Luke 13

Luke 13:1

Luke: The Man Christ Jesus Jesus on his way from Galilee to Jerusalem An EasyEnglish Bible Version and Commentary (2800 word vocabulary) on Luke 9:51 to 19:44

www.easyenglish.info Ian Mackervoy This commentary has been through Advanced Checking.

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Chapter 13 *Repentance – Luke 13:1-9 v1 At that time, some people there told Jesus about some men from Galilee. Those men from Galilee were giving animals as *sacrifices to God. Pilate killed the men and he mixed their blood with the blood of the animals. v2 Jesus replied, ‘What do you think? Did these men from Galilee suffer these things because they *sinned more than anyone else from Galilee? v3 I tell you that the answer is no. But unless you *repent, you too will all die. v4 The *tower at Siloam fell on 18 people and it killed them. Were they worse *sinners than all the other people who live in Jerusalem? v5 I tell you that the answer is no. But if you do not *repent, then you too will all die.’

v6 Then Jesus told this story. ‘A man planted a *fig tree in his *vineyard. When he came to look for fruit on it, he did not find any. v7 So, he said to the gardener, “For three years, I have come to look for fruit on this *fig tree. But I have not found any fruit. Cut it down. It should not take up space in this good soil.” v8 The gardener replied, “Master, leave it for one more year. I will dig round it and I will feed it. v9 If the tree produces fruit next year, that will be all right. But if not, then cut it down.” ’

Verses 1-5 We have no further details about this incident. These men had come from Galilee to Jerusalem to *worship God. As they made their *sacrifices, the *Roman soldiers killed them. Pilate was the *Roman ruler of Judea. He was in command of these soldiers; perhaps he ordered the soldiers to kill the men. The occasion could have been at the *Passover. That is the only time that the people killed their own animals.

We do not know why the people told Jesus about this incident. Many people believed that such events were a punishment because of *sin.

Jesus was himself from Galilee. He did not say anything about the action of the *Romans. But he used the incident to speak about *repentance.

Those men from Galilee did not suffer that fate because they were worse *sinners than other people. But their sudden death should warn everyone that we all need to *repent. We do not know the time of our own death. It could be as sudden as theirs was.

Jesus then spoke about an accident in which 18 people died. The *tower at Siloam fell down and it fell on them. They were not more guilty than other people in Jerusalem. But they suffered a sudden death. Our death could be as sudden and we need to be ready. If we do not *repent, we too will die. That death refers to the future judgement rather than the death of the body.

The *tower at Siloam formed part of the wall of ancient Jerusalem. It was above the pool of Siloam where the south and east walls join.

Verses 6-9 Then Jesus told a story about a *fig tree. A man had planted it because he wanted fruit from it. For three years, it failed to have any fruit. The man told the gardener to cut it down. The gardener wanted to give the tree another chance. But after another year, if it did not have fruit, the man could cut it down.

The man planted the *fig tree in a vineyard. A vineyard is a farm where people grow the fruit to make wine.

God is kind to us. He gives us many opportunities to *repent and to turn to him. But the time of our death will come. And after that, there will be the judgement. Jesus cures a woman on the *Sabbath – Luke 13:10-17 v10 Jesus taught in one of the *synagogues on the *Sabbath day. v11 A woman was there who suffered from an evil spirit. The spirit had made her ill for 18 years. It had bent her back so that she could not stand up straight. v12 When Jesus saw her, he called her to come to him. He said to her, ‘Woman, you are free from your illness.’ v13 Then Jesus placed his hands on her. Immediately she stood up straight. And she praised God.

v14 The *synagogue leader was angry because Jesus cured on the *Sabbath day. He said to the people, ‘There are 6 days in which to work. Come on one of those days for someone to cure you and not on the *Sabbath day.’

v15 The *Lord answered him. He said, ‘You are *hypocrites. On the *Sabbath day, each of you unties his *ox or his *donkey. You take it from the place where it eats. Then you lead it out to give water to it. v16 This woman is a *descendant of Abraham. *Satan has bound her like this for 18 years. It is right that I should free her from his control on the *Sabbath day.’

v17 When Jesus said this, he made his enemies ashamed. But everyone else in the crowd was happy about all the wonderful things that he did.

Verses 10-13 Jesus taught in a *synagogue on the *Sabbath day. In the *synagogue, there was a woman who had been ill for 18 years. The cause of her illness was an evil spirit. As a result, she could not stand up straight. She did not ask Jesus to cure her. He saw her and he called her to the front of the *synagogue. She obeyed him and she came forward. Then he put his hands on her and he cured her. Immediately she stood up straight for the first time in 18 years.

Jesus did not put his hands on people who had evil spirits. Here it seems that he freed her from the spirit first. Then he put his hands on her to cure her from the illness.

The woman did not praise Jesus. She praised God.

