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Luke chapter 7

English Standard Version

1After he had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. 2Now a centurion had a servant who was sick and at the point of death, who was highly valued by him. 3When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him to come and heal his servant. 4And when they came to Jesus, they pleaded with him earnestly, saying, “He is worthy to have you do this for him, 5for he loves our nation, and he is the one who built us our synagogue.” 6And Jesus went with them. When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. 7Therefore I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed. 8For I too am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me: and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” 9When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” 10And when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the servant well.
11Soon afterward he went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a great crowd went with him. 12As he drew near to the gate of the town, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow, and a considerable crowd from the town was with her. 13And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.” 14Then he came up and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” 15And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. 16Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has arisen among us!” and “God has visited his people!” 17And this report about him spread through the whole of Judea and all the surrounding country.
18The disciples of John reported all these things to him. And John, 19calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to the Lord, saying, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” 20And when the men had come to him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to you, saying, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?’” 21In that hour he healed many people of diseases and plagues and evil spirits, and on many who were blind he bestowed sight. 22And he answered them, “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them. 23And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”
24When John’s messengers had gone, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 25What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who are dressed in splendid clothing and live in luxury are in kings’ courts. 26What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 27This is he of whom it is written, “‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.’
28I tell you, among those born of women none is greater than John. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.” 29(When all the people heard this, and the tax collectors too, they declared God just, having been baptized with the baptism of John, 30but the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected the purpose of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.)
31“To what then shall I compare the people of this generation, and what are they like? 32They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another, “‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not weep.’
33For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ 34The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ 35Yet wisdom is justified by all her children.”
36One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table. 37And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, 38and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment. 39Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.” 40And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “Say it, Teacher.”
41“A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” 43Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.” 44Then 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. 45You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. 46You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. 47Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” 48And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” 49Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” 50And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
New International Version

1When Jesus had finished saying all this to the people who were listening, he entered Capernaum. 2There a centurion's servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die. 3The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant. 4When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, 'This man deserves to have you do this, 5because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue.'
6So Jesus went with them. He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to him: 'Lord, don't trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. 7That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. 8For 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.'
9When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, 'I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.' 10Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well.
11Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went along with him. 12As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out--the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. 13When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, 'Don't cry.'
14Then he went up and touched the bier they were carrying him on, and the bearers stood still. He said, 'Young man, I say to you, get up!' 15The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.
16They were all filled with awe and praised God. 'A great prophet has appeared among us,' they said. 'God has come to help his people.' 17This news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding country.
18John's disciples told him about all these things. Calling two of them, 19he sent them to the Lord to ask, 'Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?'
20When the men came to Jesus, they said, 'John the Baptist sent us to you to ask, 'Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?''
21At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind. 22So he replied to the messengers, '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. 23Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.'
24After John's messengers left, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: 'What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swayed by the wind? 25If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear expensive clothes and indulge in luxury are in palaces. 26But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.
27This is the one about whom it is written: ''I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.'
28I 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.'
29(All the people, even the tax collectors, when they heard Jesus' words, acknowledged that God's way was right, because they had been baptized by John. 30But the Pharisees and the experts in the law rejected God's purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptized by John.)
31Jesus went on to say, 'To what, then, can I compare the people of this generation? What are they like?
32They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling out to each other: ''We played the pipe for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not cry.'
33For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, 'He has a demon.' 34The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, 'Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.' 35But wisdom is proved right by all her children.'
36When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table. 37A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. 38As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.
39When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, 'If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is--that she is a sinner.'
40Jesus answered him, 'Simon, I have something to tell you.' 'Tell me, teacher,' he said.
41Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?'
43Simon replied, 'I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.' 'You have judged correctly,' Jesus said.
44Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, 'Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. 46You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. 47Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven--as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.'
48Then Jesus said to her, 'Your sins are forgiven.'
49The other guests began to say among themselves, 'Who is this who even forgives sins?'
50Jesus said to the woman, 'Your faith has saved you; go in peace.'
New American Standard Bible

