11 And it came to pass 1soon afterwards, that he went to a city called Nain; and his disciples went with him, and a great multitude. 12 Now when he drew near to the gate of the city, behold, there was carried out one that was dead, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her. 13 And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not. 14 And he came nigh and touched the bier: and the bearers stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise. 15 And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he gave him to his mother. 16 And fear took hold on all: and they glorified God, saying, A great prophet is arisen among us: and, God hath visited his people. 17 And this report went forth concerning him in the whole of Judea, and the region round about.
1 Many ancient authorities read on the next day.
| Matt. 11:2-19 | Luke 7:18-35 |
| 2 Now when John heard in the prisonb the works of the Christ, he sent by his disciples, 3 and said unto him, Art thou he that cometh, or look we for another? 4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Go your way and tell John the things which ye do hear and see: 5 the blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have 1good tidings preached to them. 6 And blessed is he, whosoever shall find none occasion of stumbling in me. 7 And as these went their way, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to behold? a reed shaken with the wind? 8 But what went ye out for to see? a man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they that wear soft raiment are in kings' houses. 9 2But wherefore went ye out? to see a prophet? Yea, I say unto you, and much more than a prophet. 10 This is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, Who shall prepare thy way before thee. 11 Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not arisen a greater than John the Baptist: yet he that is 3but little in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and men of violence take it by force [see Luke 16:17]. 13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. 14 And if ye are willing to receive 4it, this is Elijah, which is to come [see Mal. 4:5]. 15 He that hath ears 5to hear, let him hear. 16 But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is likec unto children sitting in the marketplaces, which call unto their fellows, and say, 17 We piped unto you, and ye did not dance; we wailed, and ye did not 6mourn. 18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a 7devil. 19 The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold, a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners! And wisdom 8is justified by her 9works. |
18 And the disciples of John told him of all these things. 19 And John calling unto him 10two of his disciples sent them to the Lord, saying, Art thou he that cometh, or look we for another? 20 And when the men were come unto him, they said, John the Baptist hath sent us unto thee, saying, Art thou he that cometh, or look we for another? 21 In that hour he cured many of diseases and 11plagues and evil spirits; and on many that were blind he bestowed sight. 22 And he answered and said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard [see Isa. 29:18-19; 35:5-6; 61:1]; the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have 1good tidings preached to them. 23 And blessed is he, whosoever shall find none occasion of stumbling in me. 24 And when the messengers of John were departed, he began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to behold? a reed shaken with the wind? 25 But what went ye out to see? a man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they which are gorgeously apparelled, and live delicately, are in kings' courts. 26 But what went ye out to see? a prophet? Yea, I say unto you, and much 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 [see Mal. 3:1]. 28 I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there is none greater than John: yet he that is 3but little in the kingdom of God is greater than he. 29 And all the people when they heard, and the publicans, justified God, 12being baptized with the baptism of John. 30 But the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected for themselves the counsel of God, 13being not baptized of him. 31 Whereunto then shall I liken the men of this generation, and to what are they like? 32 They are like unto children that sit in the marketplace, and call one to another; which say, We piped unto you, and ye did not dance; we wailed, and ye did not weep. 33 For John the Baptist is come eating no bread nor drinking wine; and ye say, He hath a 7devil. 34 The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold, a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners! 35 And wisdom 8is justified of all her children. |
1 Or, the gospel.
2 Many ancient authorities read But what went ye out to see? a prophet?
3 Gr. lesser.
4 Or, him.
5 Some ancient authorities omit to hear.
6 Gr. beat the breast.
7 Gr. demon.
8 Or, was.
9 Many ancient authorities read children: as in Luke 7:35.
10 Gr. certain two.
11 Gr. scourges.
12 Or, having been.
13 Or, not having been.
a Observe that his fame as having raised the dead, and as being "a great prophet," spread widely, and reaching John, led to his message of inquiry (connect Luke 7:17 and 18).
b John's prison was at Machærus, east of the Dead Sea. Jesus was somewhere in Galilee, probably near Nain, which was in the southern part of Galilee.
c Parable of the Children Playing in the Market Place.
20 Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his 1mighty works were done, because they repented not. 21 Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the 1mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon which were done in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 Howbeit I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgement, than for you [see Isa. 14:13-15]. 23 And thou, Capernaum, shalt thou be exalted unto heaven? thou shalt 2go down unto Hades: for if the 1mighty works had been done in Sodom which were done in thee, it would have remained until this day. 24 Howbeit I say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgement, than for thee [see Gen. 19:24].
