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Luke Chapter
Seven
I. Content of the Chapter
The Compassion and
Mercy of the Savior the Son of Man
II. Towards the widow in the city called Nain------He
raised her only son because He sympathized with her in her condition (v.11-17).
III. Towards John the Baptist------He encouraged him
before his disciples and praised him behind his back (v.18-35).
IV. Towards the woman who was a sinner------His love
was great and He forgave many sins (v.36-50).
II. Verse by Verse commentary
Luke. 7:1 “Now when He concluded all
His sayings in the hearing of the people, He entered
YLT: “And when he completed all his sayings in the ears
of the people, he went into
Luke. 7:2 “And a certain centurion's
servant, who was dear to him, was sick and ready to die.”
YLT: “and a certain centurion’s servant being ill, was
about to die, who was much valued by him,”
Literal
Meaning: “a certain centurion”
“Centurion” was an official title in the Roman Government and the centurion
ruled one hundred soldiers at that time. Some people said that this centurion
was a foreign officer under the domination of Herod the king.
“Who was dear to him” shows the servant’s
position in the heart of the centurion.
Spiritual Meaning: the “centurion” here typifies the Gentile
believers.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Thank the Lord! We, the gentiles partake
in the salvation, actually.
2) Salvation comes to the Jews first and
then to the Gentiles (See Acts. 3:26, 13:46, Rom. 1:16, 11:11).
3) This servant was both “dear to” his
master and the Lord Jesus. The servants who are faithful to the lord and serve
the Lord diligently will assuredly be acceptable to the Lord (See Eph. 6:6-8;
Luke. 7:3 “So when he heard about
Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to Him, pleading with Him to come and heal
his servant.”
YLT: “and having heard about Jesus, he sent unto him
elders of the Jews, beseeching him, that having come he might thoroughly save
his servant.”
Literal Meaning: “he sent elders of the Jews to Him” “elders”
were the respected squires and leaders among the people.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) God’s sons and daughters should concern
others and always bring them to God and pray for them.
2) It is the revelation of love for those
who hallow the Lord to sympathize with their subordinates in their sufferings
and pray for others and this is also the best example for believers to follow.
Luke. 7:4 “And when they came to Jesus,
they begged Him earnestly, saying that the one for whom He should do this was
deserving,”
YLT: “And they, having come near unto Jesus, were calling
upon him earnestly, saying ‘He is worthy to whom thou shalt do this,”
Meaning of Words: “earnestly”: fervently, diligently.
Literal Meaning: “the one for whom He should do this was
deserving.” They said so because they did not know the grace of the Lord. Those
who truly know the grace of the Lord will think themselves unworthy (See v.7).
Luke. 7:5 “‘for
he loves our nation, and has built us a synagogue.’”
YLT: “for he doth love our nation, and the synagogue he
did build to us.’”
Literal Meaning: “love our nation” shows that he had good behaviors;
“has built us a synagogue” shows that he led a good life of religion.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Believers should not only live before men
but also live before God.
2) Those who truly love men assuredly love
God and they are willing to help men to draw near to God and worship Him.
Luke. 7:6 “Then Jesus went with
them. And when He was already not far from the house, the centurion sent friends
to Him, saying to Him, ‘Lord, do not trouble
Yourself, for I am not worthy that You should enter under my roof.”
YLT: “And Jesus was going on with them, and now when he
is not far distant from the house the centurion sent unto him friends, saying
to him, `Sir, be not troubled, for I am not worthy that under my roof thou
mayest enter;”
Literal Meaning: “I am not worthy that You should enter under
my roof” On one hand he thought himself unworthy and on the other he knew that
the Lord surpassed the space.
Luke. 7:7 “Therefore I did not even
think myself worthy to come to You. But say the word, and my servant will be
healed.”
YLT: “wherefore not even myself thought I worthy to come
unto thee, but say in a word, and my lad shall be healed;”
Literal Meaning: “but say the word” The centurion really knew
the authority and power of the Lord Jesus. He knew that the power to heal
diseases was in the His words and therefore he only asked “the word” of the
Lord and that was enough.
“And
my servant will be healed” the “servant” in this verse is “child” in the
original and it is a pronoun of kindness; it is different from the “servant”
(v.2, 3, 8. 10) in other verses which indicates the “bondman”.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) In the eyes of the Jewish elders, the
centurion was “worthy” (See v.4), however, the centurion “thought himself unworthy”.
Those who truly have the faith are humble.
2) On one hand, believers should have good
testimony of life before men so that they could praise that we are “worthy”. On
the other, we should see that we are “unworthy” under the light of the Lord.
3) “But say the word, and my servant will be
healed”. The words which
the Lord had spoken unto us are spirit and are life (John. 6:63).
4) The Lord’s word was with authority (See
Luke. 4:32). He upheld all things by the word of His power (Heb. 1:3). As long
as we obtain “a word” from the Lord, the difficulties of our own or the
assembly will be overcome.
5) Unless the Lord “touches” one (See Matt.
5:13), in vain are all the other touches. Unless the Lord “say the word”, in
vain are all the others words. What believers need is the Lord’s “touch” and “the
word” spoken by the Lord in person.
Luke. 7:8 “For I also am a man
placed under authority, having soldiers under me. 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.’”
YLT: “for I also am a man placed under authority, having
under myself soldiers, and I say to this [one], Go, and he goeth; and to
another, Be coming, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doth
[it].’”
