Luke 7:18-49

Luke 7:18. And the disciples of John shewed him of all these things.

John was in prison, and, possibly, troubled in spirit.

Luke 7:19. 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?

Did John doubt, then? Perhaps not. It may be that he saw that his disciples doubted, and that he wished their fears to be removed. It is possible, however, that he did himself have doubts. It is no unusual thing for the bravest hearts to be subject to fits of doubt. Elijah, you remember sat under a juniper tree in the wilderness, «and he requested for himself that he might die,» though he was the man who never was to die. And John, the Elijah of the Christian dispensation, though a man of iron, was but a man, so he sent two of his disciples to Jesus, saying, «Art thou he that should come, or look we for another?»

Luke 7:20. 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;

Our old proverb says that actions speak louder than words, so an answer in his actions would be more eloquent with these inquirers than even an answer in our Lord's own words. He bade them look at the evidences of his Messiahship which he gave them by his miraculous cures, and then he said to them, «Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard.» It would be well if our lives were such that, if any enquired what we were, we should only have to say that they might judge us by what they had seen and heard in our common everyday life and conversation.

Luke 7:22. 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.

According to our Lord's testimony, the preaching of the gospel to the poor is as great a proof of his Messiahship as the raising of the dead. Then how highly it ought to be prized by them, and how glad should they be who have the gospel now preached freely in their hearing!

Luke 7:24. 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?

The wind on the banks of the Jordan, where there are plenty of reeds growing; did you see a man who would bow before every breath of popular favor or popular wrath? Was John the Baptist such a man as that? No, certainly not.

Luke 7:25. But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment Behold, they which are gorgeously appareled, and live delicately, are in kings' courts.

They do not preach repentance. As is their clothing, so is their doctrine. They try to show a royal road to heaven a smooth and easy path. But was John the Baptist a preacher of that kind? No, that he was not.

Luke 7:26. 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.

Passing into the dispensation of clearer light, he who is least among the believers of the gospel of Jesus is, in some respects, greater than this man, who could only preach repentance, and point to a coming Saviour.

Luke 7:29. 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, at play; the playing of children is often according to the manners and customs of grown up people.

Luke 7:32. And calling one to another, and saying, we have piped unto you, and ye have not danced;

«You would not play a merry game when we asked you to do so.»

Luke 7:32. We have mourned to you, and ye have not wept.

«You would not play either at funerals or weddings.»

Luke 7:33. For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine; and ye say, he hath a devil.

«He came among you as an ascetic, denying himself, not only the luxuries of life, but even the common comforts that others enjoyed, and ye say, ‘He hath a devil.'»

Luke 7:34. The Son of man is come eating and drinking;

«He does not pretend to be an ascetic, he comes, on the contrary, to show that neither meat nor drink can save a man. What do you say, then, of this Son of man?»

Luke 7:34. And ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners! But wisdom is justified of all her children.

Though the world contemns all wisdom's children, whichever way they go, and is not pleased with their manners, whatever manners they possess, yet, in the long run, when the wisdom of God shall be all unfolded, it will be seen that the roughness of John and the gentleness and lovingkindness of Jesus were both right in their proper place. If fish are not caught in the gospel fishery, it may sometimes be the fisherman's fault, but more often, it is the fault of the fish themselves. Here we have two very different kinds of fishermen, yet neither of them attracts all, though each of them draws some.

Luke 7:36. 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,

For it is a wonder of grace: «Behold,»

Luke 7:37. A woman in the city, which was a sinner,

A sinner by profession, a public and notorious sinner,

Luke 7:37. 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:

«Though it was only a common act of courtesy, such as should always be shown to a guest, thou didst neglect that;»

Luke 7:44. But she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head.

«She has given my feet no common washing, for she has washed them with her tears. You would only have brought me a linen napkin, but she hath ‘wiped them with the hairs of her head.'»

Luke 7:45. Thou gavest me no kiss,

Which was usually given as a greeting to guests at that time. Simon had not given to Jesus the honour which was due to him, which would have been to kiss his forehead.

Luke 7:45. But this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet.

Every word is emphatic to show how far she had gone beyond Simon, who thought himself so much better than she was.

Luke 7:46. My head with oil thou didst not anoint:

Another usual Eastern custom with guests whom the host intended to honour.

Luke 7:46. But this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment.

Anointed them, not with ordinary olive oil, but with precious costly ointment.

Luke 7:47. Wherefore I say unto thee, her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much:

«You know that her sins were many, and I tell you that they have been forgiven, and you can see, by her actions, that she loves much.»

Luke 7:47. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.

What music that sentence «Thy sins are forgiven,» must have been to her! ‘Ah!' says one, «I also should like to hear that sentence. Beyond everything else in the whole world would I desire to hear Jesus say to me, ‘Thy sins are forgiven.' Then put yourself in the place that this woman occupied.

When Joab clung to the horns of the altar, he had to die there, but this woman had fled to the feet of Jesus, and she did not die there; nor shall you, but at those blessed feet, weeping for sin, and trusting the great Sin-bearer, you shall receive assurance of pardon: «Thy sins are forgiven.»

Luke 7:49. 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.

He did not want this young convert, this beginner in the Christian life to hear the bickerings and controversies of these coarse spirits, so he said to her, «Go in peace; and, dear soul, if you have begun to find out that, even in the Christian Church there are many opinions concerning many things, do not trouble yourself about those things. This is enough for thee: «Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.» There may be some who are called to contend for this or that point of the faith; but, as for thee, poor child, if,

with thy broken heart, thou hast found the Saviour, and if thou lovest him with an inward, warm, and hearty love, do not spoil that love by getting into a controversial spirit: «Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.»