25 At that season Jesus answered and said, I 3thank thee, O Father [see John 3:35; 17:2], Lord of heaven and earth, that thou didst hide these things from the wise and understanding, and didst reveal them unto babes: 26 yea, Father, 4for so it was well-pleasing in thy sight. 27 All things have been delivered unto me of my Father: and no one knoweth the Son, save the Father; neither doth any know the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son willeth to reveal him. 28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yokea upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light [see Jer. 6:16; Sirach 51:23].
1 Gr. powers.
2 Many ancient authorities read be brought down.
3 Or, praise.
4 Or, that.
a Rabbinical figure for going to school. Jesus thus definitely pictures himself as the expert on God in a Johannean passage (cf. Luke 10:21-24). He conceives himself as the Teacher who alone is able to interpret the Father.
36 And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he entered into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to meat. 37 And behold, a woman which was in the city, a sinner; and when she knew that he was sitting at meat in the Pharisee's house, she brought 1an alabaster cruse of ointment, 38 and standing behind at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head, and 2kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. 39 Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were 3a prophet, would have perceived who and what manner of woman this is which toucheth him, that she is a sinner. 40 And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, 4Master, say on. 41 A certain lender had two debtors: the one owed five hundred 5pence, and the other fifty. 42 When they had not wherewith to pay, he forgave them both. Which of them therefore will love him most? 43 Simon answered and said, He, I suppose, to whom he forgave the most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged. 44 And turning to the woman, he said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath wetted my feet with her tears, and wiped them with her hair. 45 Thou gavest me no kiss: but she, since the time I came in, hath not ceased to 6kiss my feet. 46 My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but she hath anointed my feet with ointment. 47 Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. 48 And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven. 49 And they that sat at meat with him began to say 7within themselves, Who is this that even forgiveth sins? 50 And he said unto the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.
1 Or, a flask.
2 Gr. kissed much.
3 Some ancient authorities read the prophet. See John 1:21, 25.
4 Or, Teacher.
5 The word in the Greek denotes a coin worth about seventeen cents.
6 Gr. kiss much.
7 Or, among.
a This anointing in Galilee must be distinct from the anointing at Bethany, near Jerusalem, more than a year later. This sinful and penitent woman is represented by a very late tradition as being Mary Magdalene, and hence all the popular uses of the term Magdalen. But that notion has no historical support whatever, and it becomes violently improbable when we find that in the very next paragraph Luke introduces Mary Magdalene as a new figure in the history. Some men even identify Mary of Bethany with this woman that was a sinner and also with Mary Magdalene, a medley of medieval mysticism.
In sections 60 to 63 Jesus makes a second (three in all) tour of Galilee, this time with all the Twelve. Intense hostility of the Pharisees is aroused by the work. They make the blasphemous accusation that Jesus is in league with Satan. Even the kindred of Jesus fear that he is beside himself because of the excitement and the charges.
1 And it came to pass soon afterwards, that he went about through cities and villages, preaching and bringing the 1good tidings of the kingdom of God, and with him the twelve, 2 and certain women which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary that was called Magdalene, from whom seven 2devils had gone out, 3 and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others, which ministered unto 3them of their substance.
1 Or, gospel.
2 Gr. demons.
3 Many ancient authorities read him.
Notice that the events of §§ 61-66 all occurred on the same day, called the Busy Day.a
a This "Busy Day" is just one of many such days in the Master's Ministry. See, for instance, the last day of his public ministry in the temple in Jerusalem. Observe Jesus in the forenoon teaching a crowded audience (Mark 3:19), some of whom insult and blaspheme him, and others demand a sign, and at length his mother and brethren try to carry him off as insane (comp. Mark 3:21); in the afternoon giving a group of most remarkable parables, several of which he interprets; towards night crossing the Lake in a boat, so tired and worn that he sleeps soundly amid the alarming storm; then healing the Gadarene demoniacs, and returning by boat, apparently the same evening. What a day of toil and trial.