Literal Meaning: the centurion knew that as long as he obeyed
the higher-ups, he would have the authority to instruct his subordinates. Because
he knew that the Lord was usually under the authority of the Father in heaven
and therefore He has the power of God. The centurion learned that the power of
the heavenly king was in His words from his own words which were with authority
to his subordinates.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) If you want to hold power, you have to
learn to obey the authority. If you fully obey God, God’s power will be in you
and His authority will make you dominate others. This is the requirement to
gain power.
2) At first we obey the Lord and then others
may obey us.
3) This verse shows the relation between
power and the word------power is the backing of word and the word is the manifestation
of power.
Luke. 7:9 “When Jesus heard these
things, He marveled at him, and turned around and said to the crowd that
followed Him, ‘I say to you, I have not
found such great faith, not even in
YLT: “And having heard these things Jesus wondered at
him, and having turned to the multitude following him, he said, ‘I say to you,
not even in
Literal Meaning: “He marveled at him” It has been recorded
two times in the Gospels that the Lord Jesus “marveled”. He marveled at the
faith of the Gentiles at one time and at the other time He marveled at the
unbelief of the children of
“Such great faith”
faith comes from our knowledge of the Lord because Jesus is the leader and
completer of faith (Heb. 12:2). The people of
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The faith of the centurion based on his
knowledge of the authority of the Lord. If we have more knowledge of the Lord,
we will have greater faith.
2) Faith is the key to use the heavenly
authority. Men have to connect the authority of God with faith so as to bring
in God’s power and blessing.
3) “Such great faith” indicates men’s faith
in “the Lord’s word” is greater than men’s faith in “the Lord’s touch”.
Generally, “touch” is more authentic than “the word” in men’s eyes. However the
greater faith is that the Lord’s word is enough and there is no need of the
Lord’s touch.
4) When you have knowledge of the authority
of the Lord, you will easily believe in God’s word. Those who have doubts about
God’s words lack the knowledge of His authority.
5) The more we know and believe the Lord,
the more we could enjoy the grace of the Lord. Men’s faith is the capacity to
receive blessing. God’s reward to men’s faith is determined by their faith and
the greater men’s faith is, the more they will receive the reward of faith from
God.
Luke. 7:10 “And those who were sent,
returning to the house, found the servant well who had been sick.”
YLT: “and those sent, having turned back to the house,
found the ailing servant in health.”
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The effect of faith is visible.
2) Whatever things you ask in prayer,
believing, you will receive (Matt. 21:22).
Luke. 7:11 “Now it happened, the day
after, that He went into a city called Nain; and many of His disciples went
with Him, and a large crowd.”
YLT: “And it came to pass, on the morrow, he was going
on to a city called Nain, and there were going with him many of his disciples,
and a great multitude,”
Literal Meaning: “a city called Nain” the city called Nain
was close to the southeast part of
Luke. 7:12 “And when He came near the
gate of the city, behold, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his
mother; and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the city was with her.”
YLT: “and as he came nigh to the gate of the city, then,
lo, one dead was being carried forth, an only son of his mother, and she a
widow, and a great multitude of the city was with her.”
Literal Meaning: “a dead man was being carried out, the only
son of his mother; and she was a widow” The dead one was the only son and his
mother was a widow, showing that the hope of life was completely shattered.
“And a
large crowd from the city was with her.” The description here is in contrast to
“a large crowd went with Him” in the former verse. One
group of men was carrying out the dead man and another group of men followed the
Lord of life. When these two groups of men encountered with each other, this
initiated the result of profound and lasting meaning.
Luke. 7:13 “When the Lord saw her, He
had compassion on her and said to her, ‘Do
not weep.’”
YLT: “And the Lord having seen her, was moved with
compassion towards her, and said to her, ‘Be not weeping;’”
Literal Meaning: “when the Lord saw her, He had compassion on
her” Here Luke suddenly called Jesus “the Lord” and this seemed to imply that He
is “the Lord of life” and only Him could change the fact of death because only
life is able to swallow up death (See 2Cor. 5:4).
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Our Lord is the only begotten Son in the
bosom of the Father (John. 1:18) and therefore He could feel men’s love to the
only son (See 8:42; 9:38).
2) For God so loved us, that He gave His
only begotten Son (John. 3:16); if we could know the feeling of the widow who
had lost her only son, we could comprehend God’s love towards us.
3) It was not the widow who found the Lord
but the Lord came to find the widow. When we encounter misfortunes, He always
takes the initiative to take care of us.
Luke. 7:14 “Then He came and touched
the open coffin, and those who carried him stood still. And He said, ‘Young man, I say to you, arise.’”
YLT: “and having come near, he touched the bier, and
those bearing [it] stood still, and he said, ‘Young man, to thee I say,
Arise;’”
Literal Meaning: “then He came and touched the open coffin”.
Since the coffin was open, the dead young man sat up the moment he heard the
words of the Lord (See v.15).
Luke. 7:15 “So he who was dead sat up
and began to speak. And He presented him to his mother.”
YLT: “and the dead sat up, and began to speak, and he
gave him to his mother;”
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Though there were many people in the city
called Nain sympathizing with the widow (See v.12), they could not give the
true comfort to her broken heart. Only when one encountered the rising Christ
will he be truly comforted.
2) When we encounter great sufferings, we
should not seek the help from men and we should turn to the Lord and only He
could solve our problems.
Luke. 7:16 “Then fear came upon all,
and they glorified God, saying, ‘A great prophet has risen
up among us’; and, ‘God has visited His people.’”
YLT: “and fear took hold of all, and they were
glorifying God, saying ‘A great prophet hath risen among us,’ and ‘God did look
upon His people.’”
