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The Healing of the Captain's Helper ^(a)

¹ When Jesus had finished teaching the people, He went back to Capernaum. ² A captain of the army had a servant whom he thought much of. This servant was very sick and was about to die. ³ When the captain heard of Jesus, he sent some Jewish leaders to Him. They were to ask if He would come and heal this servant. ⁴ They came to Jesus and begged Him, saying, "The man is respected and should have this done for him. ⁵ He loves our nation and has built our Jewish place of worship."

⁶ Jesus went with them. When He was not far from the house, the captain told some friends to tell this to Jesus, "Lord, do not take the time to come to my house, because I am not good enough. ⁷ And I am not good enough to come to You. But just say the word and my servant will be healed. ⁸ For I am a man who works for someone else also, and I have soldiers who work for me. I say to this man, ‘Go!' and he goes. I say to another, ‘Come!' and he comes. I say to my workman, ‘Do this!' and he does it."

⁹ Jesus was surprised when He heard this. He turned to the people following Him and said, "I tell you, I have not found so much faith even in the Jewish nation." ¹⁰ Those who had been sent went back to the captain's house and found the servant well again.

The Son of a Woman Whose Husband Had Died Was Raised from the Dead

¹¹ The next day Jesus went to a city called Nain. His followers and many other people went with Him. ¹² When they came near the city gate, a dead man was being carried out. He was the only son of a woman whose husband had died. Many people of the city were with her. ¹³ When the Lord saw her, He had loving-pity for her and said, "Do not cry." ¹⁴ He went and put His hand on the box in which the dead man was carried. The men who were carrying it, stopped. Jesus said, "Young man, I say to you, get up!" ¹⁵ The man who was dead sat up and began to talk. Then Jesus gave him to his mother. ¹⁶ Everyone was afraid and they gave thanks to God. They said, "A great Man Who speaks for God has come among us! God has cared for His people!" ¹⁷ The news about Jesus went through all the country of Judea and over all the land.

John the Baptist Asks about Jesus ^(b)

¹⁸ The followers of John the Baptist told him about all these things. ¹⁹ John called two of his followers and sent them to Jesus to ask, "Are You the One Who is to come? Or are we to look for another?" ²⁰ The men came to Jesus and said, "John the Baptist sent us to ask You, ‘Are You the One Who is to come? Or are we to look for another?'"

²¹ At that time Jesus was healing many people of all kinds of sickness and disease and was putting out demons. Many that were blind were able to see. ²² Jesus said to John's followers, "Go back to John the Baptist and tell him what you have seen and heard. Tell him the blind are made to see. Those who could not walk, are walking. Those with a bad skin disease are healed. Those who could not hear, are hearing. The dead are raised to life and poor people have the Good News preached to them. ²³ The person who is not ashamed of Me and does not turn away from Me is happy."

Jesus Tells about John the Baptist ^(c)

²⁴ As John's followers were going away, Jesus began to tell the people about John the Baptist. He said, "Why did you go out to the desert? Did you go out to see a small tree moving in the wind? ²⁵ What did you go out to see? A man dressed in good clothes? Those who are dressed in good clothes are in the houses of kings. ²⁶ But what did you go to see? One who speaks for God? Yes, I tell you, he is more than one who speaks for God. ²⁷ This is the man the Holy Writings spoke of when they said, ‘See! I will send My helper to carry news ahead of You. He will make Your way ready for You!' ^(d)

²⁸ "I tell you, of those born of women, there is no one greater than John the Baptist. The least in the holy nation of God is greater than he."

²⁹ All the people who heard Jesus and those who gathered taxes showed they knew God was right and were baptized by John. ³⁰ But the proud religious law-keepers and the men who knew the Law would not listen. They would not be baptized by John and they did not receive what God had for them.

Jesus Speaks Against the People of This Day

³¹ Then the Lord said, "What are the people of this day like? ³² They are like children playing in front of stores. They call to their friends, ‘We have played music for you, but you did not dance. We have had sorrow for you, but you did not have sorrow.' ³³ John the Baptist did not come eating bread or drinking wine and you say, ‘He has a demon.' ³⁴ The Son of Man came eating and drinking and you say, ‘See! He likes food and wine. He is a friend of men who gather taxes and of sinners!' ³⁵ Wisdom is shown to be right by those who are wise."

A Woman Puts Special Perfume on the Feet of Jesus

³⁶ One of the proud religious law-keepers wanted Jesus to eat with him. Jesus went to his house and sat down to eat. ³⁷ There was a woman in the city who was a sinner. She knew Jesus was eating in the house of the proud religious law-keeper. She brought a jar of special perfume. ³⁸ Then she stood behind Him by His feet and cried. Her tears wet His feet and she dried them with her hair. She kissed His feet and put the special perfume on them.

³⁹ The proud religious law-keeper who had asked Jesus to eat with him saw this. He said to himself, "If this Man were One Who speaks for God, He would know who and what kind of a woman put her hands on Him. She is a sinner." ⁴⁰ Jesus said to him, "I have something to say to you, Simon." And Simon said, "Teacher, say it."

⁴¹ "There were two men who owed a certain man some money. The one man owed 500 pieces of silver money. The other man owed 50 pieces of silver money. ⁴² Neither one of them had any money, so he told them they did not have to pay him back. Tell Me, which one would love him the most?" ⁴³ Simon said, "I think it would be the one who owed the most." And Jesus said to him, "You have said the right thing."

⁴⁴ He turned to the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I came into your house and you gave Me no water to wash My feet. She washed My feet with her tears and dried them with the hairs of her head. ⁴⁵ You gave me no kiss, but this woman has kissed my feet from the time I came in. ⁴⁶ You did not put even oil on My head but this woman has put special perfume on My feet. ⁴⁷ I tell you, her many sins are forgiven because she loves much. But the one who has been forgiven little, loves little." ⁴⁸ Then He said to the woman, "Your sins are forgiven." ⁴⁹ Those who were eating with Him began to say to themselves, "Who is this Man Who even forgives sins?" ⁵⁰ He said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you from the punishment of sin. Go in peace."