1When He had completed all His teaching in the hearing of the people, He went to Capernaum.
2Now a centurion’s slave, who was highly regarded by him, was sick and about to die. 3When he heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to Him, asking Him to come and save the life of his slave. 4When they came to Jesus, they strongly urged Him, saying, 'He is worthy for You to grant this to him; 5for he loves our nation, and it was he who built us our synagogue.' 6Now Jesus started on His way with them; but already, when He was not yet 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 enter under my roof; 7for that reason I did not even consider myself worthy to come to You; but just say the word, and my servant shall be healed. 8For I also am a man placed under authority, with soldiers under myself; 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.' 9Now when Jesus heard this, He was amazed at him, and turned and said to the crowd that was following Him, 'I say to you, not even in Israel have I found such great faith.' 10And when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave in good health.
11Soon afterward Jesus went to a city called Nain; and His disciples were going along with Him, accompanied by a large crowd. 12Now as He approached the gate of the city, 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. 13When the Lord saw her, He felt compassion for her and said to her, 'Do not go on weeping.' 14And He came up and touched the coffin; and the bearers came to a halt. And He said, 'Young man, I say to you, arise!' 15And the dead man sat up and began to speak. And Jesus gave him back to his mother. 16Fear gripped them all, and they began glorifying God, saying, 'A great prophet has appeared among us!' and, 'God has visited His people!' 17And this report about Him spread throughout Judea and in all the surrounding region.
18The disciples of John also reported to him about all these things. 19And after summoning two of his disciples, John sent them to the Lord, saying, 'Are You the Coming One, or are we to look for another?' 20When the men came to Him, they said, 'John the Baptist has sent us to You, to ask, ‘Are You the Coming One, or are we to look for another?’?' 21At that very time He cured many people of diseases and afflictions and evil spirits; and He gave sight to many who were blind. 22And He answered and said to them, 'Go and report to John what you have seen and heard: people who were blind receive sight, people who limped walk, people with leprosy are cleansed and people who were deaf hear, dead people are raised up, and people who are poor have the gospel preached to them. 23And blessed is anyone who does not take offense at Me.'
24When the messengers of John had left, He began to speak to the crowds about John: 'What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 25But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Those who are splendidly clothed and live in luxury are found in royal palaces! 26But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and one who is more than a prophet.
27This is the one about whom it is written: ‘BEHOLD, I AM SENDING MY MESSENGER AHEAD OF YOU, WHO WILL PREPARE YOUR WAY BEFORE YOU.’
28I say to 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.' 29When all the people and the tax collectors heard this, they acknowledged God’s justice, having been baptized with the baptism of John. 30But the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected God’s purpose for themselves, not having been baptized by John.
31To what then shall I compare the people of this generation, and what are they like? 32They are like children who sit in the marketplace and call to one another, and say, ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a song of mourning, and you did not weep.’ 33For John the Baptist has come neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon!’ 34The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a heavy drinker, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ 35And yet wisdom is vindicated by all her children.'
36Now one of the Pharisees was requesting Him to eat with him, and He entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37And 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, 38and standing behind Him at His feet, weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears, and she wiped them with the hair of her head, and began kissing His feet and anointing them with the perfume. 39Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he said to himself, 'If this man were a prophet He would know who and what sort of person this woman is who is touching Him, that she is a sinner!'
40And Jesus responded and said to him, 'Simon, I have something to say to you.' And he replied, 'Say it, Teacher.' 41A moneylender had two debtors: the one owed five hundred denarii, and the other, fifty. 42When they were unable to repay, he canceled the debts of both. So which of them will love him more?' 43Simon answered and said, 'I assume the one for whom he canceled the greater debt.' And He said to him, 'You have judged correctly.' 44And 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. 45You gave Me no kiss; but she has not stopped kissing My feet since the time I came in. 46You did not anoint My head with oil, but she anointed My feet with perfume. 47For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but the one who is forgiven little, loves little.' 48And He said to her, 'Your sins have been forgiven.' 49And then those who were reclining at the table with Him began saying to themselves, 'Who is this man who even forgives sins?' 50And He said to the woman, 'Your faith has saved you; go in peace.'
Christian Standard Bible

