Read or listen The Gospel of Luke, chapter 13 online (ESV, Bible Gateway)

Without repentance comes perdition – Luke 13:1-5

Neither of the events described in these verses is recorded in secular history. Pilate was a cruel ruler, so the account fits well with the picture we have of his time. The Jews sacrificed only in the temple in Jerusalem. It was evidently a great festival, since laymen were used to slaughter the victims. The Galileans were known for their tendency to revolt; the fatal revolt of 66 AD also began in Galilee. Perhaps it was a group of Zealots who had been betrayed to the Romans.

Why was the incident told to Jesus? Apparently it was "news," meaning it had just happened. But was it intended to lead Jesus into a trap: which side will he take - the Jews or Rome. If he took the side of Rome, the people would reject him. If he took the side of the Jewish rebels, he could be reported to the Romans (compare Matt. 22:15-22, the question of paying taxes to Caesar).

Jesus’ answer begins with the common Jewish thinking: misfortune is caused by sin (Job 4:7-8, 22:5-11, John 9:1-3). Jesus does not agree with this, but twice denies it. Jesus emphasizes that the essential question is: what happens to the saved? We should not think about the dead, but about those who are still alive (compare Luke 9:59-60).

Pilate built an aqueduct in Jerusalem that led to the Pool of Siloam, so it is possible that the deaths of the eighteen were related to that construction work. But it could equally well be a case of another construction project that ended in disaster.

It is important to see that the Bible knows no coincidence or fate. History is in God's control. Jesus connects with the theme at the end of the previous chapter: no one knows the measure of his time. Now is the day of salvation (2 Cor 6:1-2), now is the time to take hold of God's grace. In the old church prayer, we ask for God's protection from "evil, sudden death". That is, we ask that death not come upon us unprepared. We must always be ready, because no one knows the moment of the end!

In verse 4, "guilt" could also be translated as "debt," which would make the connection to Luke 12:58-59 clearer.

In verse 3 the verb "to turn" is in the present tense in Greek, which means continuous action; whereas in verse 5 the verb is in the aorist tense, which means a one-time action. Both - one-time and daily turning to God - are part of the Christian life.

Time of grace – Luke 13:6-9

The vineyard often represents Israel in the Bible. The most famous of these passages is Isaiah 5:1-7. However, here it is a fig tree growing in a vineyard. The fig tree and the vine are mentioned together in Joel 1:7,12 (see also Nahum 3:12, Mark 11:14). In Micah 4:4 and Zechariah 3:10 they represent a time of peace. In Hosea 9:10,16 the fact that the fig tree did not bear fruit describes the idolatry of Israel (=Northern Kingdom = Ephraim) in Hosea's time.

There are two elements in the parable that are easier to interpret than what the fig tree and the vineyard mean:
1. The owner of the vineyard is God (compare Luke 20:9-16)
2. The gardener is Jesus

Traditionally, the fig tree has been thought to represent Israel, whose time of grace was coming to an end; in 70 AD Jerusalem was destroyed.

Kenneth E. Bailey offers another interpretation in his book "Through Peasant Eyes": the fig tree represents the religious leadership of Israel. It had an almost literal year: on Pentecost the apostles took over the leadership of the Israel of God (cf. 1 Peter 4:17). This is also supported by the fate of the wicked tenants in the vineyard in Luke 20:9-20, especially verses 16-20. Israel's own religious leaders withered the people (cf. Matt. 23:15 and Luke 6:43-45).

Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem (Luke 9:51, 13:22). His three-year public ministry was coming to an end. He was giving the Jewish religious leaders one more chance. The text leaves the situation "open": it does not say whether the fig tree received another year of grace or not, and if it did, whether it bore fruit or not. The Jewish religious leaders were uprooted because they bore no fruit (verse 7, cf. Luke 3:7-9, the sermon of John the Baptist).

A sick woman is freed from her affliction – Luke 13:10-17

Following or not following the Sabbath regulations was often an issue of dispute between Jesus and the Pharisees (for example, Matthew 12:1-8, 11-12, Mark 2:23-28, 3:1-6, Luke 6:6-11, 14:1-6, John 5:1-18).

The Jewish rabbis had "supplemented" the Old Testament Sabbath regulations (Exodus 20:9-11, Deuteronomy 5:12-15) with 613 Sabbath regulations, of which 365 were prohibitions and 248 commandments. In addition to these, there were also the traditional rules of the fathers. One could even say: On the Sabbath, everything that was not specifically permitted was forbidden. On the other hand, the rabbis were very skilled at getting around these regulations.

Jesus' main point was: the Sabbath is for man, not the other way around (Mark 2:27). This woman also did not have to wait for a specific day to meet Jesus, but could come immediately.

The ruler of the synagogue was a layman, an administrator, one might even say a “master of ceremonies.” He "strains out a gnat and swallows a camel" (Matthew 23:24). His hypocrisy was revealed in that he spoke to the people when in reality he wanted to rebuke Jesus (verse 14).

