Luke
13:1-21
Lesson 137
13:1-21
Lesson 137
In this lesson:
The importance of repentance.
A divine warning (13:3,5).
A healing and three parables.
The importance of repentance.
A divine warning (13:3,5).
A healing and three parables.
Study Tip:
It's best to click on the links and to review the Margin Notes.
It's best to click on the links and to review the Margin Notes.
The Gospel According to St. Luke
The King James Bible
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Luke 13:1-21
Repent or perish 1 There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2 And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things? 3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. 4 Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. 6 He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. 7 Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? 8 And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: 9 And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down. 10 And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. 11 And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself. 12 And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity. 13 And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. 14 And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day. 15 The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering? 16 And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day? 17 And when he had said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed: and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him. 18 Then said he, Unto what is the kingdom of God like? and whereunto shall I resemble it? 19 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and cast into his garden; and it grew, and waxed a great tree; and the fowls of the air lodged in the branches of it. 20 And again he said, Whereunto shall I liken the kingdom of God? 21 It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened. |
Margin notes:
"Galileans." (13:1) - These were probably followers of Judas, a Gaulonite who rebelled against Rome. "Pilate." (13:1) - Pontius Pilate was the fifth Roman procurator (governor) of Judea and Samaria. He served from AD 26 to 36 and disliked his Judean assignment so far from home. Pilate was no fan of the Jews and was routinely charged with cruelty against them, accusations he usually deserved. As shown in this verse, Jesus was well aware of Pilate's harsh reputation. The Jewish religious leaders returned Pilate's animosity and frequently complained about him to Rome. They accused him of corruption, cruelty, insensitivity to their customs and religion, and once