The
Background: in the age of the
Old Testament, there were two great prophets rising the dead and one was Elijah
who rose the son of the widow in Zarephath (1Kings. 17:20-23) and the other was
Elisha who rose the son of the Shunammite (2Kings. 4:32-35).
Luke. 7:17 “And this report about Him
went throughout all
YLT: “And the account of this went forth in all
Literal Meaning: “went throughout all Judea” “Judea”
originally indicates the middle and southern part of
Luke. 7:18 “Then the disciples of
John reported to him concerning all these things.”
YLT: “And the disciples of John told him about all these
things,”
Literal Meaning: “John” indicates John the Baptist (See
v.20). At that time, he himself was put in prison by Herod (See 3:20), however,
his disciples could still visit him to receive instructions and spread the message.
“All
these things” are the things that the Lord Jesus healed the wicked ones and
rose the dead (See v.2-17).
Luke. 7:19 “And John, calling two of
his disciples to him, sent them to Jesus, saying, ‘Are
You the Coming One, or do we look for another?’”
YLT: “and John having called near a certain two of his
disciples, sent unto Jesus, saying, ‘Art thou he who is coming, or for another
do we look?’”
Meaning of Words: “another”: another man of the different
kind.
Literal Meaning: “calling two of his disciples to him, sent
them to Jesus” John the Baptist sent his disciples when he was in prison (See
Matt. 11:2); “calling” showed that his intention to send his disciples was
related to the things of Jesus that he had heard (See v.18). He may hold that:
1) The
words and deeds of Jesus were not in accordance with his hope towards “the
Messiah”.
2)
Since Jesus could do these signs and wonders, why did not he deliver him from
the prison? Therefore he sent his disciples to query the Lord Jesus.
“Are You the Coming One” John meant that “Are
You the Messiah (Christ)?” His words did not show his doubt about the Lord and
the words showed his disappointment towards the Lord.
“Or do
we look for another?” John used these words to urge the Lord with derision,
hoping that He would show the works of the Messiah in order to lead the Jews to
resist the Roman Empire and to revive the
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The moment that we confirmed that the
Lord had the power to do things and He did nothing for us greatly tests men’s
faith towards Him.
2) Men are easy to doubt when they are in
tribulations. Therefore when we are in danger or difficulty, we should take
care lest we are taken in the devil’s craftiness to doubt the will of the Lord.
3) When we are in tribulations, we should
learn to look upon the Lord exclusively and not see the circumstances.
4) We should thank God whether He has done
something for us or not. The Lord has good will whether He has done something
or not.
5) Men’s natural patience is limited. After
someone has waited a long period of time, gradually he will become impatient
and even complain the Lord.
6) When John was in prison, he held that his
difficulty was so great and urgent that the Lord should lay down anything else
to solve his problem. Many workers of the Lord are not serving the Lord but
asking the Lord to serve them.
Luke. 7:20 “When the men had come to
Him, they said, ‘John the Baptist has sent
us to You, saying, ‘Are You the Coming One, or
do we look for another?’”
YLT: “And having come near to him, the men said, ‘John
the Baptist sent us unto thee, saying, Art thou he who is coming, or for
another do we look?’”
Luke. 7:21 “And that very hour He
cured many of infirmities, afflictions, and evil spirits; and to many blind He
gave sight.”
YLT: “And in that hour he cured many from sicknesses,
and plagues, and evil spirits, and to many blind he granted sight.”
Meaning of Words: “cured”: warm, serve, heal; “of infirmities”:
whip, malady, suffering; “gave”: give kindly.
Literal Meaning: “that very hour” indicates the time when the
disciples of John the Baptist came to ask Jesus. Luke here intended to prove
that the Messiah who was predicted in the Old Testament was spoken concerning
the Lord Jesus through the deeds that He had done (See v.22).
Luke. 7:22 “Jesus answered and said
to them, ‘Go and tell John the things
you have seen and heard: that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are
cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached
to them.”
YLT: “And Jesus answering said to them, `Having gone on,
report to John what ye saw and heard, that blind men do see again, lame do
walk, lepers are cleansed, deaf do hear, dead are raised, poor have good news
proclaimed;”
The
Background: in the time of the
Old Testament, nobody had seen the sign that “the blind see”. However, it was predicted
through Isaiah the prophet that when the Messiah comes, He would make the eyes
of the blind open (Is. 35:5).
Literal Meaning: “Go and tell John the things you have seen
and heard” When the Lord was questioned and offended by John the Baptist, He
did not regard him as disobedient. Contrarily He further revealed Himself to
John. “The things you have heard” are the Lord’s teachings (words) and “the
things you have seen” are the wonders (deeds) done by the Lord.
“That the blind see, the lame
walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor
have the gospel preached to them.”
the Lord used these things that He had done as evidence to make John the
Baptist know that He is the Messiah.
Spiritual
Meaning: various
kinds of people in this verse symbolize the different states of us before we
were saved:
1) “The blind” symbolize those whose thoughts have been blinded by the
god of this world (2Cor. 4:4).
2) “The lame” symbolize those who are unable to walk in the God’s
commanded way (Acts. 3:2-9).
3) “The lepers” symbolize those who are rebellious and unclean in God’s
sight (Num. 12:1-10).
4) “The deaf” symbolize those who could not hear the voice of God (Is.
29:18).
5) “The dead” symbolize those who are dead in their offences and sins
(Eph. 2:1).
6) “The poor” symbolize those who have no hope and without God in the
world (Eph 2:12).
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) John the Baptist formerly knew the Lord,
however, he was weak here. The Lord’s answer to him is about the knowledge of Himself
(See v.4-5). It shows that the more knowledge of the Lord is the deliverance to
those who are weak.