Jesus freed the woman from Satan’s burden (verse 16). After creation was complete, everything was good (Genesis 1:31), but the Fall brought sickness into the world. The woman received a foretaste of God’s own Sabbath rest (Hebrews 4:9).

In the context of the text, it is worth asking: "Do we have our own 'Sabbath regulations', our spiritual patterns of action, that have become an obstacle to God's activity in our lives?"

Mustard seed and leaven – Luke 13:18-21

Both parables emphasize that something great comes from a small beginning. The mustard seed was the smallest seed of a plant known to the Jews used in cultivation. The mustard vegetable grows 3-4 meters high, the mustard tree up to 8 meters. In Ezekiel 17:22-24, the large tree represents the people of Israel. The birds represent the Gentile nations.

Leaven is usually a negative thing in the New Testament (compare Luke 12:1), but here it is clearly a good thing. A little leaven permeates the whole dough (about 36 liters, verse 21).

The beginning of the kingdom of God was small and seemed insignificant: Jesus' ministry in Palestine. But eventually - already in this time - it will spread over the whole earth (Matt. 28:18-20) and above all in eternity it will be revealed that it is the only lasting one.

The parable of the leaven challenges us to ask: can God's will reach everywhere in us, or is there something that we have limited outside of it?

Who will be saved? – Luke 13:22-30

Jesus was asked a theological, one might even say philosophical, question: "Lord, are only a few being saved?" Once again, Jesus in his answer shifts the focus of the discussion from the general to the personal. When asked, "Are there many who will be saved?", Jesus asks, "Are you among those who will be saved?" Religious matters should never be just theoretical, they should always be personal; not head knowledge, but real life.

What does Jesus mean when he speaks of the narrow door (verse 24)? It has often been interpreted to mean that only with great effort (compare "to strive," verse 24) can one barely fit inside. But if read carefully, Jesus gives in this context (Luke 13:22-14:35) several limiting factors that make the door narrow. The narrowness could be interpreted as: entry is restricted by various factors. "Strive to enter" could be explained as: be serious, take matters of faith seriously.

The first limiting factor that Jesus brings up is time. There will come a time when the door is shut (verse 25, Matt 25:10). No one can enter through a closed door, no matter how wide it is. Immediately afterwards (verses 34-35) Jesus complains that the Jews did not want to enter through the opened door. Also note the reference in verse 26 to the past: "we ate and drank," that is, in history; Jesus had indeed been with them, but many did not want to enter through the open door at that time, but remained outside (verse 28). The signs of the times were not recognized (Luke 12:54-59), it was thought that one could still enter later, but by then it was already too late.

The corresponding parable in Matthew (Matt 7:21-23) reveals that the one who closes the door is Jesus (Matt 7:22: "to me"). Jesus is the door (John 10:7, 14:6). That too is a limiting factor: there is only one true door.

Verse 28 again mentions the final judgment and perdition. Verses 28-30 describe the reversal of roles at the final judgment: the Jews, who took their salvation for granted, are indeed outside, while the Gentiles are inside (see Ps 107:2-3, where the crowds coming from all over the earth are specifically Gentile nations, KR-1938).

God's timetable – Luke 13:31-35

Were the Pharisees trying to get Jesus to Judea as quickly as possible in order to get hold of him, or was the warning about Herod’s intentions made with good intentions? Jesus replied that his actions were guided by nothing other than God’s timetable.

Herod Antipas ruled Galilee and Perea (=the region east of the Jordan) from 4 BC to 39 AD. He was the son of Herod the Great. Like his father, he was an Edomite, not a Jew, so the Davidic Messiah king of the Jews would have been a real threat to him. Therefore, the intention to kill Jesus may be true (compare Matt. 2:16-18, the massacre of the infants in Bethlehem). Jesus met Herod on Good Friday; the Gospels emphasize that Jesus did not speak to Herod at that time (Luke 23:8-12).

"The fox" (verse 32) is probably a reference to Herod's weakness, not his cunning. The Jews considered the fox a weak, cowardly animal. "Today and tomorrow" (verses 32-33) meant a short period of time in general at that time. Jesus did not go to Judea on the third day, but only later. The third day (verse 32) is a clear reference to Jesus' resurrection at Passover (see Luke 9:22, Hosea 6:2).

There are only two prophets killed in Jerusalem mentioned in the Old Testament: Zechariah (2 Chronicles 24:20-22) and Uriah (Jer 26:20-23). ​​Jerusalem in this context is probably understood to mean either the entire Jewish people or their leaders.

Matthew places a similar description of verses 34-35 in the Holy Week (Matt. 23:37-39). Jesus certainly repeated his teachings often.

In verse 34, "often" may refer either to the fact that Jesus had already visited Jerusalem several times (John 2:13, 4:45, the first visit, John 5:1, the second visit, John 7:10, the third visit, and John 10:22, the fourth visit) or to the fact that Jesus is speaking here with the "voice of God": God had been calling his people to him for centuries, but with little success.

"Wings" (verse 34) is also an image used in the Old Testament for God's protection: Deuteronomy 32:11, Psalm 17:8-9, 36:8.