7When he finished speaking to the people, he entered Capernaum.G1161G1893G4137G3956G846G4487G1519G189G2992G1525G1519G25842A Roman captain there had a servant who was on his deathbed. He prized him highly and didn't want to lose him.G1161G5100G1543G1401G3739G2258G1784G846G2192G2560G3195G50533When he heard Jesus was back, he sent leaders from the Jewish community asking him to come and heal his servant.G1161G191G4012G2424G649G4314G846G4245G2453G2065G846G3704G2064G1295G846G14014They came to Jesus and urged him to do it, saying, "He deserves this.G1161G3854G4314G2424G3870G846G4709G3004G3754G2076G514G3739G3930G51245He loves our people. He even built our meeting place."G1063G25G2257G1484G2532G846G3618G2254G48646Jesus went with them. When he was still quite far from the house, the captain sent friends to tell him, "Master, you don't have to go to all this trouble. I'm not that good a person, you know. I'd be embarrassed for you to come to my house,G1161G2424G4198G4862G846G1161G846G568G2235G3756G3112G575G3614G1543G3992G5384G4314G846G3004G846G2962G4660G3361G4660G1063G1510G3756G2425G2443G1525G5259G3450G47217even embarrassed to come to you in person. Just give the order and my servant will get well.G1352G3761G515G1683G515G2064G4314G4571G235G2036G3056G2532G3450G3816G23908I'm a man under orders; I also give orders. I tell one soldier, 'Go,' and he goes; another, 'Come,' and he comes; my slave, 'Do this,' and he does it."G1063G1473G2532G1510G444G5021G5259G1849G2192G5259G1683G4757G2532G3004G5129G4198G2532G4198G2532G243G2064G2532G2064G2532G3450G1401G4160G5124G2532G41609Taken aback, Jesus addressed the accompanying crowd: "I've yet to come across this kind of simple trust anywhere in Israel, the very people who are supposed to know about God and how he works."G1161G2424G191G5023G2296G846G2532G4762G2036G3793G190G846G3004G5213G2147G5118G4102G3761G1722G247410When the messengers got back home, they found the servant up and well.G2532G3992G5290G1519G3624G2147G1401G5198G77011Not long after that, Jesus went to the village Nain. His disciples were with him, along with quite a large crowd.G2532G1096G1722G1836G4198G1519G4172G2564G3484G2532G2425G846G3101G4848G846G2532G4183G379312As they approached the village gate, they met a funeral procession—a woman's only son was being carried out for burial. And the mother was a widow.G1161G5613G1448G4439G4172G2532G2400G1580G2348G1580G3439G5207G846G3384G2532G846G2258G5503G2532G2425G3793G4172G2258G4862G84613When Jesus saw her, his heart broke. He said to her, "Don't cry."G2532G2962G1492G846G4697G1909G846G2532G2036G846G2799G336114Then he went over and touched the coffin. The pallbearers stopped. He said, "Young man, I tell you: Get up."G2532G4334G680G4673G1161G941G2476G2532G2036G3495G3004G4671G145315The dead son sat up and began talking. Jesus presented him to his mother.G2532G3498G339G2532G756G2980G2532G1325G846G846G338416They all realized they were in a place of holy mystery, that God was at work among them. They were quietly worshipful—and then noisily grateful, calling out among themselves, "God is back, looking to the needs of his people!"G1161G2983G5401G537G2532G1392G2316G3004G3754G3173G4396G1453G1722G2254G2532G3754G2316G1980G846G299217The news of Jesus spread all through the country.G2532G3778G3056G4012G846G1831G1722G3650G2449G2532G1722G3956G406618John's disciples reported back to him the news of all these events taking place.G2532G3101G2491G518G846G4012G3956G513019He sent two of them to the Master to ask the question, "Are you the One we've been expecting, or are we still waiting?"G2532G2491G4341G1417G5100G846G3101G3992G4314G2424G3004G1488G4771G2064G2228G4328G24320The men showed up before Jesus and said, "John the Baptizer sent us to ask you, 'Are you the One we've been expecting, or are we still waiting?'"G1161G435G3854G4314G846G2036G2491G910G649G2248G4314G4571G3004G1488G4771G2064G2228G4328G24321In the next two or three hours Jesus healed many from diseases, distress, and evil spirits. To many of the blind he gave the gift of sight.G1161G1722G846G5610G2323G4183G575G3554G2532G3148G2532G4190G4151G2532G4183G5185G5483G99122Then he gave his answer: "Go back and tell John what you have just seen and heard: The blind see, The lame walk, Lepers are cleansed, The deaf hear, The dead are raised, The wretched of the earth have God's salvation hospitality extended to them.G2532G2424G611G2036G846G4198G518G2491G3739G1492G2532G191G3754G5185G308G5560G4043G3015G2511G2974G191G3498G1453G4434G209723"Is this what you were expecting? Then count yourselves fortunate!"G2532G3107G2076G3739G4624G3362G4624G1722G169824After John's messengers left to make their report, Jesus said more about John to the crowd of people. "What did you expect when you went out to see him in the wild? A weekend camper?G1161G32G2491G565G756G3004G4314G3793G4012G2491G5101G1831G1519G2048G2300G2563G4531G5259G41725Hardly. What then? A sheik in