2) The effect of the Lord’s work cannot be
measured by sight and therefore we should follow the Lord by our inner knowledge
of Him instead of the outer conditions.
3) “Hearing” is listed before “seeing” in
this verse and this shows that Christ’s teachings (the Lord’s words) are more
important than His conduct (signs). It is better for one to hear ten sentences
of God’s words than to see ten signs. The extreme Charismatic Christians pay
more attention to God’s signs than His words. This is the action of putting the
incidental before the fundamental.
4) One still needs to be revealed after he
has revelations. One still needs to see God’s appearance after he has seen God’s
appearance. The new revelation and appearance shall make us be renewed our
strength. If there is no vision, there will be no power.
5) “The blind see” is the first step of
salvation. The Lord firstly opened our eyes and we may turn from darkness to
light (Acts. 26:18).
6) The Lord opens our eyes, strengthens our
feet to walk in the Lord’s way (Heb. 12:12-13), leads captive our formerly
rebellious to Him (2Kings. 5:9-14), makes us hear the Lord’s voice (John.
10:27), know the power of His resurrection (Pill. 3:10) and enjoy the
unsearchable riches of Christ (Eph. 3:8).
Luke. 7:23 “And blessed is he who is
not offended because of Me.’”
YLT: “and happy is he whoever may not be stumbled in
me.’”
Meaning of Words: “offended”: take offence, dislike, and
stumble.
Literal Meaning: the Lord here implies that John the Baptist
may be offended because of Him.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The name of the Lord is “a stone of
stumbling and rock of offence” (Rom. 9:33). If believers do not have enough knowledge
of the Lord, they will probably be offended because of Him.
2) We should pray to the Lord that we could
know Him increasingly and continually so that we won’t be offended because of
Him.
3) John the Baptist blamed the Lord because
he was unsatisfied with what the Lord had done. Anyone who is unpleasant with
what the Lord has done would be offended easily.
4) We should never study the Bible with our
own conceptions. We may be offended because of Him when the works and deeds of the
Lord Jesus recorded in the Bible are not in agreement with what we except.
5) Let him that thinks that he stands take
heed lest he fall (1Cor. 10:12).
6) Blessed is one who has not been offended
when the Lord seemed to do nothing for him who is in trouble.
7) Blessed is the one who willingly receives
the circumstances and ways arranged by the Lord without any complaint.
8) When we are in tribulations, we should
learn to look upon the Lord exclusively and not see the circumstance, and then
we are able to praise the Lord without dissatisfaction or complaints.
9) When we have learnt that we should not “blame”
the Lord, our mourning will be turned into joy and tears will be turned into
mirth.
10) Revelation and trial are relative. The
revelation given by God to John the Baptist is great and so is his trial. Great
trial will bring in greater revelation.
11) The Lord’s appearance is the power that
strengthens us. Only those who see the Lord Jesus in spirit will not be
offended.
Luke. 7:24 “When the messengers of
John had departed, He began to speak to the multitudes concerning John: ‘What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed
shaken by the wind?”
YLT: “And the messengers of John having gone away, he
began to say unto the multitudes concerning John: `What have ye gone forth to
the wilderness to look on? a reed by the wind shaken?”
Meaning of Words: “see”: look closely at.
The
Background: When John the
Baptist started to preach, he was in “the wilderness” of
Literal Meaning: “when the messengers of John had departed,
He began to speak to the multitudes concerning John” The Lord encouraged him in
the presence of the disciples of John (See v.22-23) and praised him behind
their back (See v.24-28).
“What
did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?” It means
that men wouldn’t go purposely to see ordinary things.
Spiritual Meaning: “reed” is easy to be broken (Matt. 12:20)
and it symbolizes fragile men (1Kings. 14:15). In this verse the Lord meant
that when John, the forerunner of Christ, was preaching in the wilderness, he
was not weak.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) A natural man likes to praise others in
the presence of them and speak ill of others behind their back. However the
example of the Lord Jesus is just opposite to this.
2) Open rebuke is better than hidden love
(Prov. 27:5). We should praise others behind their back lest they feel proud.
3) John the Baptist bore witness to Christ
previously (See 3:16-17) and the Lord Jesus bore witness to him here. Whoever
bears witness to Christ before men, him the Lord will testify before men (See
12:8).
4) The state of John the Baptist at this
moment was like “a reed shaken by the wind”. However the Lord is merciful and
He shall not break a bruised reed (Matt. 12:20).
Luke. 7:25 “But what did you go out
to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed those who are gorgeously
appareled and live in luxury are in kings' courts.”
YLT: “but what have ye gone forth to see? a man in soft
garments clothed? lo, they in splendid apparellings, and living in luxury, are
in the houses of kings!”
Meaning of Words: “see”: be aware of, by implication to know,
and perceive (it is different from the “see” in v.24).
Literal Meaning: “in soft garments”: panoply in the palace.
Spiritual Meaning: “a man clothed in soft garments” symbolizes the
man who takes forethought for the flesh (Rom. 13:14). The Lord here meant that
you should not hold that John was a man who sought ease.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The ordinary people like to know others
according to the flesh------utterance, knowledge, wearing, making up and etc
and do not look upon their hearts (See 1Sam. 16:7).
2) Workers of the Lord should be strong (See
v.24) and should not enjoy high position or live in ease and comfort.
Luke. 7:26 “But what did you go out
to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.”
YLT: “`But what have ye gone forth to see? a prophet?
Yes, I say to you, and much more than a prophet:”
Meaning of Words: “see”: be aware of, know by implication, and
perceive (it is different from the “see” in v.24).
