Down to Earth But Heavenly Minded

What does Luke Chapter 13 mean?

Luke 13 continues what some scholars refer to as “Jesus’ Travelogue to Jerusalem,” describing His teaching while heading to Jerusalem, by closing out one section (Luke 12:1—13:9) and encompassing the next (Luke 13:10–35). In Luke 12, Jesus taught the disciples about proper priorities as leaders in His ministry. He also spoke to the crowd about priorities as the kingdom of God arrives. He emphasized that the crowd should reject the desire for worldly wealth (Luke 12:13–21), recognize the signs that the kingdom is coming (Luke 12:54–56), and reconcile with each other (Luke 12:57–59).

Luke 13:1–9 finishes out Jesus’ teaching to the crowd. People bring news that Pilate has killed Galileans who had gone to Jerusalem to present sacrifices. Jesus brings up eighteen people who died when a tower collapsed. These events coordinate with the examples Jesus gave in the prior chapter. He points out that it is important to repent now since tragedy and violence may come upon anyone at any time (Luke 13:1–5).

Jesus ends the section with a quick parable. A fig tree, primarily representing Israel as a nation, has not produced in years. The owner—God the Father—wants to chop it down, but the vinedresser—Jesus—convinces him to wait one more year. The unspoken moral is that God may be merciful and delay judgment, but it’s important that the people repent and reconcile with Him as soon as possible. As with the victims of Pilate and the tower, they don’t know what tomorrow will bring (Luke 13:6–9).

Luke 13:10–35 contains the first of two sections that begin with a Sabbath miracle and go on to present truths about the kingdom of God and salvation. Jesus heals a woman plagued by a crippling demon. The ruler of the synagogue responds by scolding the people for seeking healing on the Sabbath. Jesus takes him to task, pointing out that if a man can care for animals on the Sabbath, God can certainly provide a suffering woman the rest that comes from healing. The people appreciate Jesus’ care, but the chasm widens between Him and the religious leaders (Luke 13:10–17).

Jesus then gives two short parables about the kingdom of God. In the first, He compares it to a tiny mustard seed that grows into a tree fit for birds to roost. Once the kingdom begins it will inevitably grow to welcome the “birds”—believers of other nations. The second parable is about how a woman can incorporate a small amount of yeast into a large batch of flour. The kingdom will permeate the world and no part will be left unaffected (Luke 13:18–21).

While Jesus and the disciples continue their journey toward Jerusalem, a man asks if Jesus’ teaching implies that few people will be saved. Jesus turns the conversation around. It doesn’t matter how many will be saved. It matters what the questioner will do. Will he identify himself with Jesus and be saved or merely enjoy Jesus’ teachings and miracles but keep his distance? As with the fig tree, there will come a point when it will be too late to choose; he may find himself outside the kingdom of the God he claims while Gentiles are inside in fellowship (Luke 13:22–30).

Finally, Jesus shows that no authority—religious or civil—can keep Him from following God’s plan. The Pharisees warn Jesus to flee from the murderous Herod Antipas. But Antipas does not set Jesus’ schedule. Jesus will complete the work the Father has given Him, and then He will face the cross. He laments that the Jewish nation, represented by Jerusalem, will not take advantage of His death and offer of salvation (Luke 13:31–35).

Luke 14—15 repeat the pattern of a Sabbath miracle and teachings on the kingdom and salvation. This is followed by a section of warnings about those who reject God’s kingdom. After two more segments including a miracle and teachings, Jesus enters Jerusalem.

Chapter Context
Luke 9:51—19:27 is sometimes called “Jesus’ Travelogue to Jerusalem.” The segment describes how Jesus prepared the disciples for their future as He approached His own death and resurrection. Interspersed are a few altercations with religious leaders. There are calls for the crowd to repent of their sins and reconcile with God before it’s too late. In Luke 13, two stories in particular reveal Jesus’ heart. In one, He heals a long-suffering woman on the Sabbath; healing is a type of rest. In the last, He mourns the fact that, for now, the Jews as a nation will reject their Messiah.

Verse by Verse

Verse 1. There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.

Jesus is teaching a crowd about priorities. It’s foolish to strive after worldly wealth and a comfortable life if they don’t pay any attention to their relationship with God (Luke 12:13–21). They need to properly interpret how His ministry heralds the coming of God’s kingdom (Luke 12:54–56). And they need to reconcile with each other (Luke 12:57–59). In these last two lessons, He emphasizes the urgency with which they should repent and seek salvation. This is meant to apply both individually and as a nation (Luke 13:1–9).

The wording of Pilate’s actions sounds like he killed Galilean Jews at the temple, possibly even burning their bodies with their offerings. This might also be more poetic: saying that the governor killed Galileans who had come to sacrifice in Jerusalem, possibly at Passover. The Galileans had meant to offer animals but wound up losing their own lives. Non-biblical records detail several Roman attacks on large numbers of Jews, but none of them fit the time and location. However, those records do indicate Pilate was a violent ruler, even for a Roman. The murder of a group of Jewish worshippers might have been common enough to not be considered newsworthy, even for ancient historians such as Josephus. Such things were not unheard of.

Josephus records two events which epitomized Pilate’s term as governor. At one point he took money from the temple treasury to pay for a waterway to bring fresh water to Jerusalem. Tens of thousands of Jews joined together and “made a clamor against him” but didn’t seem to be violent. Pilate sent soldiers who carried long knives into the crowd. At Pilate’s command, they “laid upon them much greater blows than Pilate had commanded them, and equally punished those that were tumultuous, and those that were not, nor did they spare them in the least…” The soldiers killed and wounded many, and the “sedition” broke up, according to Antiquities of the Jews, Book XVIII, 3:2.

At another time, preserved in Antiquities of the Jews, Book XVIII, 4:1, a mystic convinced a large group of Samaritans that Moses’ sacred vessels were buried on Mt. Gerizim. Thousands joined him in the trek up the mountain. Pilate apparently thought the mystic was building an army. He sent horsemen and footmen who killed many. Because of a formal complaint by the Samaritan senate, Pilate was recalled to Rome.

In Jesus’ previous lesson, He had warned the crowd that if they have wronged someone, they need to settle the matter before it goes to trial. Otherwise, they risk losing the case and being imprisoned and fined (Luke 12:57–59). The same applies to their crimes against God. Violence, injustice, and fatal accidents can happen at any time. They need to settle with God before they meet the “court” of His judgment (Luke 13:3).

Context Summary
Luke 13:1–5 expounds upon the lesson Jesus has just taught. In Luke 12:57–59, Jesus told the crowd to reconcile with other people they have wronged. Now, Jesus contextualizes real-world tragedies to point out that being “good” won’t protect people from physical death. However, repentance to God will protect from eternal death. Next, Jesus will apply the same lesson to Israel as a nation. These are the last passages of a section comparing living for the world with living for the kingdom of God (Luke 12:1—13:9).

Verse 2. And he answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way?

A crowd surrounds Jesus. Some of them have reported that Pilate killed Galileans who had gone to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices. It’s unclear why they bring it up; perhaps it is late-breaking news. Jesus uses the opportunity to warn them that just as it is best to reconcile with a person they have wronged before going to court (Luke 12:57–59), it is essential to reconcile with God before facing eternal judgment (Luke 13:3). If they wrong a person, they could be imprisoned or fined. Dying without repenting to God means eternity in hell (Luke 12:4–5).

During His argument, Jesus contradicts what was then a widely, almost universal belief: that God always blesses good, obedient Jews and always curses disobedient Jews with early deaths (Luke 13:4). This belief is not completely without precedent in Scripture. The Mosaic covenant can be summarized as a promise: if the people obey God’s commandments and worship only Him, He will bless them. If they break His commandments and worship idols, He will punish them (Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 28). Over time, this grew into the belief that if a person is prosperous, he must be a good person, approved of by God. If someone suffers hardship, they must be a horrible sinner.

Modern people lean towards this belief, as well, to varying degrees. We often hear statements such as, “I’m a good person; why did God do this to me?” Or “God must approve of that pastor’s teaching because the church is growing so quickly.” Even when we know better, we tend to think that if we just read the Bible enough, pray enough, do the right things, and love God and people the right way, we will mitigate the damage the fallen world can throw at us.

Jesus reminds us that this is not the case. Following God’s will can keep us from some of the risks and consequences brought on by sin (Proverbs 1:31; 5:22; 8:35–36; Psalm 32:10). Obeying God means avoiding discipline for our sins, but violence and accidents happen. Sometimes it is God’s will to allow bad things to happen to us or the people we love. We can’t always escape it (John 9:1–3).

