In Luke 7, Jesus healed a Centurion's servant, raised a widow's
son from the dead, and commended John the Baptist. He also
taught Simon about forgiveness.
Centurion
A centurion was a Roman officer who commanded 100 men.
Centurions are spoken of favorably in the New Testament. The
centurion Cornelius was a God fearing man who saw an angel, and
was the first Gentile Christian (Acts 10). A centurion at the
cross exclaimed "Surely, he was the son of God!" (Matthew
27:54).
The centurion of Luke 7 had a servant who was paralyzed,
suffering terribly, and about to die (Matthew 8:6, Luke 7:2).
This centurion had exemplary faith. He understood that if Jesus
simply spoke the healing command, it would be done (Luke 7:6).
Luke 7 Outline
7:1-10
Jesus reward’s a centurion’s faith
7:11-17
Jesus raises a widow’s dead son
7:18-35
John the Baptist: Questions and Commendations
7:18-23
John’s disciples question Jesus
7:24-35
Jesus commends John the Baptist
7:36-50
Jesus teaches Simon the Pharisee about forgiveness
7:36-39
Penitent woman anoints Jesus
7:40-43
Parable of the forgiven debtors
7:44-50
Jesus forgives the woman
Forgiveness
Jesus emphasized the importance of forgiveness. Six times Luke
chapter 7 contains the words "forgave", "forgiven", and
"forgives" (Luke 7:42-43. 47-49).
William Barclay, a Scottish commentator, wrote, "We must be
clear about one thing regarding forgiveness. It is not so much
the remission of penalty as the restoration of a relationship."
The parable of the Prodigal Son demonstrates this principle
(Luke 15:11-32). The father forgave his penitent son and
restored the relationship they shared.
Receiving forgiveness is dependent on possessing a forgiving
spirit. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, "For if you
forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will
also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your
Father will not forgive your sins" (Matthew 6:14-15).
Fast Facts
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The Centurion in Luke 7 financed the construction of the
synagogue in Capernaum (Luke 7:5).
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John the Baptist had disciples. Before he followed Jesus,
Andrew was a disciple of John (John 1:35-40).