LUKAS 7

Die geloof van 'n Romeinse offisier

1 Toe Jesus al die dinge klaar gesê het, het Hy na Kapernaum toe teruggegaan.2 'n Romeinse offisier oor honderd het 'n slaaf gehad wat siek en sterwend was. Die slaaf was vir hom baie werd.

3 Die offisier het van Jesus te hore gekom en 'n paar gerespekteerde Joodse leiers na Hom gestuur om te vra dat Hy die slaaf gesond sal kom maak.
4 Hulle het ernstig by Jesus aangedring om saam met hulle te kom en die man te help. "As enigiemand u hulp verdien, dan is dit hý," het hulle gesê,

5 "want hy het die Jode lief en het selfs 'n sinagoge vir ons gebou."
6 Jesus het dus saam met hulle gegaan. Maar net voordat hulle by die huis aangekom het, het die offisier 'n paar vriende gestuur om te sê: "Here, moenie moeite doen om na my huis toe te kom nie, want ek verdien nie so 'n eer nie.7 Ek is nie eers waardig om U te kom ontmoet nie. Sê maar net 'n woord, en my slaaf sal gesond word.

8 Ek weet, want ek staan onder die gesag van my bevelvoerende offisiere, en ek voer gesag oor my soldate. Ek hoef net te sê: 'Gaan,' en hulle gaan: of 'Kom,' en hulle kom. En as ek vir my slawe sê: 'Doen dit of dat,' dan doen hulle dit."
9 Toe Jesus dit hoor, het Hy Hom oor die man verwonder. Hy draai toe om na die skare wat Hom volg, en sê: "Ek sê vir julle, selfs in Israel het Ek nie só 'n geloof teëgekom nie!"

10 En toe die offisier se vriende by die huis terugkom, was die slaaf heeltemal gesond.

Jesus wek 'n weduwee se enigste seun en steunpilaar op

11 Kort hierna het Jesus en sy dissipels na die dorp Nain gegaan met 'n groot skare wat Hom volg.12 Toe Jesus die dorpsingang nader, het 'n begrafnisstoet uitgekom. Die jong man wat gesterf het, was die enigste seun van 'n weduwee, en baie rouklaers van die dorp was saam met haar.

13 Toe die Here haar sien, het Hy haar innig jammer gekry. "Moenie huil nie!" het Hy gesê.

14 Toe het Hy na die draagbaar toe geloop en daaraan geraak, en die draers het gaan staan. "Jong man," het Hy gesê, "Ek sê vir jou, staan op!"

15 Toe het die dooie regop gesit en met die mense om hom begin praat! En Jesus het hom aan sy ma teruggegee.
16 Groot vrees het die skare oorweldig - hulle het God geprys en gesê: "'n Magtige profeet het onder ons opgestaan!" en: "God het besluit om na sy mense om te sien!"

17 Die berig oor wat Jesus die dag gedoen het, het deur die hele Judea en selfs oor die grense heen versprei.

Johannes vra of Jesus werklik die Messias is

18 Johannes die Doper se dissipels het hom alles vertel wat Jesus gedoen het. Johannes het dus twee van sy dissipels geroep

19 en hulle na die Here toe gestuur om te vra: "Is U die Messias wat ons verwag, of moet ons iemand anders verwag?"

20 Johannes die Doper se twee dissipels het Jesus gekry en vir Hom gesê: "Johannes die Doper het ons gestuur om te vra: 'Is U die Messias wat ons verwag, of moet ons iemand anders verwag?'"

21 Op daardie oomblik het Jesus baie mense van verskeie siektes genees, en Hy het bose geeste uitgewerp en blindes se sig herstel.
22 Hy het vir Johannes se dissipels gesê: "Gaan terug na Johannes, en vertel hom wat julle gesien en gehoor het - blindes sien, verlamdes loop, mense met ernstige velsiektes word genees, dowes hoor, dooies word tot die lewe opgewek, en die Goeie Nuus word aan die armes verkondig.

23 En sê vir hom: 'Gelukkig is hulle wat nie aan My aanstoot neem nie.'"
24 Nadat hulle weg is, het Jesus met die skare oor Johannes gepraat. "Wie is hierdie man in die woestyn na wie julle gaan kyk het? Het julle hom soos 'n riet gevind wat deur elke windvlagie beweeg word?25 Of het julle verwag om 'n man geklee in deftige klere te sien? Nee, mense wat mooi klere dra en in luuksheid lewe, word in paleise gevind, nie in die woestyn nie.26 Het julle na 'n profeet gesoek? Ja, en hy is meer as 'n profeet.27 Johannes is die man na wie die Skrif verwys wanneer dit sê:
'Kyk, Ek stuur my boodskapper
voor jou uit,
en hy sal die pad voor jou
gereedmaak.'