What we can do is ensure our eternal future is blessed, safe, and protected. We do that by repenting of our sins and reconciling with God so we can live with Him in paradise forever.

Verse 3. No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.

Jesus has just finished telling His audience that if they have wronged another person, they need to reconcile before the dispute reaches the court. It’s far better to admit you’re wrong and pay what you owe than it is to risk the magistrate declaring you guilty and sending you to prison (Luke 12:57–59). Now, people from a crowd listening to Jesus spread news: Pilate has slaughtered some Galileans who had gone to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices. Jesus gives a hard truth: they did not deserve this violence and it could happen to anyone (Luke 13:1–2).

Jesus compares the fate of the Galileans to the eternal fate of anyone who wrongs God and does not repent. The Galileans died physically because they were not reconciled to Pilate; in a similar way, anyone who dies without being reconciled to God will die spiritually. They will spend eternity in hell—a far greater punishment than prison and fines.

The concept of “repentance” is sometimes difficult to grasp. Literally, it means “to change one’s mind.” It means to acknowledge you did something wrong, agree you need to not do it again, and endeavor to stop doing it. There are two different spheres of repentance. The most important is repentance that leads to salvation. We need to admit that we are sinners, admit we have wronged God, ask for His forgiveness, and agree that we need to change our actions. The second is relational repentance. We admit that a specific action is wrong and we need to quit doing it; this is not necessary for salvation, but it restores our fellowship with God. Sometimes we need to repent many times for the same sin.

Some scholars think Jesus’ address is directed the Jews as a nation and “perish” refers to the violent destruction of Judea in AD 70. There’s no solid indication this is so. Jesus is telling the individuals in the crowd that they need to repent. The next section, Luke 13:6–9, more specifically refers to the nation of Israel.

Verse 4. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem?

A large crowd learns from Jesus that they need to repent of their sins and reconcile with God because they never know when they might die. News is spreading that Pilate killed some Jews from Galilee. Apparently, they had gone to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices, possibly for Passover. Jesus points out that this tragedy does nothing to prove the dead did something wrong. Their deaths were the result of terrible, unjust violence, and anyone in the crowd could meet a similar fate (Luke 13:1–3).

Now, He mentions another example. A tower at a reservoir in Jerusalem had fallen, killing eighteen people. Like Pilate’s victims, those killed by the tower had done nothing to deserve this. “Offender” refers to someone who is in debt. This was not God’s punishment for sin. God did not corral the most sinful people in Jerusalem under the tower and then use a finger to knock it over. While the Lord is in control of all things, not everything that happens to a person is a response to their own personal sin: the tower collapse was a spontaneous tragedy.

Jesus’ point is that people die suddenly every day. You can’t escape death. What you can do is make sure you are right with God so that after physical death He will bring you home to Him. One day there will be no more tears, violence, or senseless tragedies (Revelation 21:4).

Neither the Bible nor any extra-biblical writings give more details about Pilate’s violence against the Galileans or the falling tower of Siloam. That doesn’t mean these events didn’t happen, just that in the grander context of the Roman Empire, they were minor events.

Verse 5. No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”

Jesus repeats His warning. He is teaching a crowd about priorities in life. He began with a parable about a rich farmer who reaped such a great harvest he could retire. He died that night, however. In death, he had no use for his barns filled with grain and he had not poured any effort into his relationship with God. He valued meaningless, earthly treasure at the expense of his eternal soul (Luke 12:15–21).

Later, Jesus taught about human reconciliation. He told the crowd that if they were accused of a crime and headed to the magistrate, they should reconcile with their accuser quickly. It is far better to humble yourself and admit you did wrong than to be declared guilty and face prison and a large fine (Luke 12:57–59).

As Jesus finished that lesson, news spread that Pilate had murdered Galileans who had gone to Jerusalem to sacrifice at the temple. Jesus tells the crowd that these people did not die because of their sin. They were no greater sinners than anyone else in Galilee. He then reminds them of the time a tower at a reservoir in Jerusalem collapsed, killing eighteen. These victims didn’t deserve their fate, either (Luke 13:1–4).

Jesus’ point is that death comes to everyone, and sometimes that death is sudden and unfair. This is a further reason people need to repent of their sins and reconcile with God now. The message is the same to us. We have a limited amount of time on earth and we don’t know when it will end (James 4:14; 2 Corinthians 6:2). Not everyone gets the chance to have a “deathbed conversion.” It’s far better to take advantage of the time we have, confess our sins, accept Jesus as our savior, and ensure we will live for eternity in paradise with God.

Verse 6. And he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none.

Prior lessons were Jesus speaking about people repenting to each other (Luke 12:57–59) and to God (Luke 13:1–5). He points out that the time to do so is short, but reconciliation is much better than judgment.

Now, He expands the message to Jews as a people, as represented by the fig tree (Hosea 9:10; Jeremiah 8:13; 24:1–10). The owner of the tree, God the Father, sees no fruit. In fact, the tree hasn’t produced fruit in the past three years. He tells the vinedresser, Jesus, to cut it down. The vinedresser begs for one more year. He will fertilize it with manure and see if it will “repent”—or turn away from—its fruitlessness. If it still doesn’t, it will be cut down (Luke 13:6–9).

In Luke 12:57–59, Jesus tells the offender to reconcile with the victim. In Luke 13:1–5, He tells the sinful people to reconcile with the God they have sinned against. Here, He shows how He is trying to orchestrate reconciliation between God and the sinful nation. For now, the people will fail to hear His warning. As a nation, Jews will demand His death. As a nation, they will reject the apostles’ teaching. In AD 70, the nation will be destroyed.

Jesus will compare Israel to a fig tree during Passion Week, as well. As He approaches Jerusalem, He sees a fig tree that does not produce fruit. He curses it, and it dies (Matthew 21:19–21; Mark 11:13–14, 20–21). Israel has had many opportunities to repent and recognize their Messiah (Luke 12:54–56). They choose to crucify Him instead.

Context Summary
Luke 13:6–9 completes Jesus’ lessons about reconciling with others. People need to repent of their sins against others (Luke 12:57–59) and against God (Luke 13:1–5). Here, Jesus warns that the nation of Israel also needs to repent. God has been patient but they are in danger of imminent judgment. This is the last story in this section about the kingdom of God (Luke 12:1—13:9). Next are two sections that begin with a Sabbath miracle and continue with teachings about salvation and God’s kingdom (Luke 13:10—35; 14:1—15:32).

Verse 7. And he said to the vinedresser, ‘Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?’

Jesus is telling a final parable about reconciliation (Luke 13:6). The crowd members need to repent of their wrongs to others and to God while they have the chance. If they hesitate, they may face severe judgment, whether the court be earthly or heavenly (Luke 12:57–59; 13:1–5).

In the same way, Jesus tells the nation of Israel to wake up and realize their time is short. John the Baptist warned about this with the same metaphor. When Pharisees and Sadducees came to his baptisms, he confronted them with their sin and cautioned them that their status as Jews would not protect them (Matthew 3:7–9). He said, “Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire” (Matthew 3:10).

God, the owner, has been patient with Israel. Hundreds of years prior the prophet Joel said, “Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster” (Joel 2:13). The parable reflects God’s patience as Jesus completes His teaching ministry. Jesus the vinedresser asks for one more year to spread fertilizer—truth that will produce the fruit of good works—and see if the tree will “repent” or change its ways. Presumably, the owner grants his request (Luke 13:8–9).

Some think that the three years reflect Jesus’ three-year ministry, others say it means an unspecified amount of time. In the Old Testament, dividing a time span into threes seems to represent a period when things fall into place for a final work, decision, or judgment (Genesis 40:12–13, 18–19; Exodus 15:22–24; 2 Samuel 24:13; 2 Kings 17:5; 18:10; Ezra 8:15, 32; 10:8; Nehemiah 2:11; Daniel 1:5). Jesus uses it again in Luke 13:32–33. In that context, it is interesting that Jesus’ ministry and His death and resurrection follow the pattern.

Verse 8. And he answered him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure.

Jesus is warning a crowd of Jews that their identity as a group is in danger. He’s telling a parable about a fig tree that hasn’t borne fruit for three years. The owner wants to cut it down; the vinedresser wants one more chance to nurture it into growth by digging up the soil so water can reach the roots and covering it with nutrient-rich manure. If such care doesn’t work, he will chop down the tree (Luke 13:6–7, 9).

