Luke
Chapter 7
Heals a Centurion’s Servant
The elders came to Jesus and begged him earnestly, saying:
“He deserves this from you, for he loves our people and even built a synagogue for us.”
Jesus went with them. He was not far from the house when the Roman officer sent friends to deliver this message:
“Sir, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you under my roof.
For I myself, a soldier under authority, give orders to those 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.
Upon hearing these words, Jesus was filled with admiration. He turned to the people with him and said:
“I say to you, not even in Israel have I found such great faith.”
The people sent by the captain headed back to his house; there, they found that the servant was well.
When she saw him, the Lord took pity on her and said:
“Stop crying.”
Then he approached, touched the stretcher, and the men carrying it stopped.
Jesus then said:
“Young man, I say to you, wake up!”
A holy awe came over everyone, and they praised God, saying:
This news spread throughout Judea and the surrounding regions.
and sent them to the Lord with this message:
“Are you the one we are expecting, or should we wait for another?”
These men came to Jesus and said:
“John the Baptist sent us to ask you: Are you the one we are to expect, or should we wait for another?”
At that time, Jesus healed many people of their illnesses and diseases; he freed them from evil spirits and gave sight to the blind.
Then he answered the messengers:
“Go back and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind see again, the lame walk, lepers are made clean, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the poor are given good news. Now, listen:
Fortunate are those who meet me and are not offended by me.”
When John’s messengers had left, Jesus began speaking to the people about John. And he said:
“What did you want to see when you went to the desert? A reed swaying in the wind?
What did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.
For John is the one foretold in Scripture with these words:
I am sending my messenger ahead of you
to prepare your way.
No one may be found greater than John among those born of women; but I tell you, the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.
whereas the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, by not allowing themselves to be baptized by him, ignored the will of God.
Jesus said to the crowds:
“What comparison can I use for the people? What are they like?
They are like children sitting in the marketplace about whom their companions complain:
‘We piped you a tune
and you wouldn’t dance;
we sang funeral songs
and you wouldn’t cry.’
Next, came the Son of Man, eating and drinking; and you say, ‘Look, a glutton for food and wine, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’
But the children of Wisdom always recognize her work.”
The Pharisee who had invited Jesus was watching and thought, “If this man were a prophet, he would know what kind of person is touching him; isn’t this woman a sinner?”
Then Jesus spoke to the Pharisee and said:
“Simon, I have something to ask you.”
He answered:
“Speak, master.”
And Jesus said:
Because they could not pay him back, he graciously canceled the debts of both. Now, which of them will love him more?”
Simon answered:
“The one, I suppose, who was forgiven more.”
And Jesus said:
“You are right.”
And turning toward the woman, he said to Simon:
This is why I tell you, her sins, her many sins, are forgiven, as her great love has shown. But the one who is forgiven little has little love.”
Then Jesus said to the woman:
“Your sins are forgiven.”
The others reclining with him at the table started to wonder:
“Now this man claims to forgive sins!”
But Jesus again spoke to the woman:
“Your faith has saved you; go in peace!”
Commentaries
Heals the Centurion’s Servant.
Luke teaches us that with Jesus, the barriers of religion fade away, and faith has power, for with it we surrender ourselves and dedicate ourselves to God’s plan, who is the Father of all.
Raises the Widow’s Son.
Jesus, seeing what was happening, feels compassion and approaches the widow, first comforting her: “Do not weep” (13), then bringing her son back to life, and, in a broader sense, also reviving the woman’s life (15). The presence of Jesus and his word are not only purifying and comforting but also create and restore life.
About John the Baptist.
“Are you the one who was to come, or should we wait for another?” The news about Jesus does not align with the messianic expectations of that time, which is why John’s direct question comes from prison. Jesus’ response is positive: the signs he shows before the messengers are evidence of his messianic work, which he had already announced in the synagogue of Nazareth: the proclamation of the Lord’s year of grace (4:19), which is good news for the poor (22) and is being fulfilled despite the confusion and opposition from the religious authorities (30). God surpasses our expectations (23-28).
Capricious Children.
God reveals himself to people through his messengers. John is rejected and labeled as possessed by demons. But God does not give up and shows himself through Jesus: he draws near to the poor, the excluded, and the marginalized, yet he is also rejected, this time as a glutton, a drunkard, and for being a friend of sinners. This passage encourages us to see God’s presence everywhere, not to close ourselves off with our own standards, and to remember that God’s plans go beyond what we expect. To accept the Gospel, we need openness of faith and a willing heart.
Forgives the Sinner.
The scene of the woman approaching Jesus while he is sharing a meal at a Pharisee’s home is the perfect setting for Jesus to highlight the vast gap between legalism and openness to the newness of the kingdom. Jesus conveys an important lesson: neither the strictest observance of the Law, nor sacrifices, nor the distance in which the pious Pharisees live, nor feeling good about oneself, move God; only love and the genuine acknowledgment of being a sinner attract God’s mercy and forgiveness.