Luke 13

Luke 13:1

H. The Importance of Repentance (13:1-5) 13:1-3 Chapter 12 closed with the failure of the Jewish nation to discern the time in which they lived, and with the Lord’s warning to repent quickly or perish forever. Chapter 13 continues this general subject, and is largely addressed to Israel as a nation, although the principles apply to individual people. Two national calamities form the basis of the resulting conversation. The first was the massacre of some Galileans who had come to Jerusalem to worship. Pilate, the governor of Judea, had ordered them to be slain while they were offering sacrifices. Nothing else is known concerning this atrocity.

We assume the victims were Jews who had been living in Galilee. The Jews in Jerusalem might have been laboring under the delusion that these Galileans must have committed terrible sins, and that their death was an evidence of God’s disfavor. However, the Lord Jesus corrected this by warning the Jewish people that unless they repented, they would all likewise perish. 13:4, 5 The other tragedy concerned the collapse of a tower in Siloam which caused the death of eighteen persons. Nothing else is known about this accident except what is recorded here. Fortunately, it is not necessary to know any further details. The point emphasized by the Lord was that this catastrophe should not be interpreted as a special judgment for gross wickedness. Rather, it should be seen as a warning to all the nation of Israel that unless they repented, a similar doom would come upon them. This doom came to pass in a.d. 70 when Titus invaded Jerusalem.

Luke 13:6

I. Parable of the Fruitless Fig Tree (13:6-9) In close connection with the preceding, the Lord Jesus told the parable of the fig tree. It is not difficult to identify the fig tree as Israel, planted in God’s vineyard, that is, the world. God looked for fruit on the tree but He found none. So He said to the vinedresser (the Lord Jesus) that He had sought in vain for fruit from the tree for three years. The simplest interpretation of this refers it to the first three years of our Lord’s public ministry. The thought of the passage is that the fig tree had been given sufficient time to produce fruit, if it was ever going to do so.

If no fruit appeared in three years, then it was reasonable to conclude that none would ever appear. Because of its fruitlessness, God ordered to cut it down. It was only occupying ground that could be used more productively. The vinedresser interceded for the fig tree, asking that it be given one more year. If at the end of that time, it was still fruitless, then He could cut it down. And that is what happened.

It was after the fourth year had begun that Israel rejected and crucified the Lord Jesus. As a result, its capital was destroyed and the people scattered. G. H. Lang expressed it thus: The Son of God knew the mind of His Father, the Owner of the vineyard, and that the dread order Cut it down had been issued; Israel had again exhausted the Divine forbearance. Neither a nation nor a person has reason to enjoy the care of God if not bringing forth the fruits of righteousness unto the glory and praise of God. Man exists for the honour and pleasure of the Creator: when he does not serve this just end why should not the sentence of death follow his sinful failure, and he be removed from his place of privilege?

Luke 13:10

J. Healing of the Bent-Over Woman (13:10-17) 13:10-13 The real attitude of Israel toward the Lord Jesus is seen in the ruler of the synagogue. This official objected that the Savior had healed a woman on the Sabbath. The woman had suffered from severe curvature of the spine for eighteen years. Her deformity was great; she could not straighten herself up at all. Without even being asked, the Lord Jesus had spoken the healing word, had laid His hands on her, and had straightened her spine. 13:14 The ruler of the synagogue indignantly told the people that they should come for healing on the first six days of the week, but not on the seventh. He was a professional religionist, with no deep concern for the problems of the people. Even if they had come on the first six days of the week, he could not have helped them. He was a stickler about the technical points of the law, but there was no love or mercy in his heart. If he had had curvature of the spine for eighteen years, he would not have minded on which day he was straightened out! 13:15, 16 The Lord reproved his hypocrisy and that of the other leaders. He reminded them that they didn’t hesitate to loose an ox or donkey from the stall on the Sabbath in order to let it drink water. If they showed such consideration for dumb animals on the Sabbath, was it wrong for Jesus to perform an act of healing on this woman who was a daughter of Abraham? The expression a daughter of Abraham indicates not only that she was Jewish but also a true believer, a woman of faith. The curvature of the spine was caused by Satan. We know from other parts of the Bible that some sicknesses are the result of Satanic activity.

Job’s boils were inflicted by Satan. Paul’s thorn in the flesh was a messenger of Satan to buffet him. The devil is not allowed to do this on a believer, however, without the Lord’s permission. And God overrules any such sickness or suffering for His own glory. 13:17 The critics of our Lord were thoroughly put to shame by His words. The common people rejoiced because a glorious miracle had been performed, and they knew it.