The fig tree represents Israel as a nation, but the idea can also be applied to individual Jews in the crowd. The owner is God the Father and the vinedresser is Jesus. “Digging up the soil” may refer to Jesus’ teaching that disturbs the Jews’ preconceived ideas about God and the world so the Holy Spirit can bring truth deep in their hearts. The three years parallels other periods of three years or three days in which a situation develops before a final decision or judgment (Genesis 40:12–13, 18–19; Exodus 15:22–24; 2 Samuel 24:13; 2 Kings 17:5; 18:10; Ezra 8:15, 32; 10:8; Nehemiah 2:11; Daniel 1:5; Luke 13:32–33).

Scholars say that the three years in which the tree did not bear fruit do not directly correlate to Jesus’ three-year ministry. If it did, however, this extra year may be the ministry of the apostles in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and Galilee. Many Jews, Samaritans, and proselytes did accept Jesus as their savior (Acts 2:41, 47; 4:4; 6:7), but still the religious leadership, like the nation at large, did not (Acts 24:1–9).

Peter may have thought of this parable when he wrote, “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). God gave the Jews almost forty more years to turn to Christ. They refused, so God let the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and scatter the Jewish people throughout the world for some nineteen centuries.

The vinedresser has a parallel in Moses. While he was on Mount Sinai receiving God’s law, the people were building and worshiping a golden calf. God told Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people. Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them, in order that I may make a great nation of you” (Exodus 32:9–10). Instead of taking God up on His offer, Moses begged for mercy for the people. He also pointed out that destroying the people would tarnish God’s reputation among the pagan nations. God relented. This seems to have been a test for Moses to solidify his understanding of God’s character and to strengthen his resolve to lead the “stiff-necked people” (Exodus 32:11–14).

Verse 9. Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’”

This finishes Jesus’ series of lessons on the same theme: timely reconciliation prevents unwanted judgment. He started by warning a crowd to make restitution to people they have wronged before the magistrate gets involved (Luke 12:57–59). He then used current events to explain their lives could end at a moment’s notice; they need to repent to God while they can (Luke 13:1–5). Now, He teaches that God’s patience with Israel has an expiration date. If the nation does not turn to Him, He will cut them down like a fig tree that no longer provides fruit (Luke 13:6–8).

John the Baptist gave the same warning before Jesus started His public ministry. Pharisees and Sadducees came to the Jordan River to watch him baptize people who agreed with his message that they needed to repent of their sins against God. John warned them that being a Jew would not save them from God’s righteous judgment. God was well able to create children for Himself from the rocks in the ground (Luke 3:8). As for Israel, he said, “Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire” (Luke 3:9).

Despite the vinedresser—Jesus—asking the owner—God—for just a little more time, John’s warning turned true. The nation of Israel did not “bear fruits in keeping with repentance” (Luke 3:8). They did not repent of their corporate sins and follow God and His Son. In AD 70, God used the axe of the Roman army to cut down Jerusalem and scatter the people for nearly two thousand years.

There is hope, however. During the horrors of the tribulation, Israel will return to God and welcome His Son’s return. Jesus, the Branch of Jesse that rises from the stump of Israel (Isaiah 11:1; Jeremiah 23:5), will be their King.

Verse 10. Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath.

Despite the Pharisees’ growing disapproval of Jesus, He is still popular with the people. A synagogue leader asks Him to teach. Synagogues are local places of worship where Jews and curious Gentiles learn from biblical scholars on the Sabbath as well as other times. The synagogue leader oversees the service, including choosing who should speak. The speaker would read a passage and elaborate on what he thinks it means. Often, speakers were travelers or lived in different areas and provided a different point of view.

Jesus teaches differently than other guest speakers. The scribes—lawyers who are experts in the Mosaic law and its application—validate their interpretations by quoting rabbis and other scribes. Jesus teaches without citation. He merely explains what the passage means and how it applies to His audience. The first time He spoke, “they [the people] were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes” (Mark 1:22).

The religious leaders are confused and insulted by Jesus’ ministry. He has incredible insight into the Jewish Scriptures, but He condemns the pious Pharisees and their academic scribes (Luke 11:37–54). His miracles are astounding, even to the point of healing a man born blind—something never before recorded (John 9:1–7, 24–25). But sometimes, as here, they catch Him performing a miracle on the Sabbath, breaking their sacred extra-scriptural rules (Luke 13:11–13). Surely, they think, someone who does that can’t speak for God.

This extended unit began with a section on the kingdom of God (Luke 12:1—13:9). In both this section (Luke 13:13–35) and the next (Luke 14:1—15:32), the leading story is Jesus healing on the Sabbath and how the religious leaders react. Next is another section on the kingdom of God (Luke 16:1—17:10). Then two sections in which the leading story is about unseemly, denigrated people begging Jesus for healing, followed by more truth about salvation and the kingdom of God (Luke 17:11–19; 18:35–43).

Context Summary
Luke 13:10–17 begins the next section (Luke 13:10–35) with a Sabbath miracle. The section continues with teaching about salvation and the kingdom of God—a pattern mirrored in Luke 14:1—15:32. While teaching in the synagogue, Jesus sees and heals a woman oppressed by a crippling demon. The synagogue leader turns on the people seeking healing. Jesus points out that anyone there would help their animal on the Sabbath; why can’t He help a daughter of Abraham? The Gospels contain many accounts of Jesus healing on the Sabbath, but this one is unique to Luke.

Verse 11. And behold, there was a woman who had had a disabling spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not fully straighten herself.

Jesus is teaching in a synagogue on the Sabbath when He notices a woman who has been bent nearly double for nearly two decades (Luke 13:10). A normal rabbi would ignore her, perhaps thinking she is cursed by God for her sin (John 9:1–3). Jesus does the opposite. He stops his teaching and calls her to come forward. He touches her—which no rabbi would ever do. And He heals her. The leader of the synagogue, who most likely chose Jesus to read the Scriptures and teach on the passage, is horrified that Jesus has “worked” on the Sabbath. Rather than reprimanding Jesus in front of the audience, however, he scolds the audience (Luke 13:12–14).

The woman’s condition is caused by demonic oppression. Such ailments were not unheard of in Jesus’ time, but we don’t know why (Luke 9:38–42). It’s possible His presence and work somehow attracted demonic attention or that demons gathered specifically to thwart Him and His claims. This passage is not saying that demons cause all or even most illnesses and disabilities.

Scholars debate over whether “fully straighten” should be translated “straighten at all”; that is, does it mean she cannot stand erect or that she cannot straighten even a little from her bent position? We don’t know which, just that she is severely disabled. The Greek phrase describing the way she cannot stand is eis to panteles.Panteles is the same word used in Hebrews 7:25 to describe that Jesus “is able to save to the uttermost;” the word means “completely,” “to the uttermost,” “entirely” or “perfectly.”

Verse 12. When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your disability.”

It is the Sabbath in the synagogue and the synagogue leader has asked Jesus to teach (Luke 13:10). The custom is that the chosen speaker reads from the Hebrew Scriptures then explains the passage. Most quote other rabbis or scribes to authenticate their interpretation of the text. Jesus, however, “taught them as one who had authority” (Mark 1:22). He doesn’t need human affirmation to express the significance of His Father’s Word.

While Jesus is speaking, He notices a woman bent over. A demon has kept her crippled for eighteen years. Any other rabbi would have continued teaching; a disabled woman is not worth their time. In fact, they would think she’s cursed by God for her sins (Luke 13:11; John 9:1–3). Jesus is not like other rabbis, of course. He stops His teaching and calls the woman to Him. And if the scandal of a rabbi speaking to a cursed woman isn’t enough, He touches her and heals her.

The synagogue leader has many reasons to get indignant, but he focuses on the fact that Jesus “worked” on the Sabbath. He can’t call out his esteemed guest speaker, however, so he scolds the crowd, telling them they should not seek healing on the Sabbath (Luke 13:14).

We don’t know what passage Jesus is teaching on, but the synagogue leader’s reaction is the exact opposite of the message of the Old Testament: God longs to bless, comfort, and restore His people, and He will do so if they come to Him. Even on the Sabbath, the day of rest (Luke 13:16; Mark 2:27).

Verse 13. And he laid his hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and she glorified God.

Jesus has done the unthinkable. He was offered the honor of teaching on the Sabbath at the local synagogue. He has most likely read a portion of the Hebrew Scriptures and begun His interpretation (Luke 13:10–11). Then everything starts to go wrong for the leader of the synagogue who oversees the session.

First, when Jesus explains the passage, He does so with authority. He doesn’t rely on what other rabbis have said before Him. He teaches as if He were the source of truth (Mark 1:22).

Second, Jesus notices a woman in the crowd. She’s hard to miss, as she’s hunched over nearly double. But He doesn’t ignore her, assuming her ailment is due to sin (John 9:1–3). Instead, He calls her to come to Him.

