Reflections on Luke 13

Luke 13 (Contemporary English Version)

1. About this same time Jesus was told that Pilate had given orders for some people from Galilee to be killed while they were offering sacrifices.
   
2. Jesus replied: Do you think that these people were worse sinners than everyone else in Galilee just because of what happened to them?
   
3. Not at all! But you can be sure that if you don't turn back to God, every one of you will also be killed.
   
4. What about those eighteen people who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them? Do you think they were worse than everyone else in Jerusalem?
   
5. Not at all! But you can be sure that if you don't turn back to God, every one of you will also die.
   
6. Jesus then told them this story: A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard. One day he went out to pick some figs, but he didn't find any.
   
7. So he said to the gardener, "For three years I have come looking for figs on this tree, and I haven't found any yet. Chop it down! Why should it take up space?"
   
8. The gardener answered, "Master, leave it for another year. I'll dig around it and put some manure on it to make it grow.
   
9. Maybe it will have figs on it next year. If it doesn't, you can have it cut down."
   
10. One Sabbath, Jesus was teaching in a Jewish meeting place,
    
11. and a woman was there who had been crippled by an evil spirit for eighteen years. She was completely bent over and could not straighten up.
    
12. When Jesus saw the woman, he called her over and said, "You are now well."
    
13. He placed his hands on her, and right away she stood up straight and praised God.
    
14. The man in charge of the meeting place was angry because Jesus had healed someone on the Sabbath. So he said to the people, "Each week has six days when we can work. Come and be healed on one of those days, but not on the Sabbath."
    
15. The Lord replied, "Are you trying to fool someone? Won't any one of you untie your ox or donkey and lead it out to drink on a Sabbath?
    
16. This woman belongs to the family of Abraham, but Satan has kept her bound for eighteen years. Isn't it right to set her free on the Sabbath?"
    
17. Jesus' words made his enemies ashamed. But everyone else in the crowd was happy about the wonderful things he was doing.
    
18. Jesus said, "What is God's kingdom like? What can I compare it with?
    
19. It is like what happens when someone plants a mustard seed in a garden. The seed grows as big as a tree, and birds nest in its branches."
    
20. Then Jesus said, "What can I compare God's kingdom with?
    
21. It is like what happens when a woman mixes yeast into three batches of flour. Finally, all the dough rises."
    
22. As Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem, he taught the people in the towns and villages.
    
23. Someone asked him, "Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?" Jesus answered:
    
24. Do all you can to go in by the narrow door! A lot of people will try to get in, but will not be able to.
    
25. Once the owner of the house gets up and locks the door, you will be left standing outside. You will knock on the door and say, "Sir, open the door for us!" But the owner will answer, "I don't know a thing about you!"
    
26. Then you will start saying, "We dined with you, and you taught in our streets."
    
27. But he will say, "I really don't know who you are! Get away from me, you evil people!"
    
28. Then when you have been thrown outside, you will weep and grit your teeth because you will see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in God's kingdom.
    
29. People will come from all directions and sit down to feast in God's kingdom.
    
30. There the ones who are now least important will be the most important, and those who are now most important will be least important.
    
31. At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said, "You had better get away from here! Herod wants to kill you."
    
32. Jesus said to them: Go tell that fox, "I am going to force out demons and heal people today and tomorrow, and three days later I'll be through."
    
33. But I am going on my way today and tomorrow and the next day. After all, Jerusalem is the place where prophets are killed.
    
34. Jerusalem, Jerusalem! Your people have killed the prophets and have stoned the messengers who were sent to you. I have often wanted to gather your people, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings. But you wouldn't let me.
    
35. Now your temple will be deserted. You won't see me again until the time when you say, "Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord."
    

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    The kingdom of God is contrary to what most think. This is because most work out their ideas about what it is like apart from God's teaching. They work it out using their own sense of justice as the basis without being informed by God's justice. We tend to judge God by our standards rather than submitting ourselves to His standard.
    
    Two accounts in the first nine verses of this chapter point out this contradiction. In the first, Jesus cited two instances in which people were killed by a clamity and then told His listeners that calamity in one's life is not an indicator of unrighteousness nor is the lack of it an indication of righteousness. In the second account, a parable about a barren fig tree, Jesus made the point that the righteous will bear fruit in keeping with their righteousness. So it is the fruit in our lives and not life's circumstances that indicate our character.
    
    Following these accounts Luke told of Jesus healing a woman on the Sabbath as if to apply Jesus' teaching to the hypocrisy of the religious system. It was barren of fruit like the fig tree in Jesus' parable. Rather than pointing people to the kingdom it was more invested in exerting power over the people and controlling their lives through rules and regulations. Jesus' Sabbath healing challenged this system and brought the hypocrisy to light. Though the religious leaders would favor assisting an animal on the Sabbath, they were incensed with Jesus helping a person.
    
    Entry into the kingdom, Jesus told the crowd, is through a narrow door, and that door will be open only so long. We must go through the door while it is open for once it is shut there is no entry. One cannot rely on an acquaintance with Jesus for entry through the door. Nor can one rely on being a descendant of Abraham or anyone else. We must go beyond an acquaintance and family ties to an acceptance of Jesus' invitation to enter while the invitation is extended. Particularly distasteful to Jesus' audience was His reference to people of all nationalities entering while many Jews did not. They had thought it was just for them, due simply to the fact they were Jewish.