Luke 13 Bible study

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The Gospel of Luke Chapter 12:1-34 All have Sinned 13:1-3 Now there were some present on that occasion who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. He answered them, "Do you think these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered these things?" No, I tell you! But unless you repent, you will all perish as well!

In response to the brutal news of Pilate’s putting Jewish zealot rebels to death as they offered sacrifices at the altar, even mingling their blood with that of the sacrifices offered, Jesus recognizes the order of God in world affairs. He realizes these Jews had broken the law, and that human authority (even Roman authority) was ultimately ordained by God to be his tool of retribution against sinners (Rom. 13:1). Yet at the same time he recognizes that all humanity is under condemnation because of sin. Jesus tells them quite clearly that they had all sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23) and that they needed to repent; otherwise they would face God’s judgment (Heb. 9:27).

13:4-5 Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower in Siloam fell on them, do you think they were worse offenders than all the others who live in Jerusalem? No, I tell you! But unless you repent you will all perish as well!"

Jesus reminds them of another incident when a group of people were killed by the collapsing of the tower of Siloam. He does not directly indicate that these people had died because of God’s judgment of their sin, but he does apply his words to those who thought that such was the case (i.e. that they had died for their sins - a common supposition in those days—John 9:2). Whatever the truth about this, Jesus uses the incident to reiterate that all people are equally culpable for their sins; those who died were no worse sinners than anyone else and all needed to repent—or perish.

God's Longsuffering 13:6 Then Jesus told this parable: "A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came looking for fruit on it and found none.

At this point, when Jesus is speaking of the judgment of God upon sinners, he takes care to underline the longsuffering of God in relation to humanity. God is not to be thought of as pernicious in his judgments, pleased to poor out his wrath on all the unworthy. Instead, God is like the farmer in this parable, who had planted a fig tree in his vineyard. At harvest time, he looked for fruit but found none.

13:7 So he said to the worker who tended the vineyard, 'For three years now, I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and each time I inspect it I find none. Cut it down! Why should it continue to deplete the soil?'

When this had happened for three years in a row, it became apparent that the tree was still unfruitful, even though it was drinking up the goodness of the soil. So the farmer instructs his workers to cut the tree down.

13:8-9 But the worker answered him, 'Sir, leave it alone this year too, until I dig around it and put fertilizer on it. Then if it bears fruit next year, very well, but if not, you can cut it down.

But the farm worker pleaded that the fig tree might be given another chance, and over the next twelve months he promised to do all he could in an attempt to make the tree fruitful—digging fertilizer into the soil around it. If even after that it did not bear fruit, it would clearly be beyond hope, and should be cut down.

The meaning of the parable is clear; the idea of being fruitful or unfruitful is a well-known one in scripture, speaking of human lives being either productive for God or at enmity with God. God does not act immediately to punish the sin of those who do not show the fruit of repentance. He waits patiently (2 Peter 3:9; Romans 2:4), giving the sinner the opportunity of his love and grace, offering forgiveness and a chance to start a new life. If the famer in the parable represents God, then the worker might represent the Lord Jesus Christ, making intercession for sinners, and providing a way for them to be saved from their sins. Jesus represents the final chance, God’s last word from heaven—if they will not respond to his tender call then there will be nothing left but to face judgment.

Healing on the Sabbath Day 13:10-11 Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath, and a woman was there who had been disabled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten herself up completely.

One Sabbath when Jesus was teaching in the synagogue, there was a woman present whom Luke says had been afflicted by a spirit for eighteen years. This infirmity caused her to be bent over double so that she could not straighten herself. The idea of being afflicted by a disease that somehow has a spiritual origin—a so-called ‘spirit of infirmity’—is unique to Luke, inasmuch as it appears to suggest that although the affliction was caused by a spirit, yet it was not caused by demon possession. Moreover, Jesus (v. 16) calls her a ‘daughter of Abraham’, underscoring the genuineness of her faith. Notice how Jesus does not drive a demon out of the woman, as he does for the dumb man in Matthew 9:32-33. Even so, the origin of all sickness is plainly attributed to Satan (v.

16).

13:12-13 When Jesus saw her, he called her to him and said, "Woman, you are freed from your infirmity." Then he placed his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God.