28 "Ek sê vir julle, van almal wat ooit geleef het, is niemand groter as Johannes nie. Tog is selfs die geringste persoon in die koninkryk van God groter as hy!"
29 Toe hulle dit hoor, het al die mense, ook die tollenaars, saamgestem dat God se plan reg was, want hulle is deur Johannes gedoop.

30 Maar die Fariseërs en wetskenners het God se plan vir hulle verwerp, want hulle het geweier om deur Johannes gedoop te word.
31 "Hoe sal Ek hierdie geslag mense beskryf?" het Jesus gevra. "Waarmee sal Ek hulle vergelyk?32 Hulle is soos 'n groep kinders wat 'n spel op die dorpsplein speel. Hulle kla teenoor hulle vriende:
'Ons het vir julle
'n bruilofslied gespeel,
maar julle
wou nie dans nie.
Ons het 'n begrafnislied gesing,
maar julle het geweier
om te huil.'

33 "Want Johannes die Doper het soos 'n askeet gelewe - nie wyn gedrink nie en dikwels gevas - en julle sê: 'Hy is van die duiwel besete.'
34 "En Ek, die Seun van die Mens, hou van gesellige maaltye - Ek eet en drink - en julle sê: 'Hy is 'n vraat en 'n dronkaard, en 'n vriend van die slegste soort sondaars!'

35 Maar die wysheid kom tot sy reg in die lewe van hulle wat dit navolg."

'n Sondige vrou salf Jesus se voete

36 Een van die Fariseërs het Jesus na sy huis genooi vir 'n maaltyd, en Jesus het dit aanvaar en aangelê om te eet.
37 En kyk, 'n sekere vrou van losse sedes het gehoor dat Hy daar is en het 'n albaste fles met duur aromatiese olie gebring.

38 Sy het agter Jesus gekniel, by sy voete, en gehuil. Haar trane het op sy voete geval en sy het dit met haar hare afgevee. Sy het sy voete bly soen en die aromatiese olie daaraan gesmeer.

39 Toe die Fariseër wat die gasheer was, sien wat gebeur en wie die vrou is, het hy vir homself gesê: "Dit bewys dat Jesus geen profeet is nie. As God hom werklik gestuur het, sou hy geweet het watter soort vrou hom aanraak. Sy is 'n sondaar!"
40 Jesus het toe gereageer en vir Simon geantwoord. "Simon," het Hy vir die Fariseër gesê, "Ek het iets om vir jou te sê."
"Reg, Meneer," het Simon geantwoord, "sê maar."
41 Jesus vertel hom toe die volgende verhaal: "'n Man het vir twee mense geld geleen - 500 rand vir die een, en 50 vir die ander.

42 Maar nie een van die twee kon hom terugbetaal nie; hy het dus maar al twee oorgesien en hulle skuld afgeskryf. Wie dink jy het hom daarna die meeste liefde bewys?"

43 Simon het geantwoord: "Ek veronderstel die een vir wie hy die meeste skuld afgeskryf het."
"Dis reg," het Jesus gesê.44 Hy het toe na die vrou gedraai en vir Simon gesê: "Kyk na hierdie vrou. Toe Ek jou huis ingekom het, het jy My nie water aangebied om die stof van my voete af te was nie, maar sy het hulle met haar trane gewas en met haar hare afgedroog.45 Jy het My nie met 'n soen verwelkom nie, maar sy het my voete weer en weer gesoen vandat Ek hier ingekom het.46 Jy het nie my kop met gewone olyfolie gesalf nie, maar sy het my voete met kosbare olie gesalf.47 Ek sê vir jou, haar sondes - en dit is baie - is vergewe, omdat sy baie liefde aan My bewys het. Maar iemand vir wie min sondes vergewe is, betoon maar min liefde!"

48 Toe sê Jesus vir die vrou: "Jou sondes is vergewe."

49 Die mans aan tafel sê toe onder mekaar: "Wie dink hierdie man is hy om rond te gaan en sondes te vergewe?"

50 En Jesus sê vir die vrou: "Jou geloof het jou gered; gaan in vrede."

LUKE 7

Jesus Heals //an Army Officer's Servant

(Matthew 8.5-13; John 4.43-54)

1 After Jesus had finished teaching the people, he went to Capernaum. 2 In this town an army officer's servant was sick and about to die. The officer liked his servant very much.

3 And when he heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish leaders to ask him to come and heal the servant.
4 The leaders went to Jesus and begged him to do something. They said, “This man deserves your help! 5 He loves our nation and even built us a synagogue.”

6 So Jesus went with them.
When Jesus wasn't far from the house, the officer sent some friends to tell him, “Lord, don't go to any trouble for me! I am not good enough for you to come into my house. 7 And I am certainly not worthy to come to you. Just say the word, and my servant will get well.