| Mark 3:19-30 | Matt. 12:22-37 |
| 19 And he cometh into a house. 20 And the multitude cometh together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread. 21 And when his friends heard it, they went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside himself. 22 And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and, 3By the prince of the 2devils casteth he out the 2devils. 23 And he called them unto him, and said unto them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan? 24 And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 And if a house be divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. 26 And if Satan hath risen up against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end. 27 But no one can enter into the house of the strong man, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house. 28 Verily I say unto you, All their sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and their blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: 29 but whosoever shall blaspheme against the Holy Spirit hath never forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin: 30 because they said, He hath an unclean spirit. |
22 Then was brought unto him 1one possessed with a devil, blind and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the dumb man spake and saw. 23 And all the multitudes were amazed, and said, Is this the son of David? 24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This man doth not cast out 2devils, but 3by Beelzebub the prince of the 2devils [see John 7:20; 8:48, 52; 10:20].a 25 And knowing their thoughts he said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand: 26 and if Satan casteth out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then shall his kingdom stand? 27 And if I 3by Beelzebub cast out 2devils, 3by whom do your sons cast them out? therefore shall they be your judges. 28 But if I 3by the Spirit of God cast out 2devils, then is the kingdom of God come upon you. 29 Or how can one enter into the house of the strong man, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house. 30 He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth. 31 Therefore I say unto you, Every sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven 4unto men; but the blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven. 32 And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him; but whosoever shall speak against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this 5world, nor in that which is to come. 33 Either make the tree good, and its fruit good; or make the tree corrupt, and its fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by its fruit. 34 Ye offspring of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. 35 The good man out of his good treasure bringeth forth good things: and the evil man out of his evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. 36 And I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgement. 37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. |
1 Or, a demoniac.
2 Gr. demons.
3 Or, in.
4 Some ancient authorities read unto you men.
5 Or, age.
a Luke (11:14-36) gives another blasphemous accusation later in Judea. Matthew (9:27-34) also has another blasphemous accusation. Note Christ's use of parables in replying to the accusations.
38 Then certain of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, 1Master, we would see a sign from thee. 39 But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet: 40 for as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the 2whale; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth [see Jonah 1:17; 2:1-2; 3:5; 4:3; 1 Kings 10:1-10]. 41 The men of Nineveh shall stand up in the judgement with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, 3a greater than Jonah is here. 42 The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgement with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, 3a greater than Solomon is here. 43 But the unclean spirit, when 4he is gone out of the man, passeth through waterless places, seeking rest, and findeth it not. 44 Then 4he saith, I will return into my house whence I came out; and when 4he is come, 4he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. 45 Then goeth 4he, and taketh with 5himself seven other spirits more evil than 5himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man becometh worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this evil generation.
1 Or, Teacher.
2 Gr. sea-monster.
3 Gr. more than.
4 Or, it.
5 Or, itself.
| Mark 3:31-35 | Matt. 12:46-50 | Luke 8:19-21 |
31 And there come his mother and his brethren; and, standing without, they sent unto him, calling him. 32 And a multitude was sitting about him; and they say unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee. 33 And he answereth them, and saith, Who is my mother and my brethren? 34 And looking round on them which sat round about him, he saith, Behold, my mother and my brethren! 35 For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother. |
46 While he was yet speaking to the multitudes, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, seeking to speak to him. 47 1And one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, seeking to speak to thee. 48 But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? 49 And he stretched forth his hand towards his disciples, and said, Behold, my mother and my brethren! 50 For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and mother. |
19 And there came to him his mother and brethren, and they could not come at him for the crowd. 20 And it was told him, Thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to see thee. 21 But he answered and said unto them, My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God, and do it [see John 15:14]. |
1 Some ancient authorities omit ver. 47.
In §§ 64 to 69 we have the first great group of Parables with the visit to Gerasa and the return to Nazareth.
| Mark 4:1, 2 | Matt. 13:1-3 | Luke 8:4 |
| 1 And again he began to teach by the sea side. And there is gathered unto him a very great multitude, so that he entered a boat, and sat in the sea; and all the multitude were by the sea on the land. 2 And he taught them many things in parables, and said unto them in his teaching, Hearken: |
1 On that day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side. 2 And there were gathered unto him great multitudes, so that he entered into a boat, and sat; and all the multitude stood on the beach. 3 And he spake to them many things in parables, saying, |
4 And when a great multitude came together, and they of every city resorted unto him, he spake by a parable: |
a We have met various separate parables heretofore, but here is a group of at least ten. Two other great groups will occur hereafter, one group given in Luke only, and the last group during the last week of our Lord's public ministry.