1When he had concluded saying all this to the people who were listening, he entered Capernaum. 2A 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."
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. 8For 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.
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. A large crowd from the city was also with her. 13When the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her 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! "
15The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. 16Then fear came over everyone, and they glorified God, saying, "A great prophet has risen among us," and "God has visited his people." 17This report about him went throughout Judea and all the vicinity.
18Then John's disciples told him about all these things. So John summoned two of his disciples 19and sent them to the Lord, asking, "Are you the one 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, afflictions, and evil spirits, and he granted sight to many blind people. 22He 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, the dead are raised, and the poor are told the good news, 23and 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? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.
27This is the one about whom it is written:See, I am sending my messengerahead of you;he will prepare your way before you.
28I tell you, among those born of women no one is greater than John, 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. 30But since the Pharisees and experts in the law had not been baptized by him, they rejected the plan of God for themselves.)
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, 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! ' 35Yet wisdom is vindicated by all her children."
36Then one of the Pharisees invited him to eat with him. He entered the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table. 37And a woman in the town who was a sinner found out that Jesus was reclining at the table in the Pharisee's house. She brought an alabaster jar of perfume 38and stood behind him at his feet, weeping, and began to wash his feet with her tears. She wiped his feet with her hair, kissing them and anointing them with the perfume.
39When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, "This man, if he were a prophet, would know who and what kind of woman this is who is touching him--she's a sinner! "
40Jesus replied to him, "Simon, I have something to say to you."He said, "Say it, teacher."
41"A creditor had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42Since they could not pay it back, he graciously forgave them both. So, which of them will love him more? "
43Simon answered, "I suppose the one he forgave more.""You have judged correctly," he told him. 44Turning to 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, with her tears, has washed my feet and wiped them with her hair. 45You gave me no kiss, but she hasn't stopped kissing my feet since I came in. 46You didn't anoint my head with olive oil, but she has anointed my feet with perfume. 47Therefore I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven; that's why she loved much. But the one who is forgiven little, loves little." 48Then he said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."
49Those who were at the table with him began to say among themselves, "Who is this man who even forgives sins? "
50And he said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you. Go in peace."
New Living Translation