Luke 13:18

K. Parables of the Kingdom (13:18-21) 13:18, 19 After seeing this wonderful miracle of healing, the people might have been tempted to think that the kingdom would be set up immediately. The Lord Jesus disabused their minds by setting forth two parables of the kingdom of God which describe it as it would exist between the time of the King’s rejection and His return to the earth to reign. They picture the growth of Christendom, and include mere profession as well as reality (see notes on 8:1-3). First of all He likened the kingdom of God to a mustard seed, one of the tiniest of seeds. When cast into the ground, it produces a shrub, but not a tree. Therefore when Jesus said that this seed produced a large tree, He indicated that the growth was highly abnormal. It was big enough for birds of the air to lodge in its branches. The thought here is that Christianity had a humble beginning, small as a grain of mustard seed. But as it grew, it became popularized, and Christendom as we know it today developed.

Christendom is composed of all who profess allegiance to the Lord, whether or not they have ever been born again. The birds of the air are vultures or birds of prey. They are symbols of evil, and picture the fact that Christendom has become the resting place for various forms of corruption. 13:20, 21 The second parable likened the kingdom of God to leaven which a woman placed in three measures of meal. We believe that leaven in the Scripture is always a symbol of evil. Here the thought is that evil doctrine has been introduced into the pure food of the people of God. This evil doctrine is not static; it has an insidious power to spread.

Luke 13:22

L. The Narrow Gate into the Kingdom (13:22-30) 13:22, 23 As Jesus moved toward Jerusalem, someone stepped out from the crowd to ask Him if only a few would be saved. It may have been an idle question, provoked by mere curiosity. 13:24 The Lord answered a speculative question with a direct command. He told the questioner to make sure that he himself would enter through the narrow gate. When Jesus said to strive to enter through the narrow gate, He did not mean that salvation requires effort on our part. The narrow gate here is new birthsalvation by grace through faith. Jesus was warning the man to make sure that he entered by this door. Many … will seek to enter and will not be able when once the door is shut. This does not mean that they will seek to enter in by the door of conversion, but rather that in the day of Christ’s power and glory, they will want admission to His kingdom, but it will be too late. The day of grace in which we live will have come to an end. 13:25-27 The Master of the house will rise up and shut the door. The Jewish nation is pictured then as knocking at the door and asking the Lord to open. He will refuse on the ground that He never knew them. They will protest at this point, pretending that they had lived on intimate terms with Him. But He will not be moved by these pretensions. They were workers of iniquity, and will not be allowed to enter in. 13:28-30 His refusal will cause weeping and gnashing of teeth. The weeping indicates remorse and the gnashing of teeth speaks of violent hatred of God. This shows that the sufferings of hell do not change the heart of man. Unbelieving Israelites will see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God. They themselves expected to be there, simply because they were related to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but they will be thrust out. Gentiles will travel to the brightness of Christ’s kingdom from all corners of the earth and enjoy its wonderful blessings. Thus many Jews who were first in God’s plan for blessing will be rejected, while the Gentiles who were looked down upon as dogs will enjoy the blessings of Christ’s Millennial Reign.

Luke 13:31

M. Prophets Perish in Jerusalem (13:31-35) 13:31 At this time, the Lord Jesus was apparently in Herod’s territory. Some Pharisees came and warned Him to get out because Herod was trying to kill Him. The Pharisees seem completely out of character in professing an interest in the welfare and safety of Jesus. Perhaps they had joined in a plot with Herod to frighten Him into going to Jerusalem, where He would most certainly be apprehended. 13:32 Our Lord was not moved by the threat of physical violence. He recognized it as a plot on Herod’s part and told the Pharisees to go back to that fox with a message. Some people have difficulty with the fact that the Lord Jesus spoke of Herod as a she-fox (the form is feminine in the original). They feel that it was in violation of the Scripture which forbids speaking evil of a ruler of the people (Exo_22:28). However, this was not evil; it was the absolute truth. The gist of the message sent by Jesus was that He still had work to do for a short time.

He would cast out demons and perform healing miracles during the few remaining days allotted to Him. Then on the third day, that is, the final day, He would have finished the work connected with His earthly ministry. Nothing would hinder Him in the performance of His duties. No power on earth could harm Him until the appointed time. 13:33 Further, He could not be slain in Galilee. This prerogative was reserved for the city of Jerusalem. It was that city which characteristically had murdered the servants of the Most High God. Jerusalem had more or less a monopoly on the death of God’s spokesmen. That is what the Lord Jesus meant when He said that it cannot be that a prophet should perish outside of Jerusalem.13:34, 35 Having thus spoken the truth concerning this wicked city, Jesus turned in pathos and wept over it. This city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers was the object of His tender love.

How often He had wanted to gather the people of the city together, as a hen gathers her brood … , but they were not willing. The difficulty lay in their stubborn will. As a result, their city, their temple, and their land would be left desolate. They would pass through a long period of exile. In fact, they would not see the Lord until they changed their attitude toward Him. Verse 35b refers to the Second Advent of Christ.

A remnant of the nation of Israel will repent at that time and will say, Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! His people will then be willing in the day of His power.