Chapter Seven

¹ 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 to him, was sick and ready to die. And when he heard of Jesus, he sent to 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 earnestly, saying that he was worthy for whom he should do this: for he loves our nation, and he has 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 to him, “Lord, trouble not yourself: for I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof. Wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come to you: 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 to one, Go, and he goes; and to another, Come, and he comes; and to my servant, Do this, and he does it.” When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turned him about, and said to the people that followed him, “I say to 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. This is the same as the one in Matthew. For even if Matthew does not say that he sent the Jews to ask and entreat him, what of it? For it is likely that he first sent the Jews, and afterward came himself; what Matthew passed over, Luke tells. And perhaps the Jews, melting away with envy, would not even have suffered the centurion to come to the feet of Jesus, since this would bring glory to Jesus; and so at the last, being compelled, he would himself have come to Jesus. But perhaps again someone might be perplexed: How then does Matthew say that the man himself in his own person begged Jesus not to come, while Luke here says that he sent and besought him not to come? It may be said, then, that it is nothing strange both to send others, and himself, coming, to say these same things, begging him not to come. And the faith of the man is worthy to be marveled at, who calls himself unworthy of the visitation of Jesus. Therefore the Lord also says that not even among the people of Israel had he found so great faith. For the centurion was a Gentile, perhaps from the Roman legions. And every mind is a “centurion” that rules over many in wickedness, having many affairs in this life. And it has a sick servant — the irrational part of the soul, I mean wrath and desire; for these were appointed to be servants. And it calls upon Jesus, sending to him as mediators the Jews — that is, the reasonings and words of confession; for “Judah” is interpreted “confession.” And by the words, “I am not worthy that you should come under my roof,” it shall quickly receive back its servant whole.

² 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 near 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 to her, “Weep not.” And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, “Young man, I say to you, Arise.” And the 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 has visited his people. Since he had made the centurion’s servant whole even without being present, he works another and stranger wonder. For lest anyone should say, “And what strange thing did he do upon the servant? for perhaps the servant would not even have died,” for this reason he raises that dead man who was being carried out. And he works the wonder not by word only, but he also touches the bier, that we may learn that his body is a body of life. For since the flesh became the flesh of the Word who quickens all things, for this reason it too is life-giving, and destructive of death and corruption. The dead man therefore sat up and began to speak, lest it should seem to some that he had been raised only in appearance. For these are the signs of a true resurrection: to sit up and to speak; since a lifeless body can neither sit up nor speak. And by the widow you may understand also the soul that has cast away her husband — the word of God, who sowed the good seeds. And the son of this soul is the mind, dead and carried forth outside the city — the Jerusalem that is above; for that is the country of the living. The Lord, then, having compassion, touches the bier. And the bier of the mind is the body; for the body is truly a tomb and a sepulchre — even as some have said that the body is a “sign,” that is, a tomb. Having therefore touched the body, the Lord raises the mind, making it youthful and noble. And the young man having sat up — this mind, I mean — and being raised from the tomb of sin, then begins to speak, that is, to teach others. For so long as he is held by sin, he cannot teach and speak; for who will believe him?

³ And the disciples of John showed him of all these things. And John calling to him two of his disciples sent them to Jesus, saying, “Are you he that should come? or look we for another?” When the men were come to him, they said, “John Baptist has sent us to you, saying, Are you 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 to many that were blind he gave sight. Then Jesus answering said to them, “Go your way, and tell John what things you 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, whoever shall not be offended in me.

⁴ And when the messengers of John were departed, he began to speak to the people concerning John, “What went you out into the wilderness for to see? A reed shaken with the wind? But what went you out for to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Behold, they which are gorgeously apparelled, and live delicately, are in kings’ courts. But what went you out for to see? A prophet? Yea, I say to you, and much more than a prophet. This is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before your face, which shall prepare your way before you. For I say to you, Among those that are born of women…

