³⁶ When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. ³⁷ 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. ³⁸ 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. ³⁹ When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.” ⁴⁰ Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.” “Tell me, teacher,” he said. ⁴¹ “Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. ⁴² 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?” ⁴³ Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.” “You have judged correctly,” Jesus said. (Luke 7:36-43)
Here we see that a Pharisee called Simon invited the Lord Jesus to his house for dinner. A sinful woman came to Simon’s house, stood behind the Lord Jesus 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. Simon despised the woman and even doubted that Jesus was a prophet because he allowed a sinner to touch him. Jesus then told him the parable of two people owed money to a certain moneylender. This parable illustrates the relationship between forgiveness and love; the debtor who receives more forgiveness loves the moneylender more. This sinful woman had a greater love for the Lord. Later, Jesus said to Simon, “ I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet.” This woman loved the Lord more, while Simon, a self-righteous Pharisee, loved the Lord less. A person’s love for the Lord depends on their awareness of their own sins. The more a person is aware of their sins, the more their sins are forgiven by God, and the more they love God. Self-righteous people love God less.
May God bless you and your family!

²⁴ 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? ²⁵ 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. ²⁶ But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. ²⁷ This is the one about whom it is written: “‘I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’ ²⁸ 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 is greater than he.” ²⁹ (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. ³⁰ But the Pharisees and the experts in the law rejected God’s purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptized by John.) ³¹ Jesus went on to say, “To what, then, can I compare the people of this generation? What are they like? ³² 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.’ ³³ For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ ³⁴ 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.’ ³⁵ But wisdom is proved right by all her children.” (Luke 7:24-35)
Here Jesus talked about John the Baptist, saying that he was much greater than the prophets, that is, he was greater than all the prophets of the Old Testament, Old Testament prophesied that he was the forerunner of Jesus’ coming, preparing the way for Jesus. (Malachi 3:1) Jesus continued, “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 is greater than he.” John, under the Old Testament law, was the last and greatest prophet. However, under the New Testament, the least in God’s kingdom is greater than him, and the least in God’s kingdom has the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, enjoying a higher spiritual blessing than John.
²³ Then he turned to his disciples and said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. ²⁴ For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.” (Luke 10:23-24)
Here, Jesus said to his disciples: “What you see and hear is what many prophets and kings of the Old Testament longed to see but did not see, and to hear but did not hear,” meaning that the disciples are more blessed than them.
The people and tax collectors accepted John’s baptism of repentance and acknowledged that God’s way was right; the Pharisees and lawyers, not accepting John’s baptism, were self-righteous and rejected God’s will. Jesus then used a parable to refer to the people of this generation. People in this generation are like children in the marketplace, saying, ‘We played the pipe for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not cry.‘ Playing the pipe is for joy, and singing a dirge is for mourning. People have no response to both joy and mourning; they are indifferent. They have no response to John the Baptist or the Lord Jesus. When John the Baptist came, he neither ate bread nor drank wine, which was morning; people said he was possessed by a demon. When the Lord Jesus came, he ate and drank, which was joyful; people said he was a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners. But wisdom is proved right by all her children. But the children of wisdom,

¹⁸ John’s disciples told him about all these things. Calling two of them, ¹⁹ he sent them to the Lord to ask, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” ²⁰ 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?’” ²¹ At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind. ²² 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 are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. ²³ Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.” (Luke 7:18-23)
Earlier, we saw that the Lord Jesus raised the dead. John the Baptist’s disciples told John about these things, and John sent two of his disciples to ask Jesus, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” John the Baptist was Jesus’ forerunner; he had declared Jesus to be “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). At this time, he was imprisoned by King Herod (Mark 6:17-28), and he had doubts about the Messiah—not disbelief, but doubt. It seems that Jesus was not the Messiah he had expected, so he wanted Jesus to confirm it. Jesus then told him what he had done: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.  Jesus continued, “Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me” What does “stumble” mean? It means being offended, losing faith. Because Jesus is not what they expected, they lost faith. Jesus meant that blessed are those not losing faith; those who trust in Him.
May God bless you and your family!