| Mark 4:3-25 | Matt. 13:3-23 | Luke 8:5-18 |
| 3 Behold, the sower went forth to sow: 4 and it came to pass, as he sowed, some seed fell by the way side, and the birds came and devoured it. 5 And other fell on the rocky ground, where it had not much earth; and straightway it sprang up, because it had no deepness of earth: 6 and when the sun was risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. 7 And other fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. 8 And others fell into the good ground, and yielded fruit, growing up and increasing; and brought forth, thirtyfold, and sixtyfold, and a hundredfold. 9 And he said, Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. 10 And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parables. 11 And he said unto them, Unto you is given the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all things are done in parables: 12 that seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not under- stand; lest haply they should turn again, and it should be forgivena them. 13 And he saith unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how shall ye know all the parables? 14 The sower soweth the word. 15 And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; and when they have heard, straightway cometh Satan, and taketh away the word which hath been sown in them. 16 And these in like manner are they that are sown upon the rocky places, who, when they have heard the word, straightway receive it with joy; 17 and they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, straightway they stumble. 18 And others are they that are sown among the thorns; these are they that have heard the word, 19 and the cares of the 2world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. 20 And those are they that were sown upon the good ground; such as hear the word, and accept it, and bear fruit, thirtyfold, and sixtyfold, and a hundredfold. 21 And he said unto them, Is the lampb brought to be put under the bushel, or under the bed, and not to be put on the stand? 22 For there is nothing hid, save that it should be manifested; neither was anything made secret, but that it should come to light. 23 If any man hath ears to hear, let him hear. 24 And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete it shall be measured unto you: and more shall be given unto you. 25 For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from him shall be taken away even that which he hath. |
3 Behold, the sower went forth to sow; 4 and as he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the birds came and devoured them: 5 and others fell upon the rocky places, where they had not much earth: and straightway they sprang up, because they had no deepness of earth: 6 and when the sun was risen, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. 7 And others fell upon the thorns; and the thorns grew up, and choked them: 8 and others fell upon the good ground, and yielded fruit, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 He that hath ears1, let him hear. 10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? 11 And he answered and said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. 12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that which he hath. 13 Therefore speak I to them in parables; because seeing they see not, and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. 14 And unto them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall in no wise understand; And seeing ye shall see, and shall in no wise perceive: 15 For this people's heart is waxed gross, And their ears are dull of hearing, And their eyes they have closed; Lest haply they should perceive with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart, And should turn again, And I should heal them [see Isa. 6:9-10]. 16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for they hear. 17 For verily I say unto you, that many prophets and righteous men desired to see the things which ye see, and saw them not; and to hear the things which ye hear, and heard them not. 18 Hear then ye the parable of the sower. 19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the evil one, and snatcheth away that which hath been sown in his heart. This is he that was sown by the way side. 20 And he that was sown upon the rocky places, this is he that heareth the word, and straightway with joy receiveth it; 21 yet hath he not root in himself, but endureth for a while; and when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, straightway he stumbleth. 22 And he that was sown among the thorns, this is he that heareth the word; and the care of the 2world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. 23 And he that was sown upon the good ground, this is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; who verily beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. |
5 The sower went forth to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden under foot, and the birds of the heaven devoured it. 6 And other fell on the rock; and as soon as it grew, it withered away, because it had no moisture. 7 And other fell amidst the thorns; and the thorns grew with it, and choked it. 8 And other fell into the good ground, and grew, and brought forth fruit a hundredfold. As he said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. 9 And his disciples asked him what this parable might be. 10 And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to the rest in parables; that seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand. 11 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. 12 And those by the way side are they that have heard; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word from their heart, that they may not believe and be saved. 13 And those on the rock are they which, when they have heard, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away. 14 And that which fell among the thorns, these are they that have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection. 15 And that in the good ground, these are such as in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, hold it fast, and bring forth fruit with patience. 16 And no man, when he hath lighted a lamp, covereth it with a vessel, or putteth it under a bed; but putteth it on a stand, that they which enter in may see the light. 17 For nothing is hid, that shall not be made manifest; nor anything secret, that shall not be known and come to light. 18 Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that which he 3thinketh he hath. |
1 Some ancient authorities add here, and in ver. 43, to hear: as in Mark 4:9; Luke 8:8.
2 Or, age.
3 Or, seemeth to have.
a Observe that Jesus spoke these words just after the blasphemous accusation and on the same day (Matt. 13:1).
b Note here another brief parable of the lamp to enforce the lesson of the parable of the Sower. Preachers to-day sometimes tell one story to illustrate another.