Third, Jesus touches the woman—in that era, rabbis did not physically contact women.

Fourth, Jesus heals the woman despite this being the Sabbath. She unbends and stands straight (Luke 13:12).

The ruler of the synagogue is indignant. Jesus has broken several social norms but this—working on the Sabbath—is an especially irritating offense. Still, the ruler can’t publicly shame the teacher he chose. He settles on scolding the people, telling them they are wrong to seek healing on the Sabbath (Luke 13:14).

Of course, it is not against God’s law to heal someone on the Sabbath. Jesus explains this (Luke 13:15–16). But the law followed by religious leaders of the area—the Pharisees—goes far beyond the Mosaic law in the Old Testament. Their scribes have spent centuries adding extra rules. They seek to prevent Jews from even approaching disobedience, lest God send them to exile again. They call these rules the “Oral Law” and claim that God gave them to Moses but Moses didn’t write them down.

The traditional rules of this Oral Law specifically define “work” that should not be done on the Sabbath based on the construction of the tabernacle. Normal healing might include making medication, but that is too similar to mixing dyes. Then the medication would have to be carried, like the pieces of the tent. Here, however, Jesus straightens the crippled woman’s back, recalling fitting structural pieces together and finishing the construction.

What the synagogue leader and other religious authorities there fail to understand is the purpose of the Sabbath is to give God’s children rest (Mark 2:27). What better rest can this woman receive than to be healed physically and released from the torment of a demon (Luke 13:15–16)?

Verse 14. But the ruler of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the people, “There are six days in which work ought to be done. Come on those days and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day.”

It is the Sabbath and Jesus has been invited to speak at the synagogue. However, the ruler of the synagogue becomes indignant when Jesus interrupts teaching to heal a woman with a severe spine deformity (Luke 13:10–13). This ailment is somehow the work of a demon (Luke 13:16). It is against the Mosaic law to work on the Sabbath, and the ruler seems to think healing is a type of work (Deuteronomy 5:12–15; Exodus 20:8–11).

The ruler tells the people that they break the Sabbath if they come to be healed. No mention is made of the synagogue ruler criticizing Jesus. It’s more likely the man is too intimidated by Jesus to call Him out personally than that Luke just doesn’t mention it. But Jesus takes the attack against the people personally and speaks as if the accusation is against Himself as the worker. He compares His work of freeing the woman from her bond to someone who tends to animals (Luke 13:15–16).

The laws about the Sabbath are confusing. The Mosaic law simply forbids “work,” and the only examples given are collecting firewood and selling things (Numbers 15:32–36; Nehemiah 10:31). The scribes spent many years refining the Mosaic law, adding to it and specifying what the vaguer laws meant. They call these rules the “Oral Law” and claim they are lesser instructions from God that Moses didn’t write down. The laws defining Sabbath work are based on the work required to build the tabernacle. For instance, it is unlawful to trap an animal on the Sabbath because the Israelites had to procure hides for the tabernacle. But rabbis and scribes debated further: it is okay to trap a dangerous animal, like one that has rabies, because if the animal kills someone, the person can’t observe the Sabbath.

When Jesus touches the woman and she straightens up, the synagogue ruler may interpret the act as the work of construction or completion, which is against the Oral Law. Jesus is far more pragmatic. Anyone in that synagogue would lead their thirsty ox or donkey to water. There is every reason He should be allowed to heal a Jewish woman on God’s designated day of rest (Luke 13:15–16).

Verse 15. Then the Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger and lead it away to water it?

A woman has been oppressed by a demon which kept her bent over for eighteen years (Luke 13:16). She comes to the synagogue on the Sabbath. Jesus is teaching. But He pauses and calls her forward. He declares her healed and touches her, and immediately her back straightens. The synagogue ruler is indignant. He scolds her as well as others in earshot. He tells them the Sabbath is not the appropriate time to seek healing; it is God’s day of rest (Luke 13:10–14).

Jesus has a different point of view, mainly that there are few things more fitting for Sabbath rest than for a Jewish woman—a daughter of Abraham—to find healing and freedom from Satanic forces and physical brokenness (Luke 13:16).

Over the centuries, scribes expounded upon the Mosaic law. They held the people in tight check so they would not anger God and compel Him to send the nation to exile again. In Ezekiel 20:21, God mentions several reasons He sent the southern kingdom of Judah into exile in Babylon, including “they profaned my Sabbaths.” To avoid this, the scribes tried to figure out what exactly constituted “work” on the Sabbath. They decided on the idea of tasks needed to build the tabernacle. That could include constructing and finishing, as Jesus did to this woman’s spine.

Many Jews follow the Oral Law carefully. In the early time of the Maccabees, a thousand Jews were killed in a battle because they would not fight on the Sabbath. Afterward, the priest Mattathias decided it was okay to defend yourself on the Sabbath. Later scribes developed the pikuach nefesh which affirms that life-saving medical treatment can be given on the Sabbath. That includes everything from giving medicine to trapping dangerous animals. After all, how can someone follow God’s law if they’re dead?

Jesus doesn’t lean on the pikuach nefesh, however, because it doesn’t go far enough: it doesn’t include relief from chronic diseases or non-life-threatening conditions. Instead, He compares the woman to an ox or donkey. Oxen and donkeys can go without fresh water for a day, but good Jews still lead them to what they need. Why should the thirst of an animal be a greater priority than a suffering woman?

Luke uses “Jesus” when he describes His interaction with the woman (Luke 13:12). Here, he uses “Lord,” emphasizing Jesus’ authority over the Sabbath and the leaders in the synagogue (Luke 6:1–5). This is another example of the people refusing to correctly interpret the signs (Luke 12:54–56). Jesus is the embodiment of the coming of the kingdom of God, but all the religious leaders see is their own power slipping away.

The religious leaders learn half a lesson here. They learn that Jesus will work on the Sabbath if it means healing someone. So, they set him up, inviting Him to dine at the home of a Pharisee, but also inviting a man with dropsy. But they don’t learn the other half of the lesson: Jesus will defend His choice to heal and shame their hard hearts (Luke 14:1–6).

Verse 16. And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?”

Jesus is defending His choice to heal a woman on the Sabbath. She had been oppressed for eighteen years by a demon that deformed her back until she couldn’t stand up straight. With a comment and a touch, Jesus freed her from her skeletal prison. The ruler of the synagogue was horrified that He would work on the Sabbath (Luke 13:10–14).

The Oral Law that the Pharisees follow states that life-threatening illnesses and injuries can be cared for on the Sabbath—after all, how can someone obey the Law if they’re dead? But chronic conditions must wait. And yet, Jesus points out, every person there would lead their ox or donkey to fresh water on the Sabbath, even if it meant walking over half a mile. A donkey can go without water for three days! But to make sure the donkey is well and ready to work, a good farmer would show more compassion (Luke 13:15).

As intelligent and delightful as donkeys are, and as useful as oxen are, in God’s eyes they are nothing compared to a woman. Jesus points out that this woman is a daughter of Abraham and one of God’s chosen people. Why wouldn’t God want to give her comfort on the Sabbath? The Sabbath is the day of rest, and what greater rest could she receive than healing and deliverance? God had told the Israelites, “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that you should not be their slaves. And I have broken the bars of your yoke and made you walk erect” (Leviticus 26:13). In the same way, God released this woman from slavery under a demon and allowed her to walk tall with honor.

Jesus gets in a little jab, too. Perhaps because He is the guest of honor, the synagogue leader did not confront Him with the fact He healed on the Sabbath. He confronted the woman and the crowd, saying, “There are six days in which work ought to be done. Come on those days and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day” (Luke 13:14). Jesus points out that the woman didn’t do the work. He liberated her. He did the work.

Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath (Luke 6:5) and His arrival is the inauguration of the kingdom of God. He is also the personification of our Sabbath rest (Hebrews 4:1–13). He created the Sabbath for humans (Colossians 1:16; Genesis 2:2–3); He did not create humans for the Sabbath (Mark 2:27). The religious leaders are witnesses to a battle between the Son of God and Satan. The Lord’s day of rest is a perfectly appropriate time to witness the power and authority that will ultimately defeat Satan forever. If the leaders disagree, they side with an evil power that wishes people were bound in defeat (Luke 11:46).

Verse 17. As he said these things, all his adversaries were put to shame, and all the people rejoiced at all the glorious things that were done by him.