Jesus operates in the realm of compassion. When he saw the woman’s condition he was moved to do something about it. Calling her to come to him, he said ‘you are set free from your malady!’. Then as he touched her, she stood up straight, praising God. 13:14 But the president of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the crowd, "There are six days on which work should be done! So come and be healed on those days, and not on the Sabbath day."

The ruler of the synagogue was more concerned about Jesus breaking what he thought of as Sabbath regulations than he did about the woman's welfare. In great anger he told Jesus that He should have waited until another day before healing the woman.

13:15-17 Then the Lord answered him, "You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from its stall, and lead it to water? Then shouldn't this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen long years, be released from this imprisonment on the Sabbath day? When he said this all his adversaries were humiliated, but the entire crowd was rejoicing at all the wonderful things he was doing.

Jesus calls the man a hypocrite—did he not take his own animal to water on the Sabbath day, like everyone else? Was this woman, a true Jew, a descendant of Abraham, of less concern to him—a supposed man of God—than his donkey? Whatever the rabbi thought, in God’s eyes, this unnamed woman was infinitely more important than any animal, and Jesus declares it both morally right and ritually lawful that she should be freed on the Sabbath from the bondage in which Satan had held for eighteen long years. (Jesus appeal to the length of time she had suffered is an appeal to the hearts of his audience).

This speech silenced Jesus’ opponents in shame, but all the people rejoiced for the wonderful things that he had done.

Allegories of the Kingdom of God 13:18 Thus Jesus asked, "What is the kingdom of God like? To what should I compare it?

It is likely that this parable was not told in the synagogue on the same today the woman was healed, but at some other time. Its position in the passage probably indicates that Luke understood it to relate to the following passage about salvation. Jesus used this parable to best describe the kingdom of God so that his followers would understand.

13:19 It is like a mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the wild birds nested in its branches.

Jesus likens the kingdom of God to a mustard seed that a man plants in his garden and it grows into a huge tree that provide a place for birds to nest and roost in, to find shelter and security. This relates to the question in v. 23, ‘are only a few going to be saved?’ For Jesus, the teaching that began with the few in Galilee will spread to encompass the whole world – even the Gentiles (‘wild birds’ could possibly be a reference to Gentiles) would come and take shelter in the salvation, security and eternal home which it provides.

13:20-21 Again he said, "To what should I compare the kingdom of God? It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with three measures of flour until all the dough had risen."

On the other hand, Jesus also likens the kingdom of God to yeast that a woman mixes with flour so that it works through the dough to make it rise or grow. Although both parables deal with the kingdom growing bigger, it is possible that whilst the mustard seed shows the outward growth of the kingdom, in terms of new converts, the hidden yeast shows the inward growth, how it must take over the individual’s whole life, and be seen only by its effect within them. One thing is clear from the similes of the Kingdom of God is that it will grow and that it provides

Only One Way to Heaven 13:22 Then Jesus traveled throughout towns and villages, teaching and making his way toward Jerusalem.

As Jesus made his way toward Jerusalem he visited many towns and villages to teach the people of about the Kingdom of God. 13:23 Someone asked him, "Lord, will only a few be saved?" So he said to them,

It was at this time that someone asked him if only a few would be saved; and this question could possibly indicate a certain amount of rejection of Jesus’ message by the Judean synagogues.

13:24 Exert every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to.

Jesus, in effect, tells the questioner never to mind how others respond, but to make sure they respond. He tells them to make every effort, literally to agonize in determination to enter into the Kingdom of God by the narrow gate (Matt. 7:13-14). Although many may try to enter God’s Kingdom they will fail to do so if they do not come through the only way God has given, which is Christ (John 10:9 and John 14:6).

13:25 Once the head of the house gets up and shuts the door, then you will stand outside and start to knock on the door and beg him, 'Lord, let us in!' But he will answer you, 'I don't know where you come from.'

Jesus indicates that there will be a time when the door to the narrow way of salvation will be shut. In other words, God’s offer of mercy is for a certain time only, God’s longsuffering waits long but it cannot wait forever. When the Lord Jesus Christ comes to receive His church and takes them away to be with Him in heaven, the day of grace of opportunity will be ended. Those who come knocking after this and crying ‘Lord, open for us and let us in’ will receive the honest answer ‘I do not know you or where you come from’—in other words, ‘you are not one of mine’.