Verses 14-17 The right use of the *Sabbath was a cause of disagreement between Jesus and the *Pharisees. Here the leader of the *synagogue was angry that Jesus had cured the woman on the *Sabbath. Also, it may have annoyed him that Jesus acted without his agreement. He was in charge of the *synagogue meeting and of all that happened there. He did not speak to Jesus directly. Instead he spoke to the people. He said in effect that it was wrong to cure people on the *Sabbath day. To cure a person was work and the law forbade work on the *Sabbath day (Exodus 20:9-10).

Jesus answered him. The purpose of the *Sabbath was for the benefit of the people. So, to cure on that day was in the purpose of the *Sabbath. The *Jews did look after their animals on the *Sabbath. They freed their animals on the *Sabbath. They would lead the animals with a chain but they would not carry anything.

They would draw water from a well for them. But they would not hold the bucket for the animals to drink. If it is right to take care of animals, it must be right to cure this woman. By this illness, *Satan had bound her for 18 years. It must be right to free this *Jewish woman even on the *Sabbath. That was why Jesus called the leader of this *synagogue a *hypocrite.

The man’s own actions showed that his words about the *Sabbath were wrong. If it is right to free an animal, clearly it is right to free a person - especially a *descendant of Abraham. If it is right to give water to an animal, then it is right to cure a person. God gave the *Sabbath to help people, not so that they would suffer.

What Jesus said made his enemies ashamed. The people were happy because of the good things that Jesus did.

This was perhaps the last time that Jesus taught in a *synagogue. The *kingdom of God – Luke 13:18-30 v18 Then Jesus said, ‘Let us describe the *kingdom of God. Let me tell you what it is like. v19 It is like a *mustard seed that a man planted in his garden. The seed grew and it became like a tree. And the wild birds built nests in its branches.’

v20 Again he said, ‘The *kingdom of God is like this. v21 It is like *yeast that a woman took. She mixed it in three bowls of *dough. The *yeast caused all the *dough to rise.’

v22 Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. As he went, he taught the people in the towns and villages. v23 Someone asked him, ‘*Lord, will God save only a few people?’ v24 He said to them, ‘Try hard to enter through the narrow door. I tell you that many people will try to enter. But they will not be able to enter. v25 The owner of the house will get up and he will close the door. If then you stand at the door, it is too late. You will knock at the door. You will call out, “*Lord, open the door for us.” But he will answer, “No. I do not know you or where you come from.”

v26 Then you will begin to say, “We ate with you. We drank with you and you taught in our streets.”

v27 But he will reply, “I do not know you. I do not know where you come from. Go away from me, all of you who do evil deeds.”

v28 There you will weep and you will bite your teeth together because of the pain. You will see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the *prophets in God’s *kingdom. But the *Lord will throw you out. v29 People will come from the east, west, north, and south. They will sit down at the *feast in the *kingdom of God. v30 In fact, some people who are last now will be first then. And some people, who are first, will be last then.’

Verses 18-21 A mustard seed is a very small seed. In Matthew and Mark, there is a contrast between the tiny seed and the large bush (Matthew 13:31-32, Mark 4:30-32). The mustard plant could grow up to 10 or 12 feet high. It grows big enough for birds to have their nests in its branches. The *kingdom of God will be so large that people from all nations will come into it.

Women used to make bread for their family. They would put a small amount of *yeast in with the dough. Dough is the mixture of flour and water from which a person makes bread. The *yeast affects the whole lump of dough. This causes the bread to rise. The small quantity of *yeast affects a large quantity of dough. The *kingdom of God is like that. Its citizens, God’s people, are in the world and they have a powerful effect across the whole world.

In these stories, there is power in the seed and in the *yeast. So, the *kingdom of God comes with power. From a small start, it becomes a great and powerful *kingdom.

Verses 22-25 Jesus taught in all the towns and villages that he went through. He was on his way to Jerusalem. In reaction to what he taught, someone asked him this question. Many of the *Jews believed that God would save all the *Jews except a few bad *sinners. And they did not believe that God would save the people from other nations.

Jesus does not answer the question. He urges the people to make sure that they enter the *kingdom. Entry into the *kingdom is not certain even for the *Jews. By our own efforts, we cannot get into the *kingdom. But there must be that desire to do so now while there is still time. The way in is not easy. It is like a narrow door.

The door will not always be open. At some future time, God will say that it is too late. Many people will try then but they will fail to enter. They will fail because they are too late. They will knock on the door but the *Lord will tell them to go away. He will not know them.

Jesus came to announce the year of the *Lord’s kindness (Luke 4:19). The year refers to the period in which God offers *salvation to us. The opportunity to receive *salvation is open to all people now.

The door means Jesus (John 10:9). There is no other way to get in. *Salvation is in Jesus and no one else (John 14:6).

Verses 26-30 Some of those to whom Jesus refuses entry will argue against that decision. They will say that they did know Jesus. They even ate and drank with him. They heard him as he taught in their streets. They were there but they did not believe in Jesus.

