Luke Chapter 7

 Luke Chapter 7

On to Capernaum!  Where JC meets a centurion who’s favorite servant was sick and dying.  When the centurion heard that JC was in town, he sent the elders of the Jews to ask JC to com heal the servant.  The elders told JC that the servant was worthy, because he loves our nation and built a synagogue!  So JC followed them.  Not far from the house the centurion send friends to tell JC not to trouble himself, because he’s not worth of even having him under his roof.  Well centurion you might of thought about that before you sent for JC!  If he comes to your house because you asked him to you should invite him in, or you should never have sent for him.  Right… back to the story.  The centurion tells him just say a word and my servant will be healed.  Because as a centurion, I have authority, you know I tell one soldier to go and he goes, another to come, and he comes.  My servants do  ad I’m told.  JC thought this was marvelous!  This man has more faith anyone in Israel.  When they went inside the servant had been healed!

Off to the city of Nain with his disciples and many more.  When they came to the gate a dead man was being carried out, the only son of a widow.   The Lord had compassion for her  and told her not to Weep.  And why is Weep capitalized?  Is the holy Weeping?  He touches the bier (that’s what you put the corpse on) and people carrying him stood still.  JC told the man to Arise.  The dead man stood up and began to speak.  He went to his mom.  Spooky stuff!  It’s not just me everybody was afraid!  They glorified God, saying there is a great prophet that God sent to visit us! 

That new spread all through Judea.  John the Baptist’s disciple went to share the news with him.  John send two disciples to JC asking if he was the one they were looking for.   In that hour JC healed the sick and cast out evil spirits and cured the blind. He told them to tell John what they had seen, and heard, how the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers clean, the dead raised and gospel preached to the poor. 

Once John’s messengers left  JC started to talk to the people about his second cousin  (remember John was Mary’s cousin Elizabeth’s son).  What did you go into the wilderness to see?  A reed shaken with the wind?  What did you go out to see?  A man in soft clothes?  The people in the gorgeous clothes live in well , in the kings courts.  What did you go out to see?  A prophet?  Yes, and much more than a prophet!  This is the one it’s been written about.  I sent my messenger so you can see, who will prepare your way for you.  There is no greater prophet who was born to a woman than John the Baptist.  But even the least of the kingdom of God is greater than John.  All the people who heard him and the publicans (who you remember are the roman tax collectors and contractors, seen as less than human), and justified God being baptism with the baptism of John.  I’m not sure what that means.  It could mean that that God, in the form of JC was baptized by John.  I don’t know.

The Lord said, what are the men of this generation like?   They are like children in the marketplace and calling to each other, saying  we’ve piped, sang, danced and mourned for you but you haven’t wept.   J the B came and didn’t drink wine or eat bread and you say he has a devil.  The son of Man comes and eats and drinks and he’s a gluttonous man and a winebibber, a friend of the publicans and sinners!  Yay!  I want to eat food and drink wine and be friends with the sinners too!   Wisdom is justified of all her children.  Okay!

One of the Pharisees  wanted JC to eat with him.  So JC went to his house to eat.  A woman who was a sinner knew that JC was going to be there so she came with her alabaster box or ointment.  She stood at JC’s feet and cried and beganto wash his feet  with tears and wipe them with her hair and kissed his feet anointing them with oil.  Eeeew!  That is gross on so many levels!  Okay she had to crying really hard to wash two whole feet or they would just get nasty.  And hair to dry them, all the hair would just stick.  And gross about the kissing the feet with the hair and the dirt! I think JC should have stopped her.

When the Pharisee who invited JC over saw this display and thought, If this guy was a prophet, he’d know what kind of woman that was touching him.  She’s a sinner!  JC told Simon he had something to say to him. 

There was a creditor to whom two people owed money.  One owed five hundred pence, the other 50.  Neither could pay him back and he forgave both of them.   Who will love him more.?  Simon answered that it was guy with the five hundred pence debt.   JC told him he was right.  See this woman?  I came into your house, and you  didn’t give me water for me feet.  But she washed my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.  Simon you didn’t kiss me, but this move hasn’t stopped kissing my feet.  JC tell her to stop!   You don’t anoint my head but she has anointed my feet!  Her sins are many, but she’s forgiven because she loved much. But for those who only love a little, little is forgiven.  Those who sat at dinner with him asked who this guy was forgiving sins.  JC told the woman, your faith has saved you, go in peace.

Yay!  So if you love a lot you can sin and be forgive.  I can handle that!