In Nehemiah 5 and 6 the people complain about the taxes that have been levied on them by their own leaders. They also have control of the people’s land. Nehemiah confronts the leaders with their wrongdoing and the leaders give back the land and no longer spike the taxes for more money. Nehemiah does not even take the fee governors usually receive so that the people may provide for their families.

The leaders of the enemy nations try to get Nehemiah to meet with them so they can kill him. He sees through their plans and refuses. Even when they threaten to tell lies to the king saying that Nehemiah is waging a revolt he refuses to meet with them. A prophet warns Nehemiah that they are coming to kill him and he should hide in the temple, but he refuses. Later he realizes that the prophet was paid off by his enemies in order to keep him from finishing the wall. Nehemiah and the people finish the wall. The enemy nations became afraid because they knew that God had helped the people of Jerusalem.

Despite all of the things that were put in his way, Nehemiah remained persistent because he knew he was doing God’s work. God made certain that Nehemiah succeeded.

In Luke 7 Jesus heals a slave of a Roman centurion who was close to death. He raises a man from death who was his mother’s only son. These and other miracles are reported to John the Baptist and he sends messengers to Jesus asking if he is the Messiah. Jesus has them tell John the things that he has done, especially those things that are found in the prophecies concerning the Messiah.

A Pharisee invites Jesus to his house for a meal. A woman comes to Jesus there and breaks an alabaster jar of perfume on his feet. She washes them with her tears and dries them with her hair. The woman is a sinner and the Pharisee criticizes Jesus for allowing her to touch him. Jesus says that he has come for those who have sinned. He forgives the woman and tells her to go in peace.