Luke 13 - The New Testament in One Year

Click Here to Read or Listen to Luke 13

Repent or Perish

We don't know what incident that is being referred to here, but history shows Pilate often ruthlessly killed Galileans going to Jerusalem to worship God. The point is the people were innocent. The same is true of the Tower of Siloam when it fell on innocent people. These people would not be held accountable because weren't culpable. But those who heard Jesus teach and preach, saw his miracles, signs, and wonders would be accountable. 

The parable of the fig tree in the vineyard is directed at the Jews. In the Old Testament Israel was called the "Vine of God". The fruit they were supposed to bear was showing God's love to all the nations, also known as Gentiles. But when the farmer went to see if the fig tree had borne any fruit, it was barren. The owner came back and was going to cut it down, but his servant said he would dig around it and add fertilizer. He asked for the owner to give it one more year. 

The owner is God, who showed mercy by giving an extra year for Israel to repent and trust in His Son. Though God is merciful to all sinners, the warning in this passage is not to play games and wait until the last moment to repent. Repentance is something we do once when we come to faith in Christ, but we also repent every day as we die to self, and rise to newness of life in Christ. 

Jesus Heals a Crippled Woman on the Sabbath

In this story, Jesus continues to point out the hypocrisy and self righteousness of the Pharisees. Jesus also connects the demonic spirit to an illness. For 18 years this woman was bound by a chronic back condition, and Jesus attributes it to a demon. This teaches us that sometimes physical illness is affected by spiritual power. However, it wouldn't mean that all physically illness is related to demonic influence. 

Regardless, Jesus heals the woman on the Sabbath. Interestingly he was teaching in the synagogue on the Sabbath. This shows the respect and the authority granted to him by the local rabbis. On this particular Sabbath, Jesus gave them an object lesson by healing this woman on the Sabbath. The ever jealous Pharisees seized the opportunity to accuse Jesus of breaking the Sabbath law by healing the woman. But Jesus quickly pointed out their hypocrisy by reminding everybody that the Pharisees untied their animals to give them a drink, which technically was working on the Sabbath. It shows how far the teachers of the Law had gotten away from the true spirit of the Sabbath. When the people saw Jesus putting the Pharisees in their place, they were overjoyed at what Jesus was both DOING and TEACHING!

The Parables of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast

Jesus goes back to his favorite topic, the kingdom. He mainly used parables (word pictures) to illustrate what the kingdom of God was like. The idea of God's kingdom can be hard to grasp, so Jesus uses parables to teach what it is like. It both cases the main point is that something small (a mustard seed and a little yeast) produced big results. It shows us that work in the kingdom can start with something small like a hug, a prayer, or an act of kindness. This could lead to someone seeing Christ in you and pursuing a relationship with God through Christ through you. Spreading Christ is not necessarily being a evangelist on a street corner, though it could be, but it is often in every day life when we step out in faith at the prompting of the Holy Spirit. 

The Narrow Door

As Jesus neared Jerusalem one of the questions they asked him, "Who is going to be saved? Just a few?" They were asking when would they be "delivered" from Roman occupation. They were also thinking that only the Jewish people would be saved, whereas one of the main themes of Luke is that the gospel would go out to all nations. 

But rather than talking about WHO would be saved, Jesus talks about HOW to be saved. He uses the analogy of a "narrow door".  Many people have tried to do explain what he meant by this. Some people think it is narrow in the sense that you have to squeeze yourself through by working extra hard. 

But, as we will see in John's gospel, Jesus calls himself the "gate" and "the door".  The narrow way is not about trying harder, it is to trust in the One who can get you through it. It is narrow in the sense that it is counter-intuitive. In order to save your life, you must lose it. In order to live, you must die. That is the narrow way. Grace always defies logic. 

"Strive to enter through the narrow gate isn’t a call to save yourself by good works. Good works aren’t the right gate. One may strive to enter all life long, but if it isn’t at the right gate, it makes no difference. Jesus Himself is the gate; He is the door." - Guzik

Jesus’ Sorrow for Jerusalem

The Pharisees that tried to dissuade Jesus from going to Herod shows that maybe there were some among them who believed in Jesus. Regardless, Jesus is very clear that the next three days he will continue the work he has been doing of healing and casting out demons. 

Be perfected actually has the idea of “to reach the goal.” Jesus knew that before long, He would reach the goal on the third day – resurrection would be His. - Guzik

As we reach the end of chapter 13, we see Jesus' longing for the children of Israel to be gathered to him like a hen gathers its chicks. As 2 Peter 3:8 says, "God is not willing that any should be saved but all to come to to a knowledge of the truth." 

Though Jesus spoke of judgment it was out of a deep desire to see people saved. He knew it was only through what he was about to do in Jerusalem that this could be made possible. He ends by saying you will not see me again until you say, "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord." 

This is a word of hopefulness to the Jews even though many rejected him. For those who believed, he would see them again in heaven. The apostle Paul talks about the inclusion of the Jewish people in Romans 11 when he says, 

"I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, and in this way[e] all Israel will be saved. Romans 11:25-26