When the synagogue leader invited Jesus to speak on the Sabbath, he probably didn’t think his credibility was at risk. While Jesus taught, He saw a woman who had been oppressed and crippled by a demon. Jesus called her forward and healed her. The religious leaders were horrified that Jesus dared to work on the Sabbath. He pointed out their hypocrisy. Any one of them would have led their ox or donkey to fresh water on the Sabbath. Why shouldn’t He provide the greatest rest this woman could hope for on earth—deliverance and healing? The Sabbath is the perfect day to free a daughter of Abraham from her bondage to the enemy (Luke 13:10–16).

We typically take this event as further proof that the Sabbath regulations do not apply to God-followers in the church age. For certain, they don’t; the Sabbath is the only one of the Ten Commandments that is not repeated in the New Testament. But that’s not the reason Luke recorded this story in this place.

Luke is explaining what the kingdom of God is like. It includes urgency, as no one knows when it will be too late to repent and reconcile with God (Luke 13:1–5). It is a time of grace, as Jesus stands in the gap between us and judgment—even, perhaps, negotiating for more time (Luke 13:6–9). Once it starts, it is wildly inevitable and pervasive (Luke 13:20–21).

It also inevitably brings separation. It will separate family members from one another (Luke 12:51–53) and people from the religious leaders they have trusted but who abuse them (Luke 11:37–46). Jesus warns His listeners to be careful to interpret the signs of the coming kingdom (Luke 12:54–56); judgment is near (Luke 12:49–50).

Verse 18. He said therefore, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it?

“Therefore” indicates that Jesus tells these parables because of the prior passage: Jesus healing a woman on the Sabbath and thereby splitting the religious leaders from the people. The leaders are shamed and the people rejoice (Luke 13:10–17). Luke may have a grander view in mind. The kingdom of God has come (Luke 9:2). Healing the woman is a sign of the kingdom’s power to restore health and defeat Satan (Luke 9:2).

But the Jews of Jesus’ time don’t understand that the inauguration of the kingdom of God begins a slow process of developing a people of God. This is necessary before they enter His more physically manifested kingdom on earth. Only when the Holy Spirit’s work to build the church is complete will Jesus establish God’s literal, physical kingdom at His second coming (Acts 1:6–7).

The healing of a single woman is a precursor to the day when all Jesus’ followers will receive glorified bodies. The rejoicing of the people over the work of God to rescue her from bondage to Satan will see its culmination when Jesus defeats Satan completely (Revelation 20:7–10). Add to that Jesus’ call to repentance from sins and reconciliation with God (Luke 13:1–9) as well as the people’s acceptance of Jesus’ power and authority as their Lord, Savior, King, and Priest. All these aspects of God’s kingdom will take a long time to come to completion.

The slow growth of the mustard tree and the arduous work of the baker are metaphors for the gradual but saturating and inevitable work of the gospel.

Context Summary
Luke 13:18–21 records two short similes that describe the kingdom of God. The first compares the kingdom to a mustard seed that grows into a tree that the birds can rest in. The second compares the kingdom to leaven that is worked through an entire batch of dough. In both cases, growth is slow at first. But once growth starts, it’s unstoppable. Similar stories appear in Matthew 13:31–33 and Mark 4:30–32. Next, Luke records Jesus explaining that the door to the kingdom is narrow and lamenting that so many Jews will reject that path (Luke 13:22–35).

Verse 19. It is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden, and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches.”

Jesus is describing the kingdom of God as something which begins exceedingly small. Then it grows, slowly but steadily, until completion. Once growth starts, it cannot be removed. Here, it is a small mustard seed that becomes a tree. Next, it is a little bit of leaven gradually worked through a great amount of flour (Luke 13:20–21).

In the chapter before, Jesus touched on the same theme. A cloud, far off, becomes a thunderstorm. The southern wind becomes a scorching heat (Luke 12:54–56). The Jews know this theme well, as their nation started with a single grandson of Abraham. Even so, they are impatient and want the kingdom to come immediately (John 6:15).

In other passages, Jesus is recorded describing mustard as the “smallest” of seeds. His point is exaggeration for effect, not a claim that the mustard seed is the smallest in the entire plant kingdom. Rather, it is the smallest planted by Jewish gardeners. Further, mustard seeds were a metaphor for a ridiculously small quantity or size, often contrasted to massive plants such as cedar trees.

In the Old Testament, birds roosting in a tree represent a powerful nation or leader where people of many nations find shelter. For instance, Assyria (Ezekiel 31:6) and Babylon (Daniel 4:20–22). Although the parallel isn’t obvious here, Jesus will soon describe the influx of Gentiles into God’s kingdom: “And people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at table in the kingdom of God” (Luke 13:29).

Verse 20. And again he said, “To what shall I compare the kingdom of God?

The kingdom of God is a significant theme in Jesus’ “travelogue” (Luke 9:51—19:27). Throughout, the religious leaders work against God’s kingdom (Luke 11:14–15, 29–32, 37–54; 13:10–17; 14:1–24). Because of people’s hard-hearted rejection of Jesus, those who do follow Him will have to make serious sacrifices (Luke 12:22–53) and possibly face death (Luke 12:4–5).

The forces of the world and of demons, however, cannot stop God’s kingdom. It is like a mustard seed sown in a garden that grows into a tree; it will grow slowly but once established it will not be removed. When it is big and sturdy enough, birds will roost in its branches. That is, people of the nations will find rest and protection (Luke 13:19).

The kingdom of God is also like “leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, until it was all leavened” (Luke 13:21). Once leaven is added to flour, it cannot be removed. As the woman stirs the mixture, the leaven distributes through the flour until no part of the batch is unaffected. “Three measures” is about fifty pounds, or twenty-three kilograms. That’s a lot of dough. Similarly, the world is a big place. It will take time for God’s kingdom to reach every tribe and language, but it will get there (Matthew 28:18–20; Revelation 5:9–10).

Verse 21. It is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, until it was all leavened.”

Jesus is telling two short parables about the inevitability of the coming kingdom of God. First, He compared it to a mustard seed: the smallest seed sown in a Jewish garden. The seed is planted and a tough tree slowly grows, providing shade and a place to roost for birds. Birds nested in trees often refer to people of many nations finding rest under the protection of a powerful kingdom and/or leader (Ezekiel 31:6; Daniel 4:20–22). Jesus’ presence inaugurated the kingdom of God, and it will inevitably grow and welcome people of all nations (Luke 13:29).

Next, Jesus compares the kingdom to leavening stirred into an enormous batch of flour. Leavening is anything that causes a chemical reaction that makes dough rise. This can include baking soda, baking powder, or yeast. Once it is added to the flour, the flour and leaven cannot be separated again. As the woman continues to stir, the leavening spreads throughout the flour until every bit is affected.

Although leaven is often a metaphor for something negative (Luke 12:1; 1 Corinthians 5:6; Galatians 5:7–9), here it is positive. The kingdom of God will permeate the entire world. Just as a little leaven works its way through the entire batch, once the kingdom of God is introduced its eventual completion is inevitable. The very nature of the world has been changed with Jesus’ arrival and will continue to be through the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

Some Bible scholars translate the “three” measures as a metaphor to represent the fullness of the human experience: body/soul/spirit, earth/church/state, Jews/Samaritans/Greeks. There’s no indication this is what Jesus means. He’s simply referring to a huge quantity of flour to represent the large world.

Verse 22. He went on his way through towns and villages, teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem.

Luke reminds us that Jesus is traveling toward Jerusalem. The “travelogue” (9:51—19:27) is a series of stories recounting how Jesus prepared the disciples for His death and resurrection and their work establishing the church. Jesus trains them to spread the kingdom of God like a growing mustard seed or leaven (Luke 13:18–21) while He walks toward Jerusalem to do the work that will ensure the fulfillment of God’s kingdom on earth: the crucifixion and resurrection.

The reminder of Jerusalem also serves to highlight the irony of the events of the section. Jerusalem is the epicenter of Jewish religion and religious leaders. So far, those leaders have favored manmade laws over the wellbeing of fellow Jews (Luke 13:10–17). Those who should know best will miss the fulfillment of God’s kingdom because they reject His Son (Luke 13:25–35).

Luke isn’t implying that Jesus was traveling alone in this passage. Most stories in the “travelogue” are not found in the gospel of Mark. Many are not found in Matthew. Luke carefully chose parables and miracles to build Theophilus’s faith (Luke 1:1–4). Although this section begins with Jesus healing a Jewish woman (Luke 13:10–17) and ends with Jesus lamenting that Jews will reject Him (Luke 13:31–35), the parables of the mustard tree and leaven show how God’s kingdom will spread throughout the entire world and bring rest for Gentiles (Luke 13:18–21). Now, Jesus shows that many Gentiles will enter the narrow door before Jews do (Luke 13:29–30).