1When Jesus had finished saying all this to the people, he returned to Capernaum. 2At that time the highly valued slave of a Roman officer was sick and near death. 3When the officer heard about Jesus, he sent some respected Jewish elders to ask him to come and heal his slave. 4So they earnestly begged Jesus to help the man. 'If anyone deserves your help, he does,' they said, 5for he loves the Jewish people and even built a synagogue for us.'
6So Jesus went with them. But just before they arrived at the house, the officer sent some friends to say, 'Lord, don’t trouble yourself by coming to my home, for I am not worthy of such an honor. 7I am not even worthy to come and meet you. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed. 8I know this because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, ‘Go,’ and they go, or ‘Come,’ and they come. And if I say to my slaves, ‘Do this,’ they do it.'
9When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to the crowd that was following him, he said, 'I tell you, I haven’t seen faith like this in all Israel!' 10And when the officer’s friends returned to his house, they found the slave completely healed.
11Soon afterward Jesus went with his disciples to the village of Nain, and a large crowd followed him. 12A funeral procession was coming out as he approached the village gate. The young man who had died was a widow’s only son, and a large crowd from the village was with her. 13When the Lord saw her, his heart overflowed with compassion. 'Don’t cry!' he said. 14Then he walked over to the coffin and touched it, and the bearers stopped. 'Young man,' he said, 'I tell you, get up.' 15Then the dead boy sat up and began to talk! And Jesus gave him back to his mother.
16Great fear swept the crowd, and they praised God, saying, 'A mighty prophet has risen among us,' and 'God has visited his people today.' 17And the news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding countryside.
18The disciples of John the Baptist told John about everything Jesus was doing. So John called for two of his disciples, 19and he sent them to the Lord to ask him, 'Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?'
20John’s two disciples found Jesus and said to him, 'John the Baptist sent us to ask, ‘Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?’'
21At that very time, Jesus cured many people of their diseases, illnesses, and evil spirits, and he restored sight to many who were blind. 22Then he told John’s disciples, 'Go back to John and tell him what you have seen and heard — the blind see, the lame walk, those with leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor.' 23And he added, 'God blesses those who do not fall away because of me. '
24After John’s disciples left, Jesus began talking about him to the crowds. 'What kind of man did you go into the wilderness to see? Was he a weak reed, swayed by every breath of wind? 25Or were you expecting to see a man dressed in expensive clothes? No, people who wear beautiful clothes and live in luxury are found in palaces. 26Were you looking for a prophet? Yes, and he is more than a prophet.
27John is the man to whom the Scriptures refer when they say, ‘Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, and he will prepare your way before you.’
28I tell you, of all who have ever lived, none is greater than John. Yet even the least person in the Kingdom of God is greater than he is!'
29When they heard this, all the people — even the tax collectors — agreed that God’s way was right, for they had been baptized by John. 30But the Pharisees and experts in religious law rejected God’s plan for them, for they had refused John’s baptism.
31To what can I compare the people of this generation?' Jesus asked. 'How can I describe them?
32They are like children playing a game in the public square. They complain to their friends, ‘We played wedding songs, and you didn’t dance, so we played funeral songs, and you didn’t weep.’
33For John the Baptist didn’t spend his time eating bread or drinking wine, and you say, ‘He’s possessed by a demon.’ 34The Son of Man, on the other hand, feasts and drinks, and you say, ‘He’s a glutton and a drunkard, and a friend of tax collectors and other sinners!’ 35But wisdom is shown to be right by the lives of those who follow it. '
36One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to have dinner with him, so Jesus went to his home and sat down to eat. 37When a certain immoral woman from that city heard he was eating there, she brought a beautiful alabaster jar filled with expensive perfume. 38Then she knelt behind him at his feet, weeping. Her tears fell on his feet, and she wiped them off with her hair. Then she kept kissing his feet and putting perfume on them.
39When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, 'If this man were a prophet, he would know what kind of woman is touching him. She’s a sinner!'
40Then Jesus answered his thoughts. 'Simon,' he said to the Pharisee, 'I have something to say to you.' 'Go ahead, Teacher,' Simon replied.
41Then Jesus told him this story: 'A man loaned money to two people — 500 pieces of silver to one and 50 pieces to the other. 42But neither of them could repay him, so he kindly forgave them both, canceling their debts. Who do you suppose loved him more after that?'
43Simon answered, 'I suppose the one for whom he canceled the larger debt.' 'That’s right,' Jesus said. 44Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, 'Look at this woman kneeling here. When I entered your home, you didn’t offer me water to wash the dust from my feet, but she has washed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45You didn’t greet me with a kiss, but from the time I first came in, she has not stopped kissing my feet. 46You neglected the courtesy of olive oil to anoint my head, but she has anointed my feet with rare perfume.
47I tell you, her sins — and they are many — have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.' 48Then Jesus said to the woman, 'Your sins are forgiven.'
49The men at the table said among themselves, 'Who is this man, that he goes around forgiving sins?'
50And Jesus said to the woman, 'Your faith has saved you; go in peace.'
King James Version