Literal Meaning: “prophet” is the one who speaks for God.
John
the Baptist not only spoke for the Lord, but also introduced Christ to men. Therefore
he was more than a prophet. Moreover, John was the landmark of the transition
of times------a person from the time of the prophets (the law) to the time of
grace------therefore “he is more than a prophet”.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The Lord, instead of a man, judges
whether someone is great or not.
2) Personal experience of Christ (John the
Baptist) is more useful than the talk of the intangible Christ (the prophet).
Luke. 7:27 “This is he of whom it is
written: ‘Behold, I send My messenger
before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.'”
YLT: “this is he concerning whom it hath been written,
Lo, I send my messenger before thy face, who shall prepare thy way before thee;”
Literal Meaning: “it is written”: it is quoted from Mal. 3:1
“I
send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.” This
sentence shows that the ministry of John the Baptist is to prepare the way for
Christ and prepare men’s hearts to receive Him.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) When John the Baptist was weak
temporarily, on one side the Lord further revealed Himself to encourage him
(v.22-23) and on the other He bore strong witness to him before men (v.24-28). It
shows that:
a) The Lord never hit
a person when he is down. It is not the spirit of Christ to flatter someone
when he is strong and to condemn someone when he is weak.
b) The Lord is able to
sympathize with our infirmities (Heb. 4:15) and He never forgets men’s
faithfulness towards Him.
c) The Lord purposely
bears strong witness to His servant in order to stop men’s excessive criticism
to him when he is weak.
2) We should learn to fear God and do not
judge the Lord’s servants, especially when they are weak. It is this principle that
David did not dare to offend Saul.
3) The primary task for the Lord’s servants
is to prepare the way for the Lord. Any work that could not let the Lord have
more way to work in men’s hearts is not serving the Lord.
Luke. 7:28 “For I say to you, among
those born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist; but
he who is least in the
YLT: “for I say to you, a greater prophet, among those
born of women, than John the Baptist there is not; but the least in the reign
of God is greater than he.’”
Meaning of Words: “least”: little one.
Literal Meaning: “among those born of women there is not a
greater prophet than John the Baptist.” Here the so-called greatness does not
mean the highness of status or the greatness of ministry, but the closeness of
relation between men and Christ. Those who were born of women, such as Abraham,
Moses, Elias and other great men, only had seen Christ “from afar off” (Heb.
11:13). However John the Baptist saw Christ with his eyes. Therefore he was
greater than them.
“But
he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” “Who is least in
the kingdom of heaven” are the ordinary believers and Christ dwells in them
(Col. 1:27). However John the Baptist only knew Christ in the flesh. Therefore
believers are greater than he. Moreover, the least believer in the New
Testament is a portion of the assembly, i.e. a portion of the bride of Christ
(See Eph. 5:25-27, 32). John the Baptist was only a friend of the bridegroom (John.
3:29). Therefore believers are greater than John the Baptist from this angle.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Whether one is great or not depends on
his relation with Christ. The closer one is to Christ, the greater he is.
2) Any one who is born of water and of
Spirit can enter into the
Luke. 7:29 “And when all the people
heard Him, even the tax collectors justified God, having been baptized with the
baptism of John.”
YLT: “And all the people having heard, and the
tax-gatherers, declared God righteous, having been baptized with the baptism of
John,”
Literal Meaning: “justified God” It means that one confesses
that he is sinful and it is reasonable that God requires men to repent and be
baptized.
Luke. 7:30 “But the Pharisees and
lawyers rejected the will of God for themselves, not having been baptized by
him.”
YLT: “but the Pharisees, and the lawyers, the counsel of
God did put away for themselves, not having been baptized by him.”
Meaning of Words: “reject”: cast away, abandon.
Literal Meaning: “lawyers” indicate the teachers of the Law,
i.e. the scribes.
“Rejected
the will of God for themselves.” It means that they rejected God’s salvation
that He has prepared for men. They rejected the baptism of John the Baptist,
i.e. they rejected what God had entrusted John the Baptist (See 3:2-6) and
therefore they rejected the will of God.
Luke. 7:31 “And the Lord said,
"To what then shall I liken the men of this generation, and what are they
like?”
YLT: “And the Lord said, `To what, then, shall I liken
the men of this generation? and to what are they like?”
Luke.
7:32 “They are like children
sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another, saying: ‘We played the flute for you, And you did not dance; We
mourned to you, And you did not weep.'”
YLT: “they are like to children, to those sitting in a
market-place, and calling one to another, and saying, We piped to you, and ye
did not dance, we mourned to you, and ye did not weep!”
Literal Meaning: “playing the flute” is like what men do in
the wedding; “mourning” is like what men do in the funeral. The Lord meant that
men of this generation are as stubborn as children who neither play the game of
the wedding (playing the flute and dancing) nor play in the procession of the funeral
(mourning and lamenting).
The
Lord is merciful to the sinners and sat down with sinners (See 5:29-32), just
as “playing the flute” to men. John the Baptist condemned men’s sins bluntly
and asked men to repent (See 3:7-9), just as “mourning” to men.
Spiritual Meaning: “we played the flute for you, and you did
not dance.” It is a metaphor to show that we preach the glad tidings of God’s
grace to the world, however, men are untouched.
“We
mourned to you, and you did not lament.” It is a metaphor to show that we
preach the warning news of God’s righteous judgment, however, men are unwilling
to repent.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The days are evil and easily make men
foolish (Eph. 5:16-17), “ignorant like children” and insensitive to the Lord
and the things of the Lord
2) We should not be children in minds but be
grown (1Cor. 14:20).
