Luke Chapter 7

When Jesus came on the scene there were more questions raised and eyebrows raised than there were answers. He was definitely not who the Jewish people expected as their long-awaited Messiah. He did not behave as a King should behave in their mind. He spent much of His time teaching and performing miracles when He should have been setting up a kingdom. He had compassion on sinners and all sorts of people including Gentiles -a people who were unclean. None of His actions made any sense to the Jews. And sometimes what God does, does not make any sense to us either, until later when we look back and see that God knew what was best.

1. In Capernaum a certain Roman soldier had a servant that was near death. The soldier had heard about the miracles Jesus had performed and sent some of his servants to go and ask Jesus to come and heal his sick servant. How did the soldier describe the value of this man to him?

2. Why did Jesus heal this man’s servant?

3. The next event was a healing in the town of Nain. What miracle did Jesus perform?

4. What words did Jesus say to a dead person that seem a bit peculiar?

5. How did the eyewitnesses react to the healing of the young man? And can you imagine the reaction of the young man’s mother?

6. John the Baptist heard about the miracles Jesus performed and he sent two of his disciples (followers) to ask Jesus a question for him. What was the question?

John clearly had known that Jesus was the promised Messiah. See John 1:29-41. Perhaps Jesus was not doing what John thought he should be doing and that was to set up His kingdom and to end the oppression by the Romans. John was certainly suffering under the oppression because he was in jail. Many of his disciples were waiting for Jesus to take charge of the situation and to end the Roman dominance.

7. When we lack faith in Jesus, as John did at that moment, what does Jesus say to do?

8. Jesus began to teach about John the Baptist to the crowd. John’s ministry was a direct fulfillment of prophecy. Malachi 3:1 Jesus also described that John was not like one would expect. He was not interested in the finer things of life but was content to live in the wilderness and eat honey. In this passage Jesus said that John the Baptist ate no bread nor drank any wine. He was different. He stuck out. What did the Pharisees say of John the Baptist according to Jesus? And what did they say about Jesus?

9. Luke does not tell us the name of the Pharisee that invited Jesus to his home, but he was most likely hoping to answer questions in his mind about this Jesus who could do miracles. What happened in the house of the Pharisee that caused him to have some thoughts of doubt that this was the Messiah in his home?

10. How did Jesus answer the questions in the mind of the Pharisee, thoughts that were not spoken out loud?