The Good Book Club: Jesus stories for Friday
The Good Book Club
Friday, Feb 23, 2018 Luke 7:1-35 (RSV)
Jesus Heals a Centurion’s Servant
7 After he had ended all his sayings in the hearing of the people he entered Caperna-um. 2 Now a centurion had a slave who was dear to him, who was sick and at the point of death. 3 When he heard of Jesus, he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him to come and heal his slave. 4 And when they came to Jesus, they besought him earnestly, saying, “He is worthy to have you do this for him, 5 for he loves our nation, and he built us our synagogue.” 6 And Jesus went with them.
When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying to him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; 7 therefore I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed. 8 For I am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me: and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” 9 When Jesus heard this he marveled at him, and turned and said to the multitude that followed him, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” 10 And when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave well.
Jesus Raises the Widow’s Son at Nain
11 Soon afterward he went to a city called Na′in, and his disciples and a great crowd went with him. 12 As he drew near to the gate of the city, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow; and a large crowd from the city was with her. 13 And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.” 14 And he came and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.”
15 And the dead man sat up, and began to speak. And he gave him to his mother. 16 Fear seized them all; and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has arisen among us!” and “God has visited his people!” 17 And this report concerning him spread through the whole of Judea and all the surrounding country.
15 And the dead man sat up, and began to speak. And he gave him to his mother. 16 Fear seized them all; and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has arisen among us!” and “God has visited his people!” 17 And this report concerning him spread through the whole of Judea and all the surrounding country.
Messengers from John the Baptist
18 The disciples of John told him of all these things. 19 And John, calling to him two of his disciples, sent them to the Lord, saying, “Are you he who is to come, or shall we look for another?” 20 And when the men had come to him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to you, saying, ‘Are you he who is to come, or shall we look for another?’” 21 In that hour he cured many of diseases and plagues and evil spirits, and on many that were blind he bestowed sight. 22 And he answered them, “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them. 23 And blessed is he who takes no offense at me.”
24 When the messengers of John had gone, he began to speak to the crowds concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to behold? A reed shaken by the wind? 25 What then did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft clothing? Behold, those who are gorgeously appareled and live in luxury are in kings’ courts. 26 What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 27 This is he of whom it is written, ‘Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, who shall prepare thy way before thee.’
28 I tell you, among those born of women none is greater than John; yet he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.” 29 (When they heard this all the people and the tax collectors justified God, having been baptized with the baptism of John; 30 but the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected the purpose of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.)
31 “To what then shall I compare the men of this generation, and what are they like? 32 They are like children sitting in the market place and calling to one another,
‘We piped to you, and you did not dance;
we wailed, and you did not weep.’
33 For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine; and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ 34 The Son of man has come eating and drinking; and you say, ‘Behold, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ 35 Yet wisdom is justified by all her children.”
Thought for Friday. Although it is not Luke but GospelJohn who presents Jesus as Logos the Creating Word, Jesus’ powers here are extraordinary, restoring life to a dead body requires creating power, power to create and re-create. How we wish we could call upon and witness this today. Imagine Jesus walking into the hospital room when your loved one needs him most. Or, God help us, into our Florida high school last week, restoring every murdered child, every person, every wounded child and teacher, yes even casting out the demon of the shooter, Why, Lord, and Why Not? Lord, have mercy, the pain is unbearable, unbearable.
Healing a deathly ill person, the centurion's slave, dynamis by distance; and in this story raising someone’s son as she and her friends are taking him out to bury him. In Gospel John such scenarios as raising Lazarus are presented as a “sign,” semeion, of who Jesus is, but in Luke and the other synoptics (Mark, Matthew), Jesus just happens to come upon the scene and compassionately uses his power (dunamis again, dynamis, power, miracle).
Not to miss it: at Luke 7:16, the people’s recognition and acclamation “a great prophet” seems to ratify Luke’s understanding and presentation of Jesus as the prophet of prophets.
Healing a deathly ill person, the centurion's slave, dynamis by distance; and in this story raising someone’s son as she and her friends are taking him out to bury him. In Gospel John such scenarios as raising Lazarus are presented as a “sign,” semeion, of who Jesus is, but in Luke and the other synoptics (Mark, Matthew), Jesus just happens to come upon the scene and compassionately uses his power (dunamis again, dynamis, power, miracle).
Not to miss it: at Luke 7:16, the people’s recognition and acclamation “a great prophet” seems to ratify Luke’s understanding and presentation of Jesus as the prophet of prophets.
Luke has another story here in which it is made clear not only to whomever/whoever is there inside the story watching, but to everyone forever, that it is not John who is messiah, but Jesus. John is the messenger to announce Jesus. Jesus is the one who is to come, the great prophet forecast by Moses.
Finally for this morning: Jesus saying flat out that he enjoys a feast and a glass of wine, and people call him a glutton and a drunkard. If this part of his humanity doesn't fit your idea of Jesus, perhaps join the crowd who insist that at the Wedding in Cana of Galilee (Gospel of John), Jesus turned water into grape juice, I don't think so. for Holy Communion, in our church we use wine; for the most part it's Port of some variety, sometimes Sherry. As a parish priest, I from time to time used sweet Florida scuppernong wine from muscadine grapes. TW+
Finally for this morning: Jesus saying flat out that he enjoys a feast and a glass of wine, and people call him a glutton and a drunkard. If this part of his humanity doesn't fit your idea of Jesus, perhaps join the crowd who insist that at the Wedding in Cana of Galilee (Gospel of John), Jesus turned water into grape juice, I don't think so. for Holy Communion, in our church we use wine; for the most part it's Port of some variety, sometimes Sherry. As a parish priest, I from time to time used sweet Florida scuppernong wine from muscadine grapes. TW+
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Jesus raises the widow's son in Nain: Copyright © 2004–2018 Florida Center for Instructional Technology. ClipArt ETC is a part of the Educational Technology Clearinghouse and is produced by the Florida Center for Instructional Technology, College of Education, University of South Florida.