Luke 7 Commentary

In Capernaum, Jesus heals the slave of a Roman centurion of great faith.

John the Baptizer sends two of his disciples to Jesus asking whether He claims Himself to be the Messiah. Jesus’s answer is clear yet coded.

After the disciples of John the Baptizer departed, Jesus seized the moment to speak to the surrounding crowds regarding John’s role and the expectations people held for him. Yet, as Jesus speaks, He unveils His own Messianic identity for those who have ears to hear.

Jesus continues to affirm the role of John the Baptizer as the forerunner to the Messiah. In doing so, He is testifying to the crowds that He Himself is the Messiah.

Luke tells us the two reactions to Jesus’s message about John the Baptizer and Himself. The people and tax collectors responded positively and aligned themselves with God’s standards of justice. But the religious leaders rejected it and God’s purpose for their lives.

“The Parable of the Children in the Marketplace” Jesus illustrates Judea’s rejection of both John the Baptizer as Elijah and Himself as the Messiah through a brief parable about children playing different kinds of music for people who refuse to respond appropriately.