Part 12

007:002 Here the servant of a certain Captain, a man dear to his master, was ill and at the point of death;

007:003 and the Captain, hearing about Jesus, sent to Him some of the Jewish Elders, begging Him to come and restore his servant to health.

007:004 And they, when they came to Jesus, earnestly entreated Him, pleading, "He deserves to have this favour granted him,

007:005 for he loves our nation, and at his own expense he built our synagogue for us."

007:006 Then Jesus went with them. But when He was not far from the house, the Captain sent friends to Him with the message: "Sir, do not trouble to come. I am not worthy of having you come under my roof;

007:007 and therefore I did not deem myself worthy to come to you. Only speak the word, and let my young man be cured.

007:008 For I too am a man obedient to authority, and have soldiers under me; and I say to one, `Go,' and he goes; to another, `Come,' and he comes; and to my slave, `Do this or that,' and he does it."

007:009 Jesus listened to the Captain's message and was astonished at him, and He turned and said to the crowd that followed Him, "I tell you that not even in Israel have I found faith like that."

007:010 And the friends who had been sent, on returning to the house, found the servant in perfect health.

007:011 Shortly afterwards He went to a town called Nain, attended by His disciples and a great crowd of people.

007:012 And just as He reached the gate of the town, they happened to be bringing out for burial a dead man who was his mother's only son; and she was a widow; and a great number of the townspeople were with her.

007:013 The Lord saw her, was moved with pity for her, and said to her, "Do not weep."

007:014 Then He went close and touched the bier, and the bearers halted. "Young man," He said, "I command you, wake!"

007:015 The dead man sat up and began to speak; and He restored him to his mother.

007:016 All were awe-struck, and they gave glory to God--some saying, "A Prophet, a great Prophet, has risen up among us." Others said, "God has not forgotten His People."

007:017 And the report of what Jesus had done spread through the whole of Judaea and in all the surrounding districts.

007:018 John's disciples brought him an account of all these things;

007:019 so John called two of his disciples and sent them to the Lord. "Are you the Coming One?" he asked, "or is there another that we are to expect?"

007:020 The men came to Jesus and said, "John the Baptist has sent us to you with this question: `Are you the Coming One, or is there another that we are to expect?'"

007:021 He immediately cured many of diseases, severe pain, and evil spirits, and to many who were blind He gave the gift of sight.

007:022 Then He answered the messengers, "Go and report to John what you have seen and heard. Blind men receive sight, the lame walk, lepers are purified, deaf persons hear, the dead are raised to life, the poor have the Good News proclaimed to them.

007:023 And blessed is every one who does not stumble and fall because of my claims."

007:024 When John's messengers were gone, He proceeded to say to the multitude concerning John, "What did you go out into the Desert to gaze at? A reed waving in the wind?

007:025 But what did you go out to see? A man wearing luxurious clothes? People who are gorgeously dressed and live in luxury are found in palaces.

007:026 But what did you go out to see? A Prophet? Aye, I tell you, and far more than a Prophet.

007:027 John is the man about whom it is written, `See, I am sending My messenger before thy face, and he shall make ready thy way before thee.'

007:028 "I tell you that among all of women born there is not one greater than John. Yet one who is of lower rank in the Kingdom of God is greater than he.

007:029 And all the people, including the tax-gatherers, when they listened to him upheld the righteousness of God, by being baptized with John's baptism.