Luke 13:22–30 records another of Jesus’ teachings about the kingdom and salvation. In the previous pericope, He explained that the kingdom of God is close, easily accessible, and inevitable (Luke 13:18–21). Here, He explains that, although close, the way into the kingdom is very narrow. Many will think they have entered when they haven’t. In the final story of this group, Jesus will mourn the Jews who should know to pass through the narrow door but refuse. Matthew includes similar lessons in several distinct teachings (Matthew 7:13–14, 22–23; 8:11–12; 19:30; 20:16; 25:10–12, 41).

Verse 23. And someone said to him, “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” And he said to them,

This is a common question, often asked in two different ways.

The first version is, “are there several different ways to salvation?” The answer is an emphatic no. The Bible is clear that Jesus is the only way, truth, and life (John 14:6; Acts 4:12). Faithfulness to other gods does not earn salvation, nor does doing good works, being a good person, enduring hardship and struggles in life, or dying in a particularly tragic way. When Jesus says the door is narrow, He means there is only one way to salvation: faith in Him.

A second facet is, “are there more saved believers or unsaved non-believers?” The narrow door represents the limited qualifications for salvation, but does it reflect the number of people who walk through the door? Matthew 7:13–14 gives the same metaphor but uses “gate” instead of “door.” Jesus ends the passage with “and those who find it are few.” As challenging as the idea may be, Scripture indicates that more people spend eternity in hell than in heaven.

This context, however, includes another condition. Jesus is in Galilee, probably largely talking to Jews. Salvation is always by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8–9), even for Israel in the Old Testament. “Faith” is in God, specifically that He will fulfill His promises (Hebrews 11). God interacted with Israel as a nation, not primarily through individuals. The Mosaic law speaks about God blessing or judging Israel as a whole (Leviticus 26). Jews assumed that they, as a people, would be saved, with exceptions for those who sinned in particularly egregious ways.

With Jesus’ arrival and ministry, the list of unforgivable sins condenses into only one: rejecting Him as Messiah and Savior. Many Jews, including Pharisees and priests, will walk through this narrow door and into Jesus’ presence (Acts 2:41, 47; 4:4; 6:7). But because the religious leaders as a group will not, and therefore will not lead the people of Israel into saving faith, many more Jews will remain lost than find salvation. Jesus mourns this (Luke 13:34–35). And although “People will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at table in the kingdom of God” (Luke 13:29), most Gentiles will likewise choose not to walk through the narrow door.

Verse 24. “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.

Jesus is traveling and teaching (Luke 13:22). Most of His lessons have to do with the kingdom of God: what it is and how people should enter it. A man has just asked him, “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” (Luke 13:23). He may be thinking of the many times Jesus proved that the Pharisees and scribes—the Jewish religious leaders—do not live out God’s expectations for His people (Luke 11:14–23, 29–32, 37–54; 13:10–17). If the Pharisees can’t get in, who can (Matthew 5:20)?

Jesus turns the question around to show the more important facet. The crucial point isn’t knowing the number of people in heaven. It’s knowing how to get to heaven. It’s not the size of the crowd that matters but the size of the door. And the door is very narrow.

The door is God’s grace through faith: that God is faithful and will fulfill what He promises. For Noah, it meant building the ark (Hebrews 11:7). For Abraham, it meant leaving his home and trusting that God would give him an heir (Hebrews 11:8–12, 17–19). For Jacob and Joseph, it was that their descendants would inherit the land God promised to Abraham (Hebrews 11:21–22).

For the Israelites, faith was a little more complicated. They needed to believe that YHWH is their God and they are His people, but they needed to express their faith through obedience (Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 28). Even then, however, their salvation was based on the grace of God that willingly forgave all who repented of their sin (Luke 13:5). What the door doesn’t entail is any attempt to earn God’s favor by following the Mosaic law or even the extra-biblical rules the scribes added, as the Pharisees do (Luke 11:37–52; 13:14).

Jesus’ death and resurrection clarified the door’s boundaries. Salvation is by grace through faith in God’s promise that those who accept Jesus as their Savior will be saved (Ephesians 2:8–9). But the door is also narrow in that it will not be open for long. First, because our lives are fleeting and we may die at any moment (Luke 13:1–5). Second, because Jesus may return at any moment and effectively shut the door (Luke 13:25).

What does the door lead to? The house of the master and the table of God (Luke 13:25, 29). The Jews would understand this as the great feast in God’s presence in the afterlife: the epitome of deep fellowship (Matthew 7:7–8, 13; 22:1–14; 25:1–13; Luke 12:37; 14:15–24).

“Strive” infers a fight or struggle. It is from the same Greek root word from which we get “agony.” It doesn’t mean we need to put intense effort into an attempt to earn salvation. Rather, this counters the lazy rejection of those who “seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand” (Matthew 13:13). These same people can predict the weather by observing basic natural phenomena but refuse to contemplate the significance of Jesus’ miraculous works (Luke 10:13–15; 12:54–56).

Verse 25. When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us,’ then he will answer you, ‘I do not know where you come from.’

A man has asked if more people will be saved or unsaved. Jesus reframes the question to focus on the more important issue: the way of salvation is very narrow, like a narrow door. There are some standards on how to enter.

First, we must enter in time. Jesus has already explained that our life is finite. Even those who lead righteous lives can die by violence or tragedy without warning (Luke 13:1–5). But the open door also has a limited duration. Even if Jesus asks the Father for a little more time, eventually the door will close and no one else will be allowed through (Luke 13:6–9).

This verse seems to contradict Jesus’ previous words about knocking on doors: “And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened” (Luke 11:9–10). However, Jesus promised this in the context of a God-follower asking for what God the Father wants for His children: His kingdom, life, forgiveness, obedience, and the tools to serve others (Luke 11:1–8).

Here, Jesus is talking about people who claimed to follow Him but didn’t really know Him. They listened to His teaching but didn’t follow what He said. They ate the physical food He offered but not the spiritual food they needed (John 6:27, 35). Despite what they claim, they are “workers of evil” (Luke 13:27). Most telling, they did not seek fellowship with Jesus in time. Their opportunity is lost, and so are they (Luke 13:26–27).

Most importantly, Jesus does not “know” where they come from. This doesn’t mean that Jesus, God the Son, does not know all about their lives and origins. It means that He is from God (John 7:16, 29) and they are of their father the Devil (John 8:44). As Jesus says elsewhere, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world” (John 8:23). Since He does not fellowship with Satan, He cannot let them in.

Verse 26. Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’

Jesus is explaining what it takes to be saved. He’s addressing how only those who “know” Him can spend eternity with Him, but He has different standards for that knowledge than the culture does. Here, He mentions two typical ways the culture would define a deep personal knowledge.

First, they ate with Him. Specifically, they ate the food He provided (Luke 9:10–17). Hospitality and shared meals are still an important part of Middle Eastern culture. To eat with someone is to fellowship with them. To offer food, as Jesus did, is to offer protection. The problem is, they misinterpreted Jesus’ motivation for feeding them. It wasn’t a sign of deep permanent fellowship; it was a sign of Jesus’ compassion towards their physical hunger. It was also a metaphor for His ability to sate their spiritual hunger. The people appreciated the food so much they wanted to make Him king (John 6:1–15). Jesus had to explain that they focused on their physical state when they needed to come to Him for spiritual life. Literal bread can bring life for a limited time, but they need the bread of life: Jesus, Himself, who came down from heaven and provides eternal life (John 6:35–51).

Second, the people had listened to Jesus teach in their streets. Surely, they thought, His presence in their neighborhoods was a sign that He identified with them. That isn’t the case, however. Jesus preached to tens or hundreds of thousands of people. Very few took the time to understand what He taught. That is the point of parables: that those who don’t really want to know the truth don’t have to (Luke 8:10).

A similar teaching in Matthew points out another reason people might claim to know Jesus without actually knowing Him. Some self-labeled believers will perform great deeds in Jesus’ name (Matthew 7:22). But even doing good works out of respect for Jesus does not identify a true follower. Jewish mystics learned this in Ephesus (Acts 19:13–16). Paul will later explain, “whatever does not proceed from faith is sin” (Romans 14:23). Saying you do works for Jesus isn’t the same thing as knowing Him and being empowered by Him (Matthew 7:23; Luke 13:27).

These issues aren’t unique to the crowds that follow Jesus. The same happens today. You can be in fellowship with other believers, pray, read the Bible, listen to sermons, even serve, and still not know Jesus. Doing such things should be markers of Christians, but they don’t save. Only knowing Jesus—knowing He is the Son of God who came to take the sins of the world and asking Him to take your sins—ensures you can fit through the narrow door.

