Study Desk

The Faith of the Centurion^(a)

When Jesus had finished saying all this^(b) to the people who were listening, he entered Capernaum.

There a centurion's servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die.

The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant.

When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, "This man deserves to have you do this,

because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue."

So Jesus went with them. He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to him: "Lord, don't trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof.

That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed.^(c)

For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,' and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,' and he does it."

When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, "I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel."

Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well.

Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went along with him.

As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out—the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her.

When the Lord^(e) saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, "Don't cry."

Then he went up and touched the bier they were carrying him on, and the bearers stood still. He said, "Young man, I say to you, get up!"^(f)

The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.

They were all filled with awe^(g) and praised God.^(h) "A great prophet⁽ⁱ⁾ has appeared among us," they said. "God has come to help his people."^(j)

This news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding country.^(k)

John's^(m) disciples⁽ⁿ⁾ told him about all these things. Calling two of them,

he sent them to the Lord to ask, "Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?"

When the men came to Jesus, they said, "John the Baptist sent us to you to ask, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?'"

At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses^(o) and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind.

So he replied to the messengers, "Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy^[a] are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.^(p)

Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me."

After John's messengers left, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swayed by the wind?

If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear expensive clothes and indulge in luxury are in palaces.

But what did you go out to see? A prophet?^(q) Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.

This is the one about whom it is written: "‘I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.'^[b](r)

I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God^(s) is greater than he."

(All the people, even the tax collectors, when they heard Jesus' words, acknowledged that God's way was right, because they had been baptized by John.^(t)

But the Pharisees and the experts in the law^(u) rejected God's purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptized by John.)

Jesus went on to say, "To what, then, can I compare the people of this generation? What are they like?

They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling out to each other: "‘We played the pipe for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not cry.'

For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine,^(v) and you say, ‘He has a demon.'

The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.'^(w)

But wisdom is proved right by all her children."

When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table.

A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume.

As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.

When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet,^(z) he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner."

Jesus answered him, "Simon, I have something to tell you." "Tell me, teacher," he said.

"Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii,^[c] and the other fifty.

Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?"

Simon replied, "I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven." "You have judged correctly," Jesus said.

Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet,^(aa) but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.

You did not give me a kiss,^(ab) but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet.

You did not put oil on my head,^(ac) but she has poured perfume on my feet.

Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little."

Then Jesus said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."^(ad)

The other guests began to say among themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?"

Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you;^(ae) go in peace."^(af)

The Parable of the Sower^(a)

After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God.^(b) The Twelve were with him,

and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene)^(c) from whom seven demons had come out;

Joanna the wife of Chuza, the manager of Herod's^(d) household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means.

While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town after town, he told this parable:

"A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds ate it up.

Some fell on rocky ground, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture.

Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants.

Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown." When he said this, he called out, "Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear."^(e)

His disciples asked him what this parable meant.

He said, "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you,^(f) but to others I speak in parables, so that, "‘though seeing, they may not see; though hearing, they may not understand.'^[a](g)

"This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God.^(h)

Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.

Those on the rocky ground are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away.⁽ⁱ⁾

The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life's worries, riches^(j) and pleasures, and they do not mature.

But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.

"No one lights a lamp and hides it in a clay jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, they put it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light.^(k)

For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open.^(l)

Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they think they have will be taken from them."^(m)

Now Jesus' mother and brothers came to see him, but they were not able to get near him because of the crowd.

Someone told him, "Your mother and brothers^(o) are standing outside, wanting to see you."

He replied, "My mother and brothers are those who hear God's word and put it into practice."^(p)

One day Jesus said to his disciples, "Let us go over to the other side of the lake." So they got into a boat and set out.

As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger.

The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Master, Master,^(s) we're going to drown!" He got up and rebuked^(t) the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm.^(u)

"Where is your faith?" he asked his disciples. In fear and amazement they asked one another, "Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him."

They sailed to the region of the Gerasenes,^[b] which is across the lake from Galilee.

When Jesus stepped ashore, he was met by a demon-possessed man from the town. For a long time this man had not worn clothes or lived in a house, but had lived in the tombs.

When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell at his feet, shouting at the top of his voice, "What do you want with me,^(x) Jesus, Son of the Most High God?^(y) I beg you, don't torture me!"

For Jesus had commanded the impure spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him, and though he was chained hand and foot and kept under guard, he had broken his chains and had been driven by the demon into solitary places.

Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" "Legion," he replied, because many demons had gone into him.

And they begged Jesus repeatedly not to order them to go into the Abyss.^(z)

A large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside. The demons begged Jesus to let them go into the pigs, and he gave them permission.

When the demons came out of the man, they went into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake^(aa) and was drowned.

When those tending the pigs saw what had happened, they ran off and reported this in the town and countryside,

and the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus' feet,^(ab) dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid.

Those who had seen it told the people how the demon-possessed^(ac) man had been cured.

Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them,^(ad) because they were overcome with fear. So he got into the boat and left.

The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying,

"Return home and tell how much God has done for you." So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him.

Now when Jesus returned, a crowd welcomed him, for they were all expecting him.

Then a man named Jairus, a synagogue leader,^(af) came and fell at Jesus' feet, pleading with him to come to his house

because his only daughter, a girl of about twelve, was dying. As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him.

And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding^(ag) for twelve years,^[c] but no one could heal her.

She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak,^(ah) and immediately her bleeding stopped.

"Who touched me?" Jesus asked. When they all denied it, Peter said, "Master,^(ai) the people are crowding and pressing against you."

But Jesus said, "Someone touched me;^(aj) I know that power has gone out from me."^(ak)

Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed.

Then he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you.^(al) Go in peace."^(am)

While Jesus was still speaking, someone came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader.^(an) "Your daughter is dead," he said. "Don't bother the teacher anymore."

Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, "Don't be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed."

When he arrived at the house of Jairus, he did not let anyone go in with him except Peter, John and James,^(ao) and the child's father and mother.

Meanwhile, all the people were wailing and mourning^(ap) for her. "Stop wailing," Jesus said. "She is not dead but asleep."^(aq)

They laughed at him, knowing that she was dead.

But he took her by the hand and said, "My child, get up!"^(ar)

Her spirit returned, and at once she stood up. Then Jesus told them to give her something to eat.

Her parents were astonished, but he ordered them not to tell anyone what had happened.^(as)