⁵ …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…

⁶ 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. The wonder at Nain was heard throughout all Judaea and the country round about, and it was heard also by the disciples of John; they then, being imperfect, were stung at the praises of the Lord. John therefore, wishing to show them the greatness of Christ, and how far he himself stood beneath him, dispenses the matter. And he says nothing to his disciples that commends Christ; but, feigning to be ignorant, he sends them, that, seeing the wonders, they might believe from his very works that great is the distance between the Master Jesus and the servant John. For do not suppose that John, being truly ignorant of the things concerning Christ, sent his disciples to ask. For how could he who even before his birth leaped in his mother’s womb, as recognizing him, and who at the Jordan bore witness to him as the Son of God, be ignorant? He sends, then, his disciples, telling them to ask Jesus, “Are you he that should come?” Do you see how he leads the disciples deeply into believing that Jesus is God? For the prophets are said to be sent; and John himself, as the Evangelist also says, was a man sent from God. But the Lord is “he that comes.” For he came with authority, not unwillingly. You, then, he says, are you he that is expected to come into the world? And some understand “he that comes” of Hades, so that what is said is this: Are you he that is to come even into Hades? What then does the Lord do? Knowing the aim of John, for which he sent these men — namely that they might behold what he does, and from these things believe, and that for this they had been sent — he says, Tell what you see. Then he reckons up the works of the wonders, which were also proclaimed by the prophets. For “the blind receive sight” and the rest are from Isaiah. Then he says, And blessed is he, whoever shall not be offended in me — as much as to say to them, And you are blessed if you are not offended in me. And since it was likely that many would be offended at John — that John, who had borne such great witness concerning Christ, now should send and ask whether he is he that should come — for this reason Christ says to the multitudes, that, Suppose nothing of this sort concerning John. For is he a reed, to be bent now here, now there, and now to bear witness concerning me, now to be ignorant of me? For if he were such, for what cause went you out into the wilderness then to behold him? But perhaps he was corrupted in mind by luxury? Nay, his robe shows him to be above all luxury. For if he lived delicately, he would be in kings’ courts. But do you hold him for a prophet? Yea, I say to you, and more than a prophet. For the others foretold concerning Christ only, but this man both saw him and pointed him out, saying, Behold the Lamb of God. And the other prophets prophesied after they had come forth from their mothers’ wombs; but this man, even before he came forth from the womb, recognized the Lord and leaped. Then he brings forward the prophet also as a witness. For he says, This is he of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger. For John is a “messenger,” perhaps both because of his almost bodiless and angelic manner of life, and perhaps because he announced the coming of the Savior. Truly I say to you, among them that are born of women there is not risen a greater than John — exalting the Forerunner above all the rest. Then, as though someone had said, And is he greater even than you yourself, O Christ? he adds, But he that is less than he, even I, am greater in the kingdom of heaven. For now I am reckoned less than he, both in noble birth and in age and in glory; but in the kingdom of heaven I am greater than he — that is, in all things divine and spiritual. All the people, then, hearing John, justified God — that is, honored God, because they received his prophet. But the Pharisees dishonored God, not receiving John. And some understood “among them that are born of women” thus: that he well said “born of women,” the Lord exempting himself; for he was born of a Virgin, not of a woman, that is, of one wedded to a man. And “he that is least in the kingdom of heaven” they understood otherwise: that he who is least in the life according to Christ is greater than the just man under the law; as, for instance, John was blameless according to the righteousness in the law, but if anyone be found baptized, yet having as yet wrought neither good nor evil, this man, being least in the kingdom of heaven — that is, in the preaching according to Christ — is nevertheless greater than the unbaptized, though righteous under the law. And in another sense: that even though John was almost fleshless, yet he was still in the flesh; and for this reason he that is least in that incorruption is greater. For then, being made perfectly incorruptible, the saints shall be greater than him who is now righteous indeed, yet still bears flesh. […] […]

⁷ And the Lord said, “Whereunto then shall I liken the men of this generation? and to what are they like? They are like to children sitting in the marketplace, and calling one to another, and saying, We have piped to you, and you have not danced; we have mourned to you, and you have not wept. For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine; and you say, He has a devil. The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and you say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners! But wisdom is justified of all her children. There was among the Jews a certain kind of children’s game such as this: a crowd of children was divided into two parts, and, as it were mocking life, those on the one side mourned, and those on the other piped. And neither did those of the one part agree with those that mourned, nor did these agree with those that piped. The Lord therefore mocks the Pharisees also, as doing something of this kind. For neither did they mourn together with John, who led a mournful life and introduced repentance, nor did they imitate him; nor were they persuaded by, or did they agree with, Jesus, who showed forth a gracious manner of life; but they thrust both away, neither mourning together with the mourning John, nor making merry together with the relaxed and gladsome Jesus. And so the wisdom of God was justified — that is, was honored — not by the Pharisees, but by her children, that is, by those who received the word both of John and of Jesus.

