The Centurion’s Servant
1When he had finished saying all this in the hearing of the people, he went into Capernaum. 2A centurion there had a servant he valued highly, who was sick and about to die. 3Hearing about Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and save his servant’s life. 4They came to Jesus and pleaded with him earnestly: “He deserves to have you do this for him, 5for he loves our nation, and he is the one who 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, do not trouble yourself. I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, 7which is why I did not consider myself fit to come to you. Just say the word, and let my boy be healed. 8For I too am a man placed under authority, with soldiers under me. I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” 9When Jesus heard this he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd that was following he said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found faith like this.” 10And when the messengers returned to the house, they found the servant well.
The Widow’s Son at Nain
11Soon afterward he traveled to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went with him. 12As he came near the town gate, a dead man was being carried out — the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. A considerable crowd from the town was with her. 13When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her, and he said, “Do not cry.” 14Then he stepped up and touched the bier, and the bearers stopped. He said, “Young man, I tell you: get up.” 15The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him back to his mother. 16Fear took hold of them all, and they praised God: “A great prophet has risen among us,” they said, “and God has come to the aid of his people.” 17And this report about him spread through the whole of Judea and the surrounding country.
John’s Question and Jesus’ Answer
18John’s disciples told him about all these things. 19So John called two of them and sent them to the Lord to ask, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we wait for someone else?” 20The men came to him and said, “John the Baptist has sent us to you to ask: are you the one who is to come, or should we wait for someone else?” 21At that very hour Jesus healed many of diseases, afflictions and evil spirits, and to many who were blind he gave the gift of sight. 22Then he answered them, “Go and report to John what you have seen and heard: the blind see again, the lame walk, those with skin disease are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor hear the good news. 23And blessed is anyone who does not stumble over me.” 24When John’s messengers had gone, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind? 25What, then, did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No — people in splendid clothing, living in luxury, are found in palaces. 26So what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and far more than a prophet. 27This is the one about whom it is written: I am sending my messenger ahead of you; he will prepare your way before you. 28I tell you, among those born of women no one is greater than John; yet the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he is.” 29All the people who heard him, even the tax collectors, acknowledged that God was right, for they had been baptized with John’s baptism. 30But the Pharisees and the experts in the law rejected God’s purpose for themselves, since they had not been baptized by him.
This Generation
31“To what, then, shall I compare the people of this generation? What are they like? 32They are like children sitting in the marketplace, calling out to one another: ‘We played the flute for you and you would not dance; we sang a lament and you would 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, ‘Look at him: a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ 35And yet wisdom is proved right by all her children.”
A Sinful Woman Anoints Jesus
36One of the Pharisees invited Jesus to eat with him, so he went into the Pharisee’s house and took his place at the table. 37And a woman of that town, a sinner, learned that he was dining at the Pharisee’s house. She brought an alabaster jar of perfume, 38and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. She wiped them with the hair of her head, kissed them again and again, and anointed them with the perfume. 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 — a sinner.” 40Jesus spoke up: “Simon, I have something to say to you.” “Speak, Teacher,” he replied. 41“Two men were in debt to a moneylender. One owed five hundred denarii, the other fifty. 42Since neither could pay, he canceled both debts. Now, which of them will love him more?” 43Simon answered, “I suppose the one who was let off more.” “You have judged rightly,” Jesus told him. 44Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house and 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 moment I came in she has not stopped kissing my feet. 46You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with perfume. 47And so I tell you: her many sins have been forgiven — that is why she has loved so much. But whoever is forgiven little, loves little.” 48Then he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” 49The others at the table began to say among themselves, “Who is this man, who even forgives sins?” 50But he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”