silk pajamas? Not in the wilderness, not by a long shot.G235G5101G1831G1492G444G294G1722G3120G2440G2400G1722G1741G2441G2532G5225G5172G1526G1722G93326What then? A messenger from God? That's right, a messenger! Probably the greatest messenger you'll ever hear.G235G5101G1831G1492G4396G3483G3004G5213G2532G4055G439627He is the messenger Malachi announced when he wrote, I'm sending my messenger on ahead To make the road smooth for you.G3778G2076G4012G3739G1125G2400G1473G649G3450G32G4253G4675G4383G3739G2680G4675G3598G1715G467528"Let me lay it out for you as plainly as I can: No one in history surpasses John the Baptizer, but in the kingdom he prepared you for, the lowliest person is ahead of him.G1063G3004G5213G1722G1084G1135G2076G3762G3187G4396G3187G2491G910G1161G3398G1722G932G2316G2076G3187G84629The ordinary and disreputable people who heard John, by being baptized by him into the kingdom, are the clearest evidence;G2532G3956G2992G191G2532G5057G1344G2316G907G908G249130the Pharisees and religious officials would have nothing to do with such a baptism, wouldn't think of giving up their place in line to their inferiors.G1161G5330G2532G3544G114G1012G2316G1519G1438G907G3361G907G5259G84631"How can I account for the people of this generation?G1161G2962G2036G5101G3767G3666G444G5026G1074G2532G5101G1526G366432They're like spoiled children complaining to their parents, 'We wanted to skip rope and you were always too tired; we wanted to talk but you were always too busy.'G1526G3664G3813G2521G1722G58G2532G4377G240G2532G3004G832G5213G2532G3738G3756G3738G2354G5213G2532G2799G3756G279933John the Baptizer came fasting and you called him crazy.G1063G2491G910G2064G3383G2068G740G3383G4095G3631G2532G3004G2192G114034The Son of Man came feasting and you called him a lush.G5207G444G2064G2068G2532G4095G2532G3004G2400G5314G444G2532G3630G5384G5057G2532G26835Opinion polls don't count for much, do they? The proof of the pudding is in the eating."G2532G4678G1344G575G3956G846G504336One of the Pharisees asked him over for a meal. He went to the Pharisee's house and sat down at the dinner table.G1161G5100G5330G2065G846G2443G5315G3326G846G2532G1525G1519G5330G3614G34737Just then a woman of the village, the town harlot, having learned that Jesus was a guest in the home of the Pharisee, came with a bottle of very expensive perfumeG2532G2400G1135G1722G4172G3748G2258G268G1921G3754G345G1722G5330G3614G2865G211G346438and stood at his feet, weeping, raining tears on his feet. Letting down her hair, she dried his feet, kissed them, and anointed them with the perfume.G2532G2476G3844G846G4228G3694G2799G756G1026G846G4228G1144G2532G1591G2359G846G2776G2532G2705G846G4228G2532G218G346439When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man was the prophet I thought he was, he would have known what kind of woman this is who is falling all over him."G1161G5330G3588G2564G846G1492G2036G1722G1438G3004G3778G1487G2258G4396G302G1097G5101G2532G4217G1135G3748G680G846G3754G2076G26840Jesus said to him, "Simon, I have something to tell you." "Oh? Tell me."G2532G2424G611G2036G4314G846G4613G2192G5100G2036G4671G1161G5346G1320G203641"Two men were in debt to a banker. One owed five hundred silver pieces, the other fifty.G2258G5100G1157G1417G5533G1520G3784G4001G1220G1161G2087G400442Neither of them could pay up, and so the banker canceled both debts. Which of the two would be more grateful?"G1161G846G2192G3361G591G5483G297G2036G3767G5101G846G25G846G411943Simon answered, "I suppose the one who was forgiven the most." "That's right," said Jesus.G4613G611G1161G2036G5274G3754G3739G5483G4119G1161G2036G846G2919G3723G291944Then turning to the woman, but speaking to Simon, he said, "Do you see this woman? I came to your home; you provided no water for my feet, but she rained tears on my feet and dried them with her hair.G2532G4762G4314G1135G5346G4613G991G5026G1135G1525G1519G4675G3614G1325G3756G5204G1909G3450G4228G1161G3778G846G1026G3450G4228G1144G2532G1591G2359G846G277645You gave me no greeting, but from the time I arrived she hasn't quit kissing my feet.G1325G3427G3756G5370G1161G3778G846G575G3739G1525G1257G3756G1257G2705G3450G422846You provided nothing for freshening up, but she has soothed my feet with perfume.G3450G2776G1637G218G3756G218G1161G3778G846G218G3450G4228G346447Impressive, isn't it? She was forgiven many, many sins, and so she is very, very grateful. If the forgiveness is minimal, the gratitude is minimal."G3739G5484G3004G4671G846G266G3588G4183G863G3754G25G4183G1161G3739G3641G863G25G364148Then he spoke to her: "I forgive your sins."G1161G2036G846G4675G266G86349That set the dinner guests talking behind his back: "Who does he think he is, forgiving sins!"G2532G4873G756G3004G1722G1438G5101G2076G3778G3739G863G266G253250He ignored them and said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you. Go in peace."G1161G2036G4314G1135G4675G4102G4982G4571G4198G1519G1515
Dublin, OH