¹¹ Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went along with him. ¹² 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. ¹³ When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, “Don’t cry.” ¹⁴ 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!” ¹⁵ The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother. ¹⁶ They were all filled with awe and praised God. “A great prophet has appeared among us,” they said. “God has come to help his people.” ¹⁷ This news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding country. (Luke 7:11-17)
Here we see that the Lord Jesus, his disciples, and many others arriving at a town called Nain. At the town gate, they saw a dead man being carried out. This dead man was a young man, the only son of a widow. Widows were vulnerable group, especially those who had no children. Here we see the Lord Jesus having compassion on this widow and taking the initiative to raise her son from the dead. From the Bible, we know that the Lord Jesus usually performs miracles, heal the sick, and cast out demons only after people ask him. Here we see that he took the initiative to have compassion on this widow and raised her son from the dead. When the crowd saw this, they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has appeared among us” In the Old Testament, two prophets, Elijah and Elisha, raised children from the dead. The Lord Jesus is not only a great prophet, but also the Lord of life. He raised the dead with a single word; he did not ask, but commanded him to rise.
Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.(Matthew 10:8)
Here we see the Lord Jesus giving authority to the twelve apostles to heal the sick, cast out demons, and raise the dead. In the Bible, the apostles Peter and Paul raised the dead, and I’ve read testimonies of people being raised from the dead through prayer even nowadays.
³⁹ And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. ⁴⁰ For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.” (John 6:39-40)
Here it says that those who believe in the Lord Jesus receive eternal life, and on the last day the Lord Jesus will raise them from the dead.
May God bless you and your family!

¹When Jesus had finished saying all this to the people who were listening, he entered Capernaum. ² There a centurion’s servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die. ³ The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant. ⁴ When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, “This man deserves to have you do this, ⁵ because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue.” ⁶ 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. ⁷ That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. ⁸ 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.” ⁹ 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.” ¹⁰ Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well. (Luke 7:1-10)
Here we see a centurion’s servant who was dying, the centurion asked some Jewish elders to ask Jesus to heal him. The elders told Jesus that the centurion was a very loving person. The centurion was an officer in the Roman army, in charge of 100 men. He loved the Jews and built synagogue for them. Jesus wanted to come to his house to heal his servant, but he felt unworthy of Jesus’s presence, he also found it unworthy to see him, this shows his humility. He was a man of authority, and he believed in Jesus’s authority, believing that Jesus had the power to command everything and that his servant could be healed with a single word from Jesus. Jesus praised his faith, saying that such great faith could not be found in Israel. Jesus then healed his servant. Here we also see that the centurion loved his servant, valued him highly, and interceded for him. In the Bible, Jesus praised the great faith of two people, both are Gentiles: the centurion mentioned here, and the Canaanite woman, also a Gentile.
May God bless you and your family

⁴⁶ “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? ⁴⁷ As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. ⁴⁸ They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. ⁴⁹ But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.” (Luke 6:46-49)
Here, the Lord Jesus teaches that those who call Him Lord must obey His words and practice what they hear. Those who hear the words and put them into practice are like the builders who dig deep into the ground, laying a foundation on the rock. When the flood comes, the house remains unshaken. Here the flood symbolizes trials and persecutions. On the other hand, those who hear the words. but do not put them into practice are like the builders who build their house on the ground without a foundation, it collapses when the flood comes, they fall away when trials and persecutions come.
²² Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. ²³ Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror ²⁴ and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. ²⁵ But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do. (James 1:22-25)
Here, James calls us to be doers, not just hearer of the words. Hearing without doing is like one looking in a mirror and forgetting one’s appearance afterward. But those who hear the words and put them into practice will receive blessings, obedience brings blessings.
May God bless you and your family!