⁸ 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 spoke within himself, saying, “This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that touches him: for she is a sinner.” And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon…

⁹ …I have somewhat to say to you.” And he says, “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 to him, “You have rightly judged. This Pharisee who had invited Jesus appears not to have been straightforward in his thinking, but crafty and full of hypocrisy. He says, then, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known — so that he did not believe, because Jesus spoke such things. Yet the Lord, although knowing him not to be upright, enters in to him and eats with him, teaching us altogether through this, that toward those who are inwardly disposed against us, we should bear ourselves simply and without guile. And many inquire how many were the women who anointed the Lord with ointment. And some say there were two: the one in John, who was also the sister of Lazarus, and another in Matthew and Mark, and now in Luke. But I am persuaded by those who say there were three of them: one in John, six days before the Pascha, who was also the sister of Lazarus; another in Matthew and Mark, two days before the Pascha; and a third, this one now in Luke, about the middle of the Gospel, who anointed the Lord — and it was nothing strange that she did this first, the time of the Passion not yet being at hand; and then those others, whether imitating her or otherwise, did the same near the Passion. And if the one who invited the Lord in Matthew was named Simon, and the one now in Luke also, what is strange in the names coinciding? Since that one was also a leper, but not this one. And that one, having been healed of his leprosy, renders the invitation as a thank-offering to Christ; but this one was neither a leper, nor speaking in thanksgiving. And that one said nothing, but this one murmured, and condemns in one and the same act both Jesus and the woman: the woman as a sinner, and Jesus as one too kindly. O the senselessness! Truly the man was a Pharisee. But the Lord, asking him in parables and bringing two debtors forward into the midst, secretly declares that he too is a debtor, seeming to owe less, yet owing nonetheless. For neither can you, who owe the less, pay your debt — for you have no confession, being held fast by pride — nor can the woman. To both, then, it shall be forgiven; and who will love more? Surely he to whom the more was forgiven. […]

¹⁰ And he turned to the woman, and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered into your house, you gave me no water for my feet: but she has washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. You gave me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in has not ceased to kiss my feet. Mine head with oil you did not anoint: but this woman has anointed my feet with ointment. Wherefore I say to you, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.

¹¹ And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, “Who is this that forgives sins also?” And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace. The Lord shows Simon to be both arrogant and senseless: arrogant, in that he condemned the woman for her sins, being himself a man; and senseless, in that he did not perceive that one who had done such tokens of faith and love ought to have been received, and not sent away. Wherefore the Lord also reproves him, as condemning in vain her who had done so much — things that he himself had not done, nay rather not even the far lesser ones: as, for instance, You gave me not even water for my feet — that common thing — but she washed them with tears. You did not even kiss my face; but she kissed my feet. You gave not even oil; but she poured out ointment. Wherefore, since you said that I am not a prophet because I did not discern that this woman was a sinner, behold, I reprove the things in your heart, that you may know that, just as I know the things you hide, much more do I know hers, which many others also know. Her sins, then, are forgiven, because she loved much — that is, she showed forth much faith. And they that sat at meat, being themselves also murmurers, did not reckon that what he said to Simon was likely meant for them as well. But the Lord, restraining their murmuring, and wishing to show them that the faith of each one saves him, said not, O woman, I save you — lest they should envy the more — but, Your faith has saved you. And this he said, as I have said, at once both restraining their envy, and leading them also to believe, when they recognized that faith saves. And the words, Go in peace, mean, into righteousness. For peace is righteousness, even as sin is enmity toward God. And observe that after he forgave her her sins, he did not set her only as far as the forgiveness of sins, but added also the working of good. For the words, Go in peace, you ought to understand as, Do such things as shall make you to be at peace with God.