3) Rejoice with those that rejoice, weep
with those that weep. Have the same respect one for another (Rom. 12:15-16).
4) Not dancing when others play the flute or
lamenting when others mourn show that the people of
5) Believers should have the spirit of
meekness. On one hand we should rejoice in God and everything that is of God
(Luke. 1:47). On the other we should mourn in everything that is besides God
(Matt. 5:4).
Luke. 7:33 “For John the Baptist came
neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, ‘He
has a demon.'”
YLT: “`For John the Baptist came neither eating bread
nor drinking wine, and ye say, He hath a demon;”
Literal Meaning: “neither eating bread” He ate locusts and
wild honey (See Mark. 1:6) that were totally different from the food of the
ordinary men.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) When the Lord was busy serving the folk
and cannot even eat bread, men said that He was out of His mind (Mark.
3:20-21). When believers hold heavy burdens in spirit so that they cannot eat
or drink as usual (fasting), they are treated as “strangers” by others.
2) Christians are
not ascetic. It is not their purpose for not to eat or drink, or not get along
with the world. Concerning everything that may draw us into the world, we
should choose what we should choose and reject what we should reject in spite
of others’ criticism.
Luke. 7:34 “The Son of Man has come
eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look, a glutton and a
winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!'”
YLT: “the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and ye
say, Lo, a man, a glutton, and a wine drinker, a friend of tax-gatherers and
sinners;”
Literal Meaning: “The Son of Man has come eating and drinking”
“The Son of Man” is the Lord Jesus (Matt. 16:13). “Eating and drinking” shows
that His food and drink is the same as that of the ordinary men.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) John neither ate nor drank and the Lord
ate and drank. They did not condemn each other for their contrary states. We should
permit others to have the absolute freedom in their life styles. It is the most
foolish to condemn and interfere in what is different from us.
2) In the eyes of the Jews, “neither eating
nor drinking” and “eating and drinking” are both wrong. When men have their own
opinions, they are unable to accept others’ behaviors and it is wrong in their
eyes no matter how others act.
3) Christianity is not “neither eating nor
drinking” nor “eating and drinking”. What Christianity values is not men’s
outer actions but their inner intentions.
4) For the
Luke. 7:35 “But wisdom is justified
by all her children.’”
YLT: “and the wisdom was justified from all her
children.’”
Literal Meaning: “But wisdom is justified by all her children.” It shows that though John the Baptist and
the Lord Jesus had different ways of life, they were all right according to the
results of conducts of their wisdom.
Spiritual Meaning: “But wisdom is justified by all her
children.” “Wisdom” is Christ (1Cor. 1:24, 30); “Her children” are those who
fear God (See Prov. 9:10). Those who fear God do not judge by appearance but
look upon Christ in everything and hold His guidance as foundation.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Believers should not measure things with
the material sight which would make us haggle over the outer forms and ways
(See v.33-34). We should measure everything with Christ’s sight because Christ
is our wisdom (1Cor. 1:30).
2) Those who take fast hold of Christ are the
“children of wisdom”. It is the true wisdom that we “justify” what Christ has
justified.
3) Only those who have spiritual sights and
truly fear God can know the Lord’s deeds.
4) Christ is justified by those who are of
Christ and seek Christ. The salvation arranged by God is justified by those who
receive the Lord.
5) What believers should do their utmost to
seek is the Lord Himself instead of ways, teachings, reasons or experience. It
is not the Lord’s grace but the Lord who gives grace.
Luke. 7:36 “Then one of the Pharisees
asked Him to eat with him. And He went to the Pharisee's house, and sat down to
eat.”
YLT: “And a certain one of the Pharisees was asking him
that he might eat with him, and having gone into the house of the Pharisee he
reclined (at meat),”
Literal Meaning: “asked Him to eat with him” according to his
indifferent and unreasonable attitude towards Jesus, the reason why he invited
Jesus may be the enmity or his curiosity towards the Lord. Probably he wanted
to utilize His prestige (See v.17).
Luke. 7:37 “And behold, a woman in
the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the
Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil,”
YLT: “and lo, a woman in the city, who was a sinner,
having known that he reclineth (at meat) in the house of the Pharisee, having
provided an alabaster box of ointment,”
Meaning of Words: “brought”: to provide for, to carry off.
Literal Meaning: “a woman in the city who was a sinner” The
story that a woman anointed the Lord with fragrant oil which was recorded in
these verses (v.36-50) was different from the case that Mary anointed the Lord.
The reasons are as follows:
A. The
locations were different: “the city” here was in Galilee; Mary anointed the
Lord in
B. The
times were different: this case happened in the middle term of the Lord’s
preaching; Mary anointed the Lord in the last period of the Lord’s preaching
(See John. 12:1-8).
C. The
characters were different: this woman was “a sinner” and she may be a harlot.
Mary was a woman who loved the Lord (See 10:38-42) and was respected by men
(See John. 11:31, 45).
D. The
lords who made the dinner were different: though the name of both men was “Simon”
(See v.40), the lord here was a proud “Pharisee” (See v.39, 44-46) and that one
was “Simon the leper” (See Mark. 14:3).
Luke. 7:38 “and stood at His feet
behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped
them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with
the fragrant oil.”
YLT: “and having stood behind, beside his feet, weeping,
she began to wet his feet with the tears, and with the hairs of her head she
was wiping, and was kissing his feet, and was anointing with the ointment.”
The
Background: “stood at His feet
behind Him weeping” when the Jews attended the dinner in the days of old, they
laid on their side on the bed, with their heads near the table and their feet
stretching to the back. Therefore when others stood at one’s feet, his normal
dinner and dialogue were not disturbed.