1Now when he had ended all his sayings in the audience of the people, he entered into Capernaum. 2And a certain centurion's servant, who was dear unto him, was sick, and ready to die. 3And when he heard of Jesus, he sent unto him the elders of the Jews, beseeching him that he would come and heal his servant. 4And when they came to Jesus, they besought him instantly, saying, That he was worthy for whom he should do this: 5For he loveth our nation, and he hath built us a synagogue. 6Then Jesus went with them. And when he was now not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying unto him, Lord, trouble not thyself: for I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof: 7Wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee: but say in a word, and my servant shall be healed. 8For I also am a man set under authority, having under me soldiers, and I say unto one, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. 9When Jesus heard these things, he marvelled at him, and turned him about, and said unto the people that followed him, I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. 10And they that were sent, returning to the house, found the servant whole that had been sick.
11And it came to pass the day after, that he went into a city called Nain; and many of his disciples went with him, and much people. 12Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her. 13And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not. 14And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise. 15And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother. 16And there came a fear on all: and they glorified God, saying, That a great prophet is risen up among us; and, That God hath visited his people. 17And this rumour of him went forth throughout all Judaea, and throughout all the region round about. 18And the disciples of John shewed him of all these things.
19And John calling unto him two of his disciples sent them to Jesus, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another? 20When the men were come unto him, they said, John Baptist hath sent us unto thee, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another? 21And in that same hour he cured many of their infirmities and plagues, and of evil spirits; and unto many that were blind he gave sight. 22Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached. 23And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me. 24And when the messengers of John were departed, he began to speak unto the people concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness for to see? A reed shaken with the wind? 25But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they which are gorgeously apparelled, and live delicately, are in kings' courts. 26But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? Yea, I say unto you, and much more than a prophet. 27This is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. 28For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he. 29And all the people that heard him, and the publicans, justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John. 30But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him. 31And the Lord said, Whereunto then shall I liken the men of this generation? and to what are they like? 32They are like unto children sitting in the marketplace, and calling one to another, and saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned to you, and ye have not wept. 33For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine; and ye say, He hath a devil. 34The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners! 35But wisdom is justified of all her children.
36And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to meat. 37And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, 38And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. 39Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner. 40And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on. 41There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. 42And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most? 43Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged. 44And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. 45Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet. 46My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment. 47Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. 48And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven. 49And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also? 50And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.

What does Luke chapter 7 mean?

Luke 7 continues Luke's pattern of describing Jesus' Galilean ministry by alternating stories with calls to faithfulness. This chapter presents six events which describe reactions to Jesus and His ministry. Interestingly, the events are arranged in a chiastic structure. "Chiasms" group related stories in a pyramid form and are common in the Bible and ancient literature. The form for this passage may be:

A. The faith of the generous: the centurion (Luke 7:1–10).

  B. The blessed powerless woman: the widow of Nain (Luke 7:11–17).

    C. John the Baptist: doubt and encouragement for continued faith (Luke 7:18–23).

    C' John the Baptist: the two reactions to his and Jesus' message (Luke 7:24–35).

  B' The blessed powerless woman: the sinful woman (Luke 7:36–40).

A' The faithlessness of the generous: Simon the Pharisee (Luke 7:41–50).

Luke 7:1–10 gives the first account: the faith of the generous other. A centurion in Capernaum who built the local synagogue sends Jewish elders to ask Jesus to heal his servant. Unlike others who have sought Jesus' help, the Gentile military commander trusts that Jesus is powerful enough to heal over distance. He does not expect such a prestigious teacher to condescend to enter his home. Jesus marvels at his faith and heals the man's servant. Simon the Pharisee is a foil for the centurion (Luke 7:39–50). He doesn't realize who Jesus is, nor does he understand the depth of his own sin, and his actions prove it.

Luke 7:11–17 records the first story of a powerless woman. While walking into Nain, Jesus raises the dead son of a widow. Luke does not record any interaction between the woman and Jesus beforehand. Nor does he note if those in the funeral procession recognize Him. The passage merely says He acts out of compassion. In response, the townspeople fear Jesus and glorify God. The companion event is that of a sinful woman who anoints Jesus in thanks for His forgiveness (Luke 7:36–38)—giving her eternal life.

