke 7:31 NASB)  “To what then shall I compare the men of this generation, and what are they like?
(Luke 7:32 NASB)  “They are like children who sit in the market place and call to one another; and they say, ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not weep.’

Luke 7:32:      Yeshua said the men of that generation were like little children who did not like to be happy or sad.  Who did not like to play or weep.  There was no pleasing them.

 

(Luke 7:33 NASB)  “For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine; and you say, ‘He has a demon!’
(Luke 7:34 NASB)  “The Son of Man has come eating and drinking; and you say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man, and a drunkard, a friend of tax-gatherers and sinners!’

Luke 7:34:      John the Baptist was like the child who would sing a dirge.  The people would not listen and would not weep.  Yeshua was like the child playing the flute.  The people would not sing with gladness.
Elohim sent two messengers of opposite characteristics.  John came came as one who was a Nazerite who was deadly serious in everything and they accused him of having demons.  Yeshua came eating and drinking and they accused Him of being a party animal and a drunk.  There was no messenger that was going to please them.  All they wanted was to have their itching ears tickled.

 

(Luke 7:35 NASB)  “Yet wisdom is vindicated by all her children.”

Luke 7:35:      Wisdom and Truth are clear.  All who embrace them know them (Hosea 14:9).

 

(Luke 7:36 NASB)  Now one of the Pharisees was requesting Him to dine with him. And He entered the Pharisee’s house, and reclined at the table.
(Luke 7:37 NASB)  And behold, there was a woman in the city who was a sinner; and when she learned that He was reclining at the table in the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster vial of perfume,
(Luke 7:38 NASB)  and standing behind Him at His feet, weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears, and kept wiping them with the hair of her head, and kissing His feet, and anointing them with the perfume.

Luke 7:38:      We were just told by Yeshua that the least in the Kingdom of Heaven is great.  This woman knows of her condition and is begging forgiveness.

Luke 7:40:      Yeshua knew what Simon was thinking.  Several in attendance probably thought the same thing.

 

(Luke 7:41 NASB)  “A certain moneylender had two debtors: one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.
(Luke 7:42 NASB)  “When they were unable to repay, he graciously forgave them both. Which of them therefore will love him more?”
(Luke 7:43 NASB)  Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.” And He said to him,” You have judged correctly.”

Luke 7:43:      A danarii a silver Roman coin that was equivalent to an ordinary man’s daily wages.
This woman knew she had great debts that needed forgiveness.  The Pharisees thought they owed little, if anything.

 

(Luke 7:44 NASB)  And turning toward the woman, He said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has wet My feet with her tears, and wiped them with her hair.
(Luke 7:45 NASB)  “You gave Me no kiss; but she, since the time I came in, has not ceased to kiss My feet.
(Luke 7:46 NASB)  “You did not anoint My head with oil, but she anointed My feet with perfume.
(Luke 7:47 NASB)  “For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little.”

Luke 7:47:      It is likely that this woman is personifying the earlier words of Yeshua when He was speaking of John.  This woman is demonstrating her place as least in the Kingdom, thus making herself great.

 

(Luke 7:48 NASB)  And He said to her, “Your sins have been forgiven.”

(Luke 7:49 NASB)  And those who were reclining at the table with Him began to say to themselves, “Who is this man who even forgives sins?”
(Luke 7:50 NASB)  And He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

Luke 7:50:      This woman demonstrated great faithfulness by humbling herself to Yeshua in front of all these men.  It is her faithfulness, demonstrated by her works, that saved her (Hab. 2:4).