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 7:32 mean?

Explanation

The verse in question, Luke 7:32, uses a simile to draw a comparison between the generation Jesus was addressing and children in a marketplace who are discontented and disengaged, regardless of what is done to try and please them.

In this analogy, Jesus describes the people as unable to be satisfied – neither responding to joyful music nor to sorrowful lament.

The deeper meaning implies that Jesus’ contemporaries were indifferent or unresponsive to God's message no matter how it was presented.

They were like children who complain to their playmates that no matter what they do – whether it is a game of wedding (piping and dancing) or a game of funeral (mourning and weeping) – their peers are not participating or reciprocating.

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Historical Context

This saying of Jesus is situated in the context of the rejection of both John the Baptist and Jesus by the people.

This verse comes shortly after Jesus has spoken about John the Baptist's ministry. John had a very ascetic lifestyle, which led some to say he had a demon; whereas Jesus had a more open approach to social engagements and was accused of being a glutton and a drunkard (Luke 7:33-34).

This verse reflects the cultural practice of children playing common social events of the time, like weddings and funerals, in public spaces such as marketplaces.

Theological Insights

Theologically, the verse has been interpreted as a critique of human fickleness and the tendency to reject messengers of God who do not fit preconceived expectations.

Jesus uses this analogy to imply that the people's unwillingness to listen to either John the Baptist’s or his own message reveals a deeper spiritual blindness.

Moreover, from a Christian theological viewpoint, it points to the theme of accountability; the generation is held accountable for their response to God's diverse ways of revelation.

Practical Applications

This verse can be practically applied as a call to self-examination about how one responds to God's messages and those who deliver them.

It teaches humility and openness to different forms of divine communication, serving as a reminder not to reject the truth just because it doesn't conform to our expectations or come to us in a form we find agreeable.

Cross-References

Matthew 11:16-17, "But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the marketplaces, and calling unto their fellows, And saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented."
Ecclesiastes 7:5, "It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools."
Matthew 13:13, "Therefore I speak to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand."

Language Study

In the original Greek text, the words used are important to drawing out the full meaning of the verse:

"Children" (παιδίοις, paidiois) conveys not just young humans but implies immaturity or a lack of understanding.
"Marketplace" (ἀγορᾷ, agorā) is a central gathering place in ancient cities, the hub of social and commercial life.
"Piped" (ηὐλήσαμεν, eulēsamen) refers to playing a flute-like instrument, associated with festivities and celebrations, like weddings.
"Mourned" (ἐθρηνήσαμεν, ethrēnēsamen) indicates deep lamentation or expression of sorrow, such as at funerals.

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

This verse is unique to the Christian context in which it is used, but the broader idea of leaders or prophetic figures being rejected by their own people is found in various cultures.

For example, in Greek mythology, Cassandra was given the gift of prophecy by Apollo but was cursed to never be believed.

In many religious traditions, divine messengers are often met with hostility or indifference.

Scientific Perspectives

While this verse does not directly intersect with scientific study, concepts of human psychology and behavior described by this scripture have been explored in various scientific fields.

The notion of cognitive dissonance, where individuals resist or reject new information because it conflicts with their existing beliefs, could be seen as relevant to the behaviors that Jesus is criticizing.

Commentaries

Matthew Henry's Commentary emphasizes the stubbornness of the people, comparing them as unresponsive to John the Baptist's austerity and Jesus' more social approach.
Benson Commentary suggests that the image illustrates the capriciousness and inconsistency of the people, who were not satisfied with either the strictness of John or the liberality of Jesus.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges highlights that Jesus describes the generation as playing at the games of weddings and funerals, but not with appropriate emotion or response, illustrating spiritual insensitivity.
The Pulpit Commentary discusses the comparison to children as signifying Jesus' disappointment at the unreasonableness and perversity of the public opinion of his day, which found fault with every approach.

Luke 7

Luke 7

What does Luke 7:32 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 7:32 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?