Literal Meaning: “stood at His feet behind Him weeping” It
means humbleness, repentance and gratitude.
Spiritual Meaning: “wiped them with the hair of her head” “hair”
is the glory to women (See 1Cor. 11:15). This woman wiped the lowest part of
the Lord (feet) with her most glorious part and this symbolizes that she cast
her crown at the feet of the Lord (See Rev. 4:10).
“She
kissed His feet” symbolizes that she valued and appreciated everything of the
Lord with love.
“Anointed
them with the fragrant oil” symbolizes that she devoted herself to the Lord as
the sweet sacrifice.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Believers in the assembly were “sinners” originally;
those who truly know that they are sinners and have received the grace of the
Lord will always thank and love the Lord and dedicate themselves to the Lord.
2) The moment the fragrant oil was anointed,
the whole house was full of the sweet fragrance. Everyone who dedicates all to
the Lord for the sake of loving the Lord is a witness of fragrance to others
who are around him.
3) Many people desire the salvation of the
Lord but do not desire the Lord Himself; many people value the Lord’s blessing
but do not value the Lord Himself. What do we desire? Everything that is beside
the Lord? Or the Lord Himself?
4) Unto to those who believe the Lord is
precious (1Pet. 2:7). Our dedication to the Lord indicates our evaluation
towards the Lord.
5) For the love of Christ compels us,
because we judge thus: that if One died for all, that those who live should
live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again
(2Cor. 5:14-15).
6) One’s being saved must make him dedicate
himself to the Lord. The salvation that could not make one dedicate himself to
the Lord is not complete.
Luke. 7:39 “Now when the Pharisee who
had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, ‘This
Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who
is touching Him, for she is a sinner.’”
YLT: “And the Pharisee who did call him, having seen,
spake within himself, saying, `This one, if he were a prophet, would have known
who and of what kind [is] the woman who doth touch him, that she is a sinner.’”
Literal Meaning: Simon thought that this woman was a sinner
and he himself was not a sinner. He doubted that the Lord may not know that
this woman was a sinner.
Luke. 7:40 “And Jesus answered and
said to him, ‘Simon, I have something to
say to you.’ So he said, ‘Teacher, say it.’”
YLT: “And Jesus answering said unto him, `Simon, I have
something to say to thee;’ and he saith, ‘Teacher, say on.’”
Literal Meaning: “Jesus answered and said to him” Jesus answered
the murmur in the heart of Simon (See v.39), showing that He knows all things.
Luke. 7:41 “‘There
was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and
the other fifty.”
YLT: “`Two debtors were to a certain creditor; the one
was owing five hundred denaries, and the other fifty;”
The
Background: at that time, the
wage of an ordinary worker was about a denarius a day (See Matt. 20:2).
Spiritual Meaning: “a certain creditor” indicates the Lord Himself.
“Who
had two debtors” “Debtors” shows that all come short of the glory of God
because they all have sinned (Rom. 3:23). “Two” implies that Simon and that
woman were both sinners. Both of them were debtors of the Lord and they both
needed His remission.
“One
owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.” This shows that men feel
different concerning their debts of sins to the Lord.
Luke. 7:42 “And when they had nothing
with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of
them will love him more?’”
YLT: “and they not having [wherewith] to give back, he
forgave both; which then of them, say thou, will love him more?’”
Literal Meaning: “which of them will love him more?” The
question of the Lord did not show that love is the cause for one to be
forgiven. It meant that love is the consequence for one who has been forgiven.
Spiritual Meaning: “they had nothing with which to repay” It
shows that all sinners had nothing with which to repay their debts of sin to
God.
Luke. 7:43 “Simon answered and said, ‘I suppose the one whom he forgave more.’ And He said to him, ‘You
have rightly judged.’”
YLT: “And Simon answering said, `I suppose that to whom
he forgave the more;’ and he said to him, ‘Rightly thou didst judge.’”
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) We have received the uncountable grace
and remissions from the Lord and therefore we should love Him more.
2) If we want to love the Lord more deeply,
we should often count the grace of the Lord.
Luke. 7:44 “Then He turned to the
woman and said to Simon, ‘Do you see this woman? I
entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My
feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head.”
YLT: “And having turned unto the woman, he said to
Simon, `Seest thou this woman? I entered into thy house; water for my feet thou
didst not give, but this woman with tears did wet my feet, and with the hairs
of her head did wipe;”
Spiritual Meaning: at that time the elementary rule for the
Jews to serve the guests was that 1) when the guest entered the house, the lord
commanded the servant to give him water to wash his feet; 2) the lord would
kiss the guest (See v.45); 3) the lord would anoint his head with oil (See
v.46).
Literal Meaning: “gave him water to wash His feet and wipe
them up” was in contrast to “she has washed My feet with tears and wiped them
with the hair of her head”.
Luke. 7:45 “You gave Me no kiss, but
this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in.”
YLT: “a kiss to me thou didst not give, but this woman,
from what [time] I came in, did not cease kissing my feet;”
Literal Meaning: “kiss” was in contrast to “kiss My feet”
Luke. 7:46 “You did not anoint My
head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil.”
YLT: “with oil my head thou didst not anoint, but this
woman with ointment did anoint my feet;”
Literal Meaning: “anoint the head with oil” was in contrast
to “anoint the feet with fragrant oil”.
Luke. 7:47 “Therefore 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.’”
YLT: “therefore I say to thee, her many sins have been
forgiven, because she did love much; but to whom little is forgiven, little he
doth love.’”