Verse 27. But he will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil!’

Jesus is explaining that although God is patient (2 Peter 3:9), the time to reconcile with Him is not infinite (Luke 13:1–9). And what is required for reconciliation isn’t the same as cultural friendship. It doesn’t just mean eating together, which is a significant sign of fellowship in the Middle East. It doesn’t mean listening to Jesus’ teachings or even performing works in His name (Matthew 7:22).

Reconciliation means repentance, knowing Christ, and being known by Him. Whether we die or are raptured, when we arrive in paradise, it means we come from a position of being a child of God (John 1:12). It means we don’t belong to the world but to God (John 15:19).

Even more shockingly for the Jews, it doesn’t have anything to do with physical descent from Abraham, not does it have to do with honoring the Mosaic law. It always means coming from a place of repentance (Luke 13:5), trust in Jesus (John 11:25), and grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8–9). Someone can appear and act as if they come from God’s family but really have Satan as their father and origin (Luke 11:26; Matthew 7:22; John 8:44).

There’s a pattern of separation and sameness in the last few stories. People from the same family will be separated (Luke 12:51–53). People are vulnerable to the same tragedies (Luke 13:1–5). Some people will go through the narrow door and will enter rest, and some won’t (Luke 13:24). The difference isn’t nationality (Luke 13:28–29), sinfulness, or even adherence to the rules given in the Bible. It’s about identification with Christ through repentance. The time to repent and take this identity is short, and a second chance will not be given after death.

Verse 28. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but you yourselves cast out.

Again, Jesus frames salvation in terms of separation. All people are the same in that they can die at a moment’s notice (Luke 13:1–5). Those who refuse to repent are different. They knock on the door, but too late. They are separated from Jesus, the owner of the house. They are even separated from the patriarchs of their own people. Genetic heritage does not ensure spiritual heritage. If Jews don’t repent and identify with Jesus, they are not from the patriarchs (Luke 13:23–27; Luke 3:8).

The Jews are God’s chosen people—as a group, as a nation. The Abrahamic covenant is promised to the descendants of Isaac and Jacob as a nation. The covenant will be fulfilled in the millennial kingdom. That doesn’t mean that every individual Jew will be saved just because they are descended from Jacob. They must pass through the “narrow door:” repentance and faith in Jesus (Luke 13:5).

On another occasion, Jesus says, “the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 8:12). The “sons of the kingdom” represent Jews, not Jesus-followers in God’s kingdom. “Weeping and gnashing of teeth” describe sorrow and despair that results in both emotional and physical distress. “Outer darkness” doesn’t mean that unbelievers will literally be outside the city of God, but they will be outside of God’s kingdom, in hell.

Jesus ties in the patriarchs with the prophets. One of the reasons the religious leaders reject Jesus is because although they claim to revere the prophets in the Jewish Scriptures, they refuse to compare their descriptions of the Messiah with Jesus and His ministry. In the Old Testament, many prophets were killed because the Jewish leadership didn’t want to hear their condemning warnings. Jesus tells the lawyers of the Pharisees that when they dismiss the prophets—especially when they refuse to teach the truth about Jesus as written in the prophets—they are heirs of the prophets’ murderers (Luke 11:47–52). Stephen will revisit this charge right before his own murder (Acts 7:51–53).

Verse 29. And people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at table in the kingdom of God.

A man has asked Jesus if few people will be saved. Jesus isn’t interested in numbers, though. He wants to make sure the crowd around Him understands how to be saved and that the time for taking that step is limited (Luke 13:1–9, 22–27).

Jesus has said that some Jews—descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—will not spend eternity with God. The imagery of reclining at the table describes a formal banquet such as the feast used in Judaism to represent God’s eternal blessings. These Jews will not repent of their sins or establish a relationship with Jesus, so they will be separated from true followers (Luke 13:5, 23–28).

Even more shocking, many Gentiles will be part of the kingdom of God. They are the birds who have flocked to the mustard tree—the kingdom of God (Luke 13:18–19).

The sequence of cardinal directions is a “merism:” a figure of speech using contrasting ideas to represent a larger whole. “East and west” and “north and south” are opposites to mean all the space between them: the whole earth. The idea of Gentiles from the east, west, north, and south knowing God is also found in the Old Testament prophets (Isaiah 45:6; 49:12; Malachi 1:11).

Verse 30. And behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.”

Jesus finishes His explanation that neither prestige nor ancestry nor ability are necessary for salvation. All that matters is repentance and faith in Christ. Because of that, the time to reconcile with God is limited. Many Jews will not spend eternity with God while many Gentiles will (Luke 13:1–9, 22–29).

The concept of the last becoming first and first becoming last appears in a few different ways. Here, Jesus is talking about how Gentiles from all over the earth will live in the kingdom of God for eternity while many Jews will not. The Jews were the “first” in that they are meant to be God’s people, physical heirs of Abraham to whom God gave His covenant (Luke 13:28).

The reason God chose the Jews was to show the Gentiles who God is and what He expects (Exodus 19:6; Joshua 22:5; Jeremiah 13:11). In Old Testament terms, they disqualify themselves from remaining in the kingdom through disobedience (Amos 3:2). When the Jewish leadership crucifies Jesus instead of worshiping Him, they prove themselves ineligible to spread God’s message of salvation.

Jesus uses a parable to explain this. “Workers of evil” will not be allowed in the kingdom even if they are physically descended from Abraham. Identification with Jesus and repentance from sins leads to an invitation to stay with God for eternity (Luke 13:5, 25–29). As Paul will later write, “And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise” (Galatians 3:29).

In the church age where identification with Jesus brings salvation, the Gentiles—the last to know God—will be first to accept Christ. But “first” and “last” affirm that Jews as a nation still have hope. Romans 11 explains that the Jews will accept Jesus as their Messiah and will do so naturally. The salvation of Gentiles reconciles the world to God, but it will also make the Jews jealous so they will want to return to Him.

Jesus uses this phrase in a similar way in the parable of the laborers in the vineyard (Matthew 20:16). The other way in which Jesus uses this proverb is when He tells His disciples to live and work in humility, service, and sacrifice, trusting that God will reward them (Matthew 19:30; Mark 9:35; 10:31).

Verse 31. At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, “Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.”

This is a curious verse which Luke uses to set up Jesus’ upcoming words. Jesus is traveling toward Jerusalem, but He is still in Galilee, one of Herod Antipas’s territories. Pharisees warn Jesus that Antipas wants to kill Him. Their concern is odd since they have been baiting Him, trying to get Him to say something so egregious they can legitimately have Him executed (Luke 11:53–54). Most likely, the men are trying to intimidate Jesus; they hope He will run for His life and abandon His mission.

Herod Antipas is one of the many sons of Herod the Great. His territory includes two unconnected districts: Galilee and Perea. Galilee is north of Samaria, between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River. Perea is southeast, across the Jordan Sea from Samaria and the Dead Sea. Most likely, Jesus is still in Galilee because he is in Antipas’s territory and there are more Jews in Galilee than Perea, hence more Pharisees.

Herod Antipas is still confused about who Jesus is. He wonders if Jesus is John the Baptist returned to life while others in his court think He is Elijah or another prophet (Luke 9:7–9). It’s unlikely Antipas knows that the wife of his own household manager is funding Jesus’ ministry (Luke 8:3). In Antiquities 18.7.2, Josephus wrote that Antipas was desperate to keep peace in his territory. He and his wife Herodias want nothing more than for the emperor to recognize them as king and queen. Allowing a traveling teacher to start a revolt would not look good.

During Jesus’ trials, when Pilate is trying to avoid being the one to authorize Jesus’ crucifixion, Pilate will realize Jesus is from Antipas’s territory and send him to meet his “king.” Although Antipas has been desperately wanting to meet Jesus, Jesus will say nothing. Antipas will mock Jesus and ironically dress Him as king before returning Him to Pilate (Luke 23:6–12).

Context Summary
Luke 13:31–35 concludes the first group of Jesus’ teachings. These included a miracle followed by lessons about salvation and the kingdom of God. Having explained that the kingdom is near but the opportunity to enter is limited and the door is narrow, Jesus describes that door by prophesying His death and resurrection. He then mourns for the Jews in Jerusalem who will refuse to enter. Next is a similar section that begins with a Sabbath healing and includes more teachings about the kingdom and salvation (Luke 14:1—15:32). A similar lament is recorded in Matthew 23:37–39.

Verse 32. And he said to them, “Go and tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I finish my course.

