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LUKE 
what you have seen and heard: the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor
h 23
have the good news proclaimed to them. And blessed is the one
who takes no offense at me.”*
Jesus’ Testimony to John. 24* When the messengers of John had left, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John.i “What did you go out to the desert to see—a reed swayed by the wind? 25Then what did you go out to see? Someone dressed in fine garments? Those who dress luxuriously and live sumptuously are found in royal palaces. 26Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.j 27This is the one about whom scripture says:
‘Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, he will prepare your way before you.’k
28I tell you, among those born of women, no one is greater than John; yet the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.” 29l (All the people who listened, including the tax collectors, and who were baptized with the baptism of John, acknowledged the righteousness of God; 30but the Pharisees and scholars of the law, who were not baptized by him, rejected the plan of God for themselves.)
31* “Then to what shall I compare the people of this generation? What are they like?m 32They are like children who sit in the marketplace and call to one another,
‘We played the flute for you, but you did not dance. We sang a dirge, but you did not weep.’
33For John the Baptist came neither eating food nor drinking wine, and you said, ‘He is possessed by a demon.’ 34The Son of Man came eating and drinking and you said, ‘Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’n 35But wisdom is vindicated by all her children.”
The Pardon of the Sinful Woman.* 36o A Pharisee invited him to dine with him, and he entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table.* 37Now there was a sinful woman in the city who learned that he was at table in the house of the Pharisee.p Bringing an alabaster flask of ointment,q 38she stood behind him at his feet weeping and began to bathe his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed
7:16
“Fear seized them all.” This
holy fear is not the fright or alarm we feel when faced with danger; it is a deep awe in the presence of God, the “fear of the Lord” which is one of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. “The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him.. a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the LORD, / and his delight shall be the fear of the LORD” (Isaiah 11:2-3).
7:24
“John was not a reed shaken by the wind. He did not allow himself to be softened up by praise or to be irritated by insults. Prosperity would not make him vain, nor would adversity depress him. Let us learn from this. not to be like a reed shaken by the wind: let us strengthen our spirit, which is exposed to the gale of tongues, and let us remain in exible in strength of soul.” (St. Gregory the Great)
7:31
Jesus compares the people of his time to a hard-to-please audience, listening to musicians in the marketplace. When a joyful song is played, they are not in the mood for dancing; when a dirge is sung, they are not in the mood for weeping. John’s ascetic message and Jesus’ joyful one both fail to reach these stubborn people.
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* [7:23] Blessed is the one who takes no o ense at me: this beatitude is pronounced on the person who recognizes Jesus’ true identity in spite of previous expectations of what “the one who is to come” would be like.
* [7:24–30] In his testimony to John, Jesus reveals his understanding of the relationship between them: John is the precursor of Jesus (Lk 7:27); John is the messenger spoken of in Mal 3:1 who in Mal 3:23 is identi ed as Elijah. Taken with the previous episode, it can be seen that Jesus identi es John as precisely the person John envisioned Jesus to be: the Elijah who prepares the way for the coming of the day of the Lord.
* [7:31–35] See note on Mt 11:16–19.
* [7:36–50] In this story of the pardoning of the sinful woman Luke presents two di erent
reactions to the ministry of Jesus. A Pharisee, suspecting Jesus to be a prophet, invites Jesus to a festive banquet in his house, but the Pharisee’s self-righteousness leads to little forgiveness by God and consequently little love shown toward Jesus. The sinful woman, on the other hand, manifests a faith in God (Lk 7:50) that has led her to seek forgiveness for her sins, and because so much was forgiven, she now overwhelms Jesus with her display of love; cf. the similar contrast in attitudes in Lk 18:9–14. The whole episode is a powerful lesson on the relation between forgiveness and love.
* [7:36] Reclined at table: the normal posture of guests at a banquet. Other oriental banquet customs alluded to in this story include the reception by the host with a kiss (Lk 7:45), washing the feet of the guests (Lk 7:44), and the anointing of the guests’ heads (Lk 7:46).
h.[7:22] 4:18; Is 35:5–6; 61:1. i. [7:24–30] Mt 11:7–15.
j. [7:26] 1:76.
k. [7:27] Mal 3:1 / Is 40:3.
l. [7:29–30] 3:7, 12; Mt 21:32.
m. [7:31–35] Mt 11:16–19. n. [7:34] 15:2.
o. [7:36] 11:37; 14:1.
p. [7:37] Mt 26:7; Mk 14:3. q. [7:37–38] Jn 12:3.