Literal Meaning: this verse would be misunderstood easily
that the one who loved much will be forgiven more and the one who loved little
will be forgiven little. On the contrary, the Lord meant that she loved much,
proving that to her many were forgiven and the one who loved little, proving
that to him little was forgiven. Whether we love much or little is not the
reason for whether we are forgiven many or little but the consequent and
expression for whether we are forgiven many or little.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The more deeply we feel that our sins
have been forgiven, the more we will love the Lord.
2) The one who is rarely aware of his sins
does not desire the Lord. The more deeply one is aware of his sins, the more he
desires the salvation of the Lord and therefore the more he loves the Lord.
3) If we remember that how our sins have
been forgiven by the Lord, we have to love the Lord. If one day we cannot be
moved by the cross, this proves that we have fallen.
4) This woman who was sinner did not say
anything and she only did three things at the feet of the Lord (See v.44-46). The
Lord praised her that she “loved much”. The actual deeds of love touch the
heart of the Lord more, compared with millions of words of love.
5) The Lord’s judgment in this verse shows
that though Simon the Pharisee took a dinner for the Lord, what he did was
inferior to what the woman who was sinner had done for the Lord. In the eyes of
the Lord, He valued our love towards Him instead of the works that we had done
for Him.
Luke. 7:48 “Then He said to her, ‘Your sins are forgiven.’”
YLT: “And he said to her, `Thy sins have been
forgiven;’”
Literal Meaning: “Your sins are forgiven” the Lord did not
say that, “I forgive yours sins right now” but “Your sins are forgiven” (“are
forgiven” is in the perfect term “have been forgiven”). This woman who was a
sinner had been forgiven by the Lord when she stood at the Lord’s feet behind Him weeping (See v.38). The Lord at that time stated and
declared the thing that had been done.
Luke. 7:49 “And those who sat at the
table with Him began to say to themselves, ‘Who
is this who even forgives sins?’”
YLT: “and those reclining with him (at meat) began to
say within themselves, ‘Who is this, who also doth forgive sins?’”
Luke. 7:50 “Then He said to the
woman, ‘Your faith has saved you.
Go in peace.’”
YLT: “and he said unto the woman, `Thy faith have saved
thee, be going on to peace.’”
Literal Meaning: “Your faith has saved you” shows that faith
is the true reason for one to be saved.
“Go in
peace.” “Peace” is the state of peace after one’s sins have been forgiven. Peace
is not the peace of circumstances but the state of peace (See John. 16:33).
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Faith brings in the salvation and the
salvation brings in peace.
2) Everyone who comes to the Lord will not
only be forgiven his sins but also the peace of Christ will be filled in him and
this makes him to walk forth. Therefore we should often come to draw near to Him.
III. Outlines of the Spiritual
Lessons
The Mercy and Condescension of the Savior the
Son of Man
I. He condescended the Jewish elders who did not
know the honor of the Lord (v.3, 6).
II. He sympathized with the widow who lost her only
son and took the initiative to raise her son (v.12-15).
III. He condescended Simon the Pharisee who
neglected the Lord and went to sit with him (v.36-46).
IV. He condescended the sinner who was despised by
men and received her expression of love (v.47-50).
The Comparisons in This Chapter
I. The comparison between the Jewish elders and the
Gentile centurion:
A. The
elders thought that one could receive grace by works; the centurion thought himself
unworthy (v.4, 7).
B. The
elders asked the Lord to help him; the centurion thought that there was no need
for the Lord to come to his house and only asked the Lord to say the word
(v.6-7).
C. The
elders only knew the power of the Lord; the centurion knew the authority of the
Lord (v.4, 8).
D. The
elders asked the Lord according to reasons; the centurion asked the Lord in
faith (v.5, 9).
II. The comparison between the group of people who
followed the Lord and the large crowd who carried out the dead man with the widow:
A. One
was the group of life and the other was the group of death (v.11-12).
B. One
was able to raise the dead and the other could bury the dead only (v.12, 15).
C. One
was able to make men rejoice and the other could not cease men from crying
(v.13, 15).
III. The comparison between Simon the Pharisee and
the woman who was a sinner:
A. The
Pharisee asked the Lord to attend the dinner and he did not know Him; that
woman knew that He is the Savior and therefore she stood at His feet weeping
(v.38-39).
B. The
Pharisee did not know that he was a sinner; that woman knew that she was a
sinner (v.39).
C. The
Pharisee did not give the Lord water to wash His feet; that woman washed His
feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head (v.44).
D. The
Pharisee did not kiss the Lord; that woman did not cease to kiss His feet
(v.45).
E. The
Pharisee did not anoint the Lord’s head with oil; that woman anointed His feet
with fragrant oil (v.46).
F. The Pharisee did not except that the
Lord would forgive men’s sins and therefore he had not been forgiven by the
Lord; that woman had faith towards the Lord and therefore she had been forgiven
by the Lord (v. 48-50).
What Is “Such Great Faith” (v.9)?
I. He thinks himself little------I am not worthy
that You should enter under my roof; therefore I did not even think myself
worthy to come to You (v.6-7).
II. He thinks the Lord great------say the word, and
my servant will be healed (v.7).
The Total Statement of the Salvation (v.22)
I. The blind see------men’s thoughts are opened.
II. The lame walk------men are able to walk in the
way of God with strength.
III. The lepers are cleansed------men’s sins are
cleansed.
IV. The deaf hear------men could hear the voice of
God.
V. The dead are raised------men obtain the life of
resurrection of the Lord.
VI. The poor have the gospel preached to
them------men could have the spiritual richness.
──
Caleb Huang《Christian Digest Bible
Commentary Series》
Translated by Sharon Ren