13:26-27 Then you will begin to say, 'We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.' But he will reply, 'I don't know where you come from! Go away from me, all you evildoers!'

The protest of some that they had eaten and drunk with Jesus and heard some of his teaching will not suffice. It is not enough to have some knowledge of Jesus and his teaching, or to attend church and make a profession of loyalty to Christ which the term ’Christian’ conveys. We must all come to know the Lord Jesus personally, being born again as one of God’s children, so that he can say of us

‘they are mine’ (John 1:12-13; 3:3; Mal. 3:17). The opposite of taking God’s way and becoming his children is to be counted among the ‘evildoers’, who shall be cast out of God’s presence.

13:28 There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but you yourselves thrown out.

On the day of Judgment, those ‘professing’ believers who were never born-again will weep and grind their teeth when they see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (who believed God’s promises) and all the prophets in the kingdom of God whilst they will be driven away. It is important to note that whenever Jesus speaks of ‘weeping and gnashing of teeth’ he is not only speaking of exclusion from the covenant in this life—he is speaking of eternal exclusion from God’s presence. In Luke, this is Jesus’ description of hell (Luke 16:23).

13:29 Then people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and take their places at the banquet table in the kingdom of God.

In context, even if many Jews were rejecting Jesus’ message in the Judean area, many people—Jew and Gentile—would come from every corner of the globe to sit down at the eschatological banquet in the Kingdom of God; the banquet where eternal blessing peace and joy in God’s presence are on the menu (Psalm 16:11).

13:30 But indeed, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last."

The Jews were chosen by God to be his people, entrusted with the scriptures, and given the promises. It was to the Jews that Jesus Christ came first; and some Jews became the first disciples, whilst others rejected Jesus (John 1:11). When at last the message was preached to Gentiles, many of them believed, and accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior. Thus, the priority given to Israel must be seen in a new light–the privileges they received will be of no avail unless they believe and accept the Christ; at the same time, those who previously lacked such privileges are not barred from entering in as equal sharers in the promises; so long as they believe and accept Christ.

Jesus Warns Jerusalem 13:31 At that time, some Pharisees came up and said to Jesus, "Get away from here, because Herod wants to kill you."

Hypocritical Pharisees! They wanted Jesus dead, and it is only on the strength of their word that we understand that Herod sought his life too (an assertion which seems to contradict the evidence of later events—Luke 23:13-14). They were trying to frighten Jesus away.

13:32-33 But he said to them, "Go and tell that fox, 'Look, I am casting out demons and performing healings today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will complete my work. Nevertheless I must go on my way today and tomorrow and the next day, because it is impossible that a prophet should be killed outside Jerusalem.'

But the righteous do not fear the wicked, and Jesus was not put off his mission by a crafty and cowardly fox like Herod. Jesus insisted that he would continue his prophetic mission to cast out demons, and heal the sick, over the next few days until he reached his goal—Jerusalem—and accomplished what He came into the world to do—to give His life on the cross for sin.

13:34 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you! How often I have longed to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you would have none of it!

Jerusalem was the city that killed the prophets, and it was soon to reject and execute the Son of God; yet despite this, God continued to reach out to the people in love, yearning to gather them to Himself just like a mother hen gathers her chick to safety under her wings. But the people were not willing to come.

The Jews would have been familiar with this description of God longing to re-gather Jerusalem, as it was language related to the exile; yet notice how Luke records Jesus speaking as God in this sentence—he says ‘I’ have longed to gather you, just as God says ‘I’.

13:35 Look, your house is forsaken! And I tell you, you will not see me until you say, 'Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!' "

The warning that Jesus gives to Jerusalem is that in a little while the city and temple would be destroyed and left desolate (A.D. 70 by the Romans). Thereafter, the nation of Israel would not see him again until the time of his second coming; and here is an allusion to the fact of their welcoming him at that time when they say ‘blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord’ (note the possible link with v. 30, a could possibly serve subtle indicator of a re-gathering of Israel at the eschaton—see Romans 11:25-27). © Derek Williams & Mathew Bartlett 2015. Bible Studies Online UK www.biblestudiesonline.org.uk You may copy, print or distribute our studies freely in any form, just so long as you make no charges. Sign up today for our FREE monthly Bible study magazine “Living Word” Scriptures taken from the NET Bible www.bible.org