Luke 7:18–23 contains the first of two stories about faith and John the Baptist. This account shows that despite Jesus' works, John still has a misunderstanding of who Jesus is. John is in prison and sends disciples to ask Jesus if He is the one they have waited for, or should they expect another. Jesus reassures John with descriptions of His ministry that demonstrate how He fulfills Old Testament prophecy.

In Luke 7:24–35, Jesus describes the two reactions the people have to John and Jesus' different lifestyles and their shared message. John fasts while Jesus feasts, but they both teach repentance. Those who know they need forgiveness don't care about the different lifestyles; they love the message. The religious leaders who think they need no forgiveness reject both.

Luke 7:36–38 is the second story of a powerless woman. While Jesus eats at a Pharisee's house, a sinful woman washes Jesus' feet with tears, her hair, and precious perfume. Like the widow of Nain, she has no power in Jewish society. Yet she knows Jesus forgives and loves her. Her response to Jesus' work in her life mirrors the widow's neighbors who glorify God (Luke 7:16).

Luke 7:39–50 finishes with the foil for the faith-filled centurion. Simon the Pharisee has invited Jesus to a banquet; but unlike the centurion or the sinful woman, he has given the bare minimum in courtesies. Like the religious leaders in Luke 7:24–35, he does not properly see his condition in comparison to Jesus.

Luke 8:1–3 is not, of course, in this chapter, but it completes the series of stories. We learn that Jesus has many disciples but it is women who financially support Him. Like the centurion, they are outside of the respected Jewish male culture but show their faith with their lives, and like the sinful woman, they understand the honor Jesus deserves. Their story helps transition to a subtle call to salvation through the Parable of the Sower (Luke 8:4–8).

Between Luke 4 and 9 are numerous ties between Jesus and the Old Testament prophets Elijah and Elisha. Several are included in Luke 7; these show that Jesus is a prophet and a healer and is willing to minister to Gentiles. The Hebrew symbolism may seem out of place considering Luke was a Gentile writing for Gentiles. Yet Luke worked with Paul, who always started his evangelism in a local synagogue, arguing that Jesus of Nazareth fulfilled the Jewish Scriptures' prophecies about the Messiah (Acts 9:20; 13:5, 14; 14:1; 17:1; 18:4, 19; 19:8). Invariably, the Jews as a community would reject Paul's message—except in Berea (Acts 17:10–12)—and he would move on to the Gentiles. In his Gospel, Luke does something similar. He describes how Jesus fulfills the Jewish Scriptures and how the Jews rejected Him, but he also proves that Jesus always intended to save Gentiles, as well as the Jews.

Luke's pattern continues with stories of faith, teaching, and powerful miracles. Directly after the account of the practical faith of the women, he records the Parable of the Sower. The parties mentioned in Luke 7:1—8:3 loosely fit: John the Baptist, for example, the seed choked by thorns; the Pharisees are like rocky soil; the centurion is a picture of the good soil, and the women are a picture of the good soil that yields a hundredfold with their faithfulness. The examples continue. Jesus' mother and brothers (Luke 8:19–21) are like the Pharisee who had the background information of Jesus' past—the Pharisee had the prophecies while Jesus' family had His birth—but can't accept it. The frightened disciples in the storm (Luke 8:22–25) are like the concerned John the Baptist. The man with a demon receives unsought, miraculous grace (Luke 8:26–39) just like the widow of Nain. Jairus, fearful for his daughter's life and demanding that Jesus come in person (Luke 8:40–42, 49–56) serves as a foil for the trusting centurion. And the woman who dares to touch Jesus' robe (Luke 8:43–48) is the faith-sister of the sinful woman who trusts Jesus for more than physical healing.

Context doesn't suggest a strong, deliberate connection between the stories and the types of soils. However, it seems reasonable that Luke surrounded the Parable of the Sower with examples. At the least, these are examples of Jesus' interactions with a variety of types of people and their varied responses. Next is a section of events where Jesus calls His disciples to a deeper, sacrificial faith (Luke 9:1–50). Then, He starts His journey to Jerusalem and the cross.
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