To be there and to hear Jesus is not enough. Without *faith in Jesus, there is no way into the *kingdom of God. He will send these people away. He calls them ‘people who do evil deeds’. In the end, there will be just two types of people, those inside and those outside. Both types are *sinners. But those inside have *repented and they have believed in Jesus.

Jesus will say that he did not know those other people. He does know all about each person. But here it means that he does not have a relationship with them. All who believe in Jesus become children of God. He knows them as members of the same family.

Away from the *kingdom of God will be a terrible place. In that place, people will be sorry and angry. They will regret that they did not accept the good news of Jesus. But then it will be too late.

Many *Jews at that time thought that the *kingdom of God was only for the *Jews. Every *Jew expected to sit with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the *feast in the *kingdom of God. It will surprise them to see people from all round the world go into the *kingdom. They are the people from every nation who have accepted the good news of Jesus. These people who are not *Jewish will be at home in the *kingdom. These people, whom many *Jews considered without hope, will be there. But some *Jews will not be able to go in. Nobody who refuses to accept the good news of Jesus will be able to enter the *kingdom of God. Jerusalem, the city where people killed many of the *prophets – Luke 13:31-35 v31 At that same time, some *Pharisees came to Jesus. They said to him, ‘Go away from here. Go somewhere else because Herod wants to kill you.’

v32 Jesus replied to them, ‘Go and tell this message to that fox. I will force *demons to leave people and I will cure people today and tomorrow. I will finish my work on the third day. v33 But I must be on my way today, tomorrow, and the next day. It cannot be right for a *prophet to die outside of Jerusalem.

v34 Jerusalem, Jerusalem, your people have killed the *prophets. The *Lord sent these *prophets to them. But they threw stones and they killed those *prophets. I have often wanted to gather your people, as a mother bird gathers her *chicks under her wings. But you would not let me. v35 God has gone from your house so that it is completely empty. I tell you that you will certainly not see me again for some time. You will not see me until you say, “God *bless you, because you have come in the name of the *Lord.” ’

Verses 31-33 It is strange that the *Pharisees warned Jesus about Herod. But they did warn Jesus that Herod wanted to kill him. This was Herod Antipas, a son of Herod the Great. Herod Antipas was the ruler in the regions called Galilee and Perea. Perea was to the east of the Jordan river. The *Pharisees suggested that Jesus should go somewhere else. It could be that Jesus was at this time in one of those regions. He was on his way to Jerusalem, which is in the region of Judea. Pontius Pilate was responsible for Judea.

Jesus referred to Herod as ‘that fox’. The *Jews used the term ‘fox’ for a person who was clever in a bad way. Herod was a clever and a cruel man. Also, they used ‘fox’ for a person that they could not respect. Jesus would not respect such a person as Herod.

Jesus told the *Pharisees to go to Herod. He told them to tell Herod that Jesus would complete his task. It did not matter to Jesus what Herod tried to do. God had chosen his time and Herod could not change it. Jesus would continue to free people from the power of *demons and to cure sick people. ‘Today, tomorrow and the third day’ mean a short time. Jesus had a short time in which to complete his work. God, and not Herod, would decide when Jesus would die.

In the purposes of God, Jesus must die in Jerusalem. Jesus expected to suffer as a *prophet. And it would not be right for Jesus the *prophet to die elsewhere.

Verses 34-35 Jesus probably spoke these words as he approached Jerusalem (Matthew 23:37-39). Maybe Luke has recorded them earlier to fit in with the design of his book. But perhaps Jesus said these things on more than one occasion. In this passage, the word ‘you’ means Jerusalem and its inhabitants.

The people in Jerusalem had killed many of the *prophets. They had thrown stones at some of them until they died. Jesus knew that he too would die there.

The fate of that city upset Jesus deeply. He knew what would happen to it in the future. He loved the people in Jerusalem and he wanted to save them from that future. He wanted them to come to him for his protection. But he knew that they had refused him. They would not come to him.

In a special way, God had been at home in Jerusalem. Now however, he had gone away from it. He did not live there still. The ‘house’ was empty without God. The ‘house’ probably means the city called Jerusalem. But it could refer to God’s *temple that was in Jerusalem.

People did cry out in this way when Jesus entered Jerusalem (Luke 19:38). That event is not what Jesus was referring to here. The people who cried out then were not the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Matthew records these words after Jesus had entered Jerusalem (Matthew 23:39). Jesus has promised to come again. That event is still in the future. When he comes, the people of Jerusalem will accept Jesus as the *Christ. Then they will say these words, which come from Psalms 118:26.

© 2013, Wycliffe Associates (UK)

This publication is in EasyEnglish Level B (2800 words).

November 2013

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var w5 = new Array;w5[0]=’<b%3Esacrifice</b%3E ~ a gift to God to ask him to forgive sins or to thank him for something. To sacrifice means to make a sacrifice.