8 I have officers who give orders to me, and I have soldiers who take orders from me. I can say to one of them, ‘Go!’ and he goes. I can say to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes. I can say to my servant, ‘Do this!’ and he will do it.”

9 When Jesus heard this, he was so surprised that he turned and said to the crowd following him, “In all of Israel I've never found anyone with this much faith!”

10 The officer's friends returned and found the servant well.

A Widow's Son

12 As they came near the gate of the town, they saw people carrying out the body of a widow's only son. Many people from the town were walking along with her.

13 When the Lord saw the woman, he felt sorry for her and said, “Don't cry!”
14 Jesus went over and touched the stretcher on which the people were carrying the dead boy. They stopped, and Jesus said, “Young man, get up!”

15 The boy sat up and began to speak. Jesus then gave him back to his mother.

16 Everyone was frightened and praised God. They said, “A great prophet is here with us! God has come to his people.”

17 News about Jesus spread all over Judea and everywhere else in that part of the country.

John the Baptist

(Matthew 11.1-19)

18-19 John's followers told John everything that was being said about Jesus. So he sent two of them to ask the Lord, “Are you the one we should be looking for? Or must we wait for someone else?”

20 When these messengers came to Jesus, they said, “John the Baptist sent us to ask, ‘Are you the one we should be looking for? Or are we supposed to wait for someone else?’ ”
21 At that time Jesus was healing many people who were sick or in pain or were troubled by evil spirits, and he was giving sight to a lot of blind people. 22 t Jesus said to the messengers sent by John, “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard. Blind people are now able to see, and the lame can walk. People who have leprosyt are being healed, and the deaf can now hear. The dead are raised to life, and the poor are hearing the good news.

23 God will bless everyone who doesn't reject me because of what I do.”

24 After John's messengers had gone, Jesus began speaking to the crowds about John:
What kind of person did you go out to the desert to see? Was he like tall grass blown about by the wind? 25 What kind of man did you really go out to see? Was he someone dressed in fine clothes? People who wear expensive clothes and live in luxury are in the king's palace. 26 What then did you go out to see? Was he a prophet? He certainly was! I tell you that he was more than a prophet. 27 t In the Scriptures, God calls John his messenger and says, “I am sending my messenger ahead of you to get things ready for you.”

28 No one ever born on this earth is greater than John. But whoever is least important in God's kingdom is greater than John.
29  t Everyone had been listening to John. Even the tax collectorst had obeyed God and had done what was right by letting John baptize them.

30 But the Pharisees and the experts in the Law of Moses refused to obey God and be baptized by John.

31 Jesus went on to say:
What are you people like? What kind of people are you?

32 You are like children sitting in the market and shouting to each other,
“We played the flute,
but you would not dance!
We sang a funeral song,
but you would not cry!”
33 John the Baptist did not go around eating and drinking, and you said, “John has a demon in him!” 34 But because the Son of Man goes around eating and drinking, you say, “Jesus eats and drinks too much! He is even a friend of tax collectors and sinners.”

35 Yet Wisdom is shown to be right by what its followers do.

Simon the Pharisee

36 A Pharisee invited Jesus to have dinner with him. So Jesus went to the Pharisee's home and got ready to eat.t
37  t When a sinful woman in that town found out that Jesus was there, she bought an expensive bottle of perfume.

38 Then she came and stood behind Jesus. She cried and started washing his feet with her tears and drying them with her hair. The woman kissed his feet and poured the perfume on them.

39 The Pharisee who had invited Jesus saw this and said to himself, “If this man really were a prophet, he would know what kind of woman is touching him! He would know that she is a sinner.”

40 Jesus said to the Pharisee, “Simon, I have something to say to you.”
“Teacher, what is it?” Simon replied.
41 Jesus told him, “Two people were in debt to a moneylender. One of them owed him 500 silver coins, and the other owed him 50.

42 Since neither of them could pay him back, the moneylender said that they didn't have to pay him anything. Which one of them will like him more?”

43 Simon answered, “I suppose it would be the one who had owed more and didn't have to pay it back.”
“You are right,” Jesus said.
44 He turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Have you noticed this woman? When I came into your home, you didn't give me any water so I could wash my feet. But she has washed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. 45 You didn't greet me with a kiss, but from the time I came in, she has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You didn't even pour olive oil on my head, t but she has poured expensive perfume on my feet.

47 So I tell you that all her sins are forgiven, and that is why she has shown great love. But anyone who has been forgiven for only a little will show only a little love.”

48 Then Jesus said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.”

49 Some other guests started saying to one another, “Who is this who dares to forgive sins?”
50 But Jesus told the woman, “Because of your faith, you are now saved.t May God give you peace!”