Luke 7, a visual study from The Lampstand Project.
Her sins, which are many, are forgiven.
A centurion’s servant healed from a distance. A widow’s son raised in Nain. John the Baptist sends from prison. Jesus calls this generation like petulant children. A sinful woman anoints his feet with tears.
Four scenes. Faith, resurrection, doubt, forgiveness.
Luke 7 is a chapter about faith in unexpected places and faithlessness in expected ones. The centurion — a Gentile — shows greater faith than anyone in Israel. The widow of Nain receives the same compassion as the widow of Zarephath in Elijah’s time. John the Baptist, the one who prepared the way, sends to ask if Jesus is the one. And a sinful woman enters a Pharisee’s dinner and washes Jesus’ feet with her tears.
A chapter in 4 movements.
Tap any numbered marker to read its part
“I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.”
The centurion. “Only say the word.”
A centurion’s servant is ill and at the point of death. The centurion sends Jewish elders to Jesus. They tell him: he is worthy, for he loves our nation and built our synagogue. Jesus goes with them. The centurion sends friends: Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. But say the word and let my servant be healed.
The centurion explains his logic: I am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me. I say ‘go’ and he goes. He understands authority from the inside. Jesus marvels and turns to the crowd: not even in Israel have I found such faith. When the messengers return, they find the servant healed.
“Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.”
“When the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, ‘Do not weep.’”
The widow of Nain. Her only son raised.
Jesus goes to a town called Nain. A man who has died is being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she is a widow. A considerable crowd is with her. When the Lord sees her he has compassion and says: do not weep. He comes up and touches the bier. The bearers stand still. He says: young man, I say to you, arise.
The dead man sits up and begins to speak, and Jesus gives him to his mother. Fear seizes them all, and they glorify God: a great prophet has arisen among us, God has visited his people. The phrase is Luke’s own: the Lord. He uses it sparingly. Here it is because what happens here is a direct echo of Elijah and the widow of Zarephath — and the one doing it is the Lord himself.
“I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live.”
“Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?”
John sends from prison. The answer is the evidence.
The disciples of John report all these things to him. Calling two of his disciples, John sends them to ask: are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another? When the men come, Jesus heals many people of diseases and gives sight to many who are blind. He says: go and tell John what you have seen and heard — the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have good news preached to them. Blessed is the one who is not offended by me.
Jesus says of John to the crowd: 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. This generation is like children in the marketplace: we played the flute and you did not dance, we sang a dirge and you did not weep. John came neither eating nor drinking and they say he has a demon. The Son of Man came eating and drinking and they say he is a glutton and a drunkard. Yet wisdom is justified by all her children.
“John came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him.”
“Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven — for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.”
A sinful woman. Tears, hair, ointment. Forgiven much.
A Pharisee asks Jesus to eat with him. He goes in and reclines at table. And behold, a woman of the city, who is a sinner, brings an alabaster flask of ointment. She stands behind Jesus weeping, wetting his feet with her tears, wiping them with her hair, kissing them, anointing them with ointment.
The Pharisee thinks: if this man were a prophet he would know who is touching him. Jesus says: Simon, I have something to say to you. He tells a parable about two debtors, one forgiven much and one little. Then: do you see this woman? She gave me what you did not. Her sins, which are many, are forgiven — for she loved much. He says to her: your sins are forgiven; your faith has saved you; go in peace.
“If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”
The sinful woman enters a Pharisee’s dinner and stands behind Jesus weeping, wetting his feet with her tears, wiping them with her hair, anointing them with ointment. The Pharisee thinks: if this man were a prophet he would know who is touching him. Jesus reads the room and tells a parable about two debtors. Then: do you see this woman? She has done what you did not. Whoever is forgiven much loves much.
The chapter of faith in unexpected places.
A centurion’s servant is ill and near death. The centurion sends Jewish elders, who tell Jesus: he is worthy, for he loves our nation and built our synagogue. Jesus goes with them. The centurion sends friends: Lord, I am not worthy for you to come under my roof. Say the word and let my servant be healed. For I also am a man set under authority. Jesus marvels: not even in Israel have I found such faith.
Soon afterward Jesus goes to Nain. A dead man is being carried out — the only son of a widow. When the Lord sees her he has compassion: do not weep. He touches the bier. The bearers stand still. He says: young man, I say to you, arise. The dead man sits up and speaks. Jesus gives him to his mother. Fear seizes all of them. John’s disciples tell him. He sends to ask: are you the one, or shall we look for another?
“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.”Luke 7:22 ESV
All scripture quoted from the English Standard Version (ESV). A study from The Lampstand Project.