Pharisees are warning Jesus that Herod Antipas wants to kill Him. Antipas is one of the sons of Herod the Great and the Roman-backed authority over Galilee and Perea. He’s also the ruler who beheaded John the Baptist after his wife tricked him (Matthew 14:1–12). He and his wife want so much for the emperor to declare them king and queen that he calls himself “King Herod.” If he wants to prove worthy of the title, he can’t have a rebellion begin in his territory. He isn’t sure who Jesus is (Luke 9:7–9), but he knows that He is causing issues in Galilee. Subjects loyal to Antipas have been conspiring with the Pharisees against Jesus since the beginning of Jesus’ ministry and will continue until the crucifixion (Mark 3:6; 12:13).

The Pharisees warn Jesus to quietly leave Galilee. They probably don’t know Jesus has taught His disciples that following Him may result in death. This is something the disciples are not to fear (Luke 9:23–25; 12:4–7). He has recently told the disciples “do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!” (Luke 12:4–5). Those secure in the spiritual life God promises don’t need to fear physical death. This is a topic on which Paul will expound (Romans 6:8–10; 8:18–39; 1 Corinthians 15:50–58; Philippians 1:21–26; Colossians 3:1–4). Jesus is there to do the Father’s will, and if the Father’s will isn’t yet complete, Jesus has no need to worry about His life (Mark 4:40).

Jesus’ reference to Antipas as a “fox” has several layered, metaphorical meanings. It could refer to someone deceptive, or who destroys. Considering Antipas killed John and wants to kill Jesus (Luke 9:9; Acts 4:26–28), “destroyer” is certainly appropriate. As well, Antipas is treacherous. The term “fox” could imply someone unimportant—an attack on Antipas’s ambition. In God’s economy, however, Antipas is unimportant: a mortal man whom God uses to complete His plan. Jesus’ comment also implies the Pharisees are reporting back to Herod Antipas.

The sequence of “today and tomorrow, and the third day” found here and in the next verse is a figure of speech. Jesus will neither enter Jerusalem nor be crucified three days from this point. The phrase means that He will not change His schedule because of Herod. He has work to complete, and only when His work is done will He then go to Jerusalem.

Further, the Old Testament often speaks of time in groups of threes—three days or three years. This occurs more frequently than any other number except seven; even more than forty. Often, threes are used in the context of a matter being settled or a task being completed (Genesis 40:12–13, 18–19; Exodus 3:18; 5:3; 8:27; 15:22–24; Ezra 8:15, 32; 10:8; Nehemiah 2:11; Luke 13:7). And, of course, Jesus’ ministry lasted three years and His death three days.

Scholars such as Roy Zuck and Darrell Bock note the use of “today” as related to the kingdom of God. Jesus said the prophecies in Isaiah 61:1–2 and 58:6 were fulfilled “today” (Luke 4:21). Salvation comes to Zacchaeus’s house “today” (Luke 19:5, 9). The thief will enter paradise “today” (Luke 23:42–43). Jesus has been warning the people that their time to repent and seek reconciliation with God is limited (Luke 13:1–9, 24–25). The key point here is about urgency: “today” is a good time to start.

Verse 33. Nevertheless, I must go on my way today and tomorrow and the day following, for it cannot be that a prophet should perish away from Jerusalem.’

Jesus is talking to Pharisees who have warned Him to flee because Herod Antipas wants to kill Him (Luke 13:31–32). This is not a good-faith warning. More likely, it is some combination of taunting and a threat. Again, Jesus uses a curious phrase referencing three days: today, tomorrow, and the next day. In the previous verse, Jesus used it to describe when He would complete His work. Now He uses it to say when He will complete His journey to the place where His work will be completed.

This is clearly a figure of speech, but in this exact application, scholars aren’t sure what Jesus means, other than a short amount of time. It may obliquely refer to the three days He was in the grave and rose on the third day. It doesn’t literally mean the time from this encounter until Jesus enters Jerusalem.

The Old Testament carries a pattern with time and threes. In many places, three days is the period during which a matter is decided, the resolution coming upon the third day (Genesis 40:12–13, 18:19; Exodus 15:22–24; Ezra 8:15, 32; 10:8; Nehemiah 2:11). If Jesus’ words echo that idea, He is saying that He has a set amount of time in which to work before a resolution takes place: His entrance into Jerusalem. He isn’t worried about Antipas; He has not yet finished His Father’s business of “[casting] out demons and [performing] cures” (Luke 13:32), so His life is safe. On the symbolic third day, Antipas will have his chance (Luke 23:6–12).

Jesus’ comment about the perishing prophets, however, doesn’t refer to Antipas but to the Pharisees. Not long ago, He told a room full of Pharisees and their lawyers what He thought of their piety. They follow the laws that made them look good but neglect those that show love or promote truth. Of the lawyers, otherwise known as scribes, He said that because they hide the truth that the prophets spoke about, they are as guilty as their forebears who murdered those prophets (Luke 11:47–52). Like Jerusalem itself, they are worthy of judgment (Luke 13:34).

Jesus does die in Jerusalem, but not all the Old Testament prophets did. Metaphorically, however, many were killed by the Jewish religious leadership that was based in Jerusalem.

Verse 34. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!

Jesus is looking ahead to the tasks He must accomplish before He enters Jerusalem (Luke 13:32–33). The thought of Jerusalem reminds Him of what He must do there. And what He must do reminds Him that as a nation, Israel will not reap the benefits.

He has pointed out that tragedy and violence may come upon anyone at any time. As does any person, each member of the crowd which follows Jesus has a limited amount of time in which to repent of their sins and reconcile with God (Luke 13:1–9). Jesus also explained that salvation does not come to everyone who claims Abraham as father. Those who do not identify themselves with Jesus will not be saved (Luke 13:22–30). God has tried to get their attention for generations. Instead of listening, they effectively kill the prophets by not listening to their words that would point them to the source of hope (Luke 11:47–52; 13:33).

“Jerusalem” doesn’t just refer to the city. It also means the Jews as a nation and/or the Jewish religious leaders who are headquartered in Jerusalem. This parallels how modern people might speak of American actions by referring to “Washington” or those of Russia by mentioning “Moscow.” Not all the prophets died in Jerusalem, nor did all of them die at the hands of religious leaders; most of the Old Testament prophets seem to have died of natural causes but many were murdered.

The Bible doesn’t mention the deaths of many of the prophets. Extra-biblical sources say Isaiah was killed by King Manasseh of Judah; Jeremiah was stoned to death by the Jews who kidnapped him and took him to Egypt; Ezekiel was killed in Babylon after warning the Jews against worshiping idols; Micah was killed by King Joram of Israel; and Amos died of injuries given by Amaziah, false priest of Israel, and his sons.

God overwhelmingly uses male terminology for Himself in the Bible. And yet, as women are also made in His image, He also has attributes we would consider to be female characteristics. Here, Jesus compares Himself to a protective mother hen. In the Old Testament, God compares Himself to a mother several times (Deuteronomy 32:18; Isaiah 49:15; 66:13).

Verse 35. Behold, your house is forsaken. And I tell you, you will not see me until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’”

A man has asked Jesus if few will be saved. Jesus confirms by saying that to be saved, people must enter by the “narrow door” leading into a house that represents the kingdom of God (Luke 13:23–24). Jesus’ audience is Jews. He tells them that if they do not truly know Him, they will not receive the blessing God gave Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They may be descended from the patriarchs physically, but certainly not spiritually. They will not inherit the kingdom of God in eternity (Luke 13:25–30). Their house—legacy and nation—is forsaken.

In earlier verses, Jesus infers this is His house (Luke 13:25); here, He says it is “your” house. In Jewish literature, “house” can represent kingdom or dynasty. When David wanted to build a “house” or the temple for God, God told him no, but God would establish David’s “house” forever (2 Samuel 7:16). In other places, “house” can mean the nation of Israel, the temple, or the temple as representing the nation of Israel (Isaiah 64:11; Jeremiah 12:7; 22:5).

The quote is from Psalm 118:26, a Messianic psalm recited at the Passover Seder. In Jesus’ time, the priests recited the psalm while sacrificing the Passover lambs in the temple. The crowd will chant it at the triumphal entry as Jesus enters Jerusalem (Luke 19:38), but Jesus is talking about His second coming. The “name” of the Lord refers to His authority and power. The time is short (Luke 13:1–9). The people have a limited amount of time to see Jesus. They will have other opportunities to follow Him (Acts 2), but He will leave soon and after the ascension, they will not see Him again until His return when Israel as a nation will finally accept Him as their Messiah.

End of Chapter 13.

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