Luke 7

Now when he had ended all his sayings in the audience of the people, he entered into Capernaum.

And a certain centurion's servant, who was dear unto him, was sick, and ready to die.

And when he heard of Jesus, he sent unto him the elders of the Jews, beseeching him that he would come and heal his servant.

And when they came to Jesus, they besought him instantly, saying, That he was worthy for whom he should do this:

For he loveth our nation, and he hath built us a synagogue.

Then 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:

Wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee: but say in a word, and my servant shall be healed.

For 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.

When 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.

And they that were sent, returning to the house, found the servant whole that had been sick.

And 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.

Now 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.

And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not.

And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise.

And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother.

And 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.

And this rumour of him went forth throughout all Judaea, and throughout all the region round about.

And the disciples of John shewed him of all these things.

And John calling unto him two of his disciples sent them to Jesus, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another?

When 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?

And 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.

Then 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.

And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.

And 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?

But 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.

But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? Yea, I say unto you, and much more than a prophet.

This is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.

For 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.

And all the people that heard him, and the publicans, justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John.

But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him.

And the Lord said, Whereunto then shall I liken the men of this generation? and to what are they like?

They 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.

For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine; and ye say, He hath a devil.

The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners!

But wisdom is justified of all her children.

And 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.

And, 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,

And 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.

Now 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.

And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on.

There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty.

And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most?

Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged.

And 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.

Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet.

My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment.

Wherefore 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.

And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.

And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also?

And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.

What does Luke 7:14 mean?

Explanation

Luke 7:14 describes an event where Jesus approaches a funeral procession in the town of Nain.

He sees a widow who has lost her only son and is moved with compassion.

Jesus approaches the bier – which is a platform or stand where the deceased is placed – and touches it.

The people carrying the bier stop in their tracks.

Jesus then speaks directly to the deceased young man, commanding him to arise.

The verse captures a miraculous moment of resurrection, where Jesus demonstrates His power over death and his compassion for the suffering.

Top Rated Luke Books

Historical Context

The event is set in the town of Nain, which is located in Galilee.

In Jewish culture during the time of Jesus, funerals were communal events and mourning was a public affair.

Widows held a vulnerable position in society, and losing an only son would have meant the loss of support and security for the bereaved mother.

Jesus' intervention would have been unexpected and astonishing.

The act of touching the bier would have rendered Jesus ceremonially unclean according to Jewish law; however, this detail emphasizes that Jesus' mission transcended traditional purity laws.

Theological Insights

The raising of the widow’s son is seen by Christian theologians as a sign of Jesus’ divine authority. In the Old Testament, only prophets like Elijah and Elisha performed similar acts (1 Kings 17:17-24, 2 Kings 4:32-37).

Thus, this event situates Jesus within the prophetic tradition but also elevates him above it, as he performs this miracle by his own authority.

Moreover, this incident foreshadows Jesus' own resurrection from the dead. It serves as a testament to the belief in the eventual victory over death promised by Christianity.

Practical Applications

This passage can be applied in various ways. It encourages believers to have faith in the midst of loss and despair, reminding them that God is compassionate and has power over death. It challenges Christians to be agents of hope and comfort to those who are mourning.

Moreover, it can be taken as an inspiration to act against cultural norms when they contradict the imperative of compassion and love.

Cross-References

1 Kings 17:17-24 - Elijah raises the widow’s son.
2 Kings 4:32-37 - Elisha raises the Shunammite’s son.
John 11:43-44 - Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead.
Luke 8:52-55 - Jesus raises Jairus' daughter.
1 Corinthians 15:54-57 - Discusses the Christian victory over death through Jesus Christ.

Language Study

In the original Greek text, key words include:

"touched" (ἥψατο): to fasten one's self to, adhere to, or touch.

This touch was a break from ceremonial norms, signifying a new teaching and ministry approach.

"bier" (σοροῦ): the item on which the dead were carried to burial.
"arise" (ἔγειρε): rise up, come to life again.

This is an imperative verb form, indicating a command with authority.

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

In the context of other ancient myths, resurrection stories were not uncommon. For example, there are tales of gods or demigods such as Osiris or Asclepius performing resurrections.

However, in the case of Jesus, his actions are not merely mythical but are presented as historical events attested to by eyewitnesses. In other religious interpretations, such miracles serve to affirm the spiritual authority of the figure at the center of the story.

Scientific Perspectives

Modern science holds that death is a biological and irreversible process.

There is no empirical evidence supporting the idea that a person can be brought back to life after being declared dead as described in the Bible.

As such, these miracles are matters of faith and cannot be evaluated or confirmed by scientific method.

Commentaries

Commentaries often focus on the remarkable nature of Jesus’ miracle and his compassion for the widow. They emphasize the significance of Jesus' choosing to defile ceremonial law in order to perform this compassionate act, which elevated the law of love over ritual purity.

Commentators also draw parallels to other biblical resurrection stories, suggesting that Luke's account serves to reinforce the identity of Jesus as a prophet and as the expected Messiah who has power over life and death.

Luke 7

Luke 7

What does Luke 7:14 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Luke Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?

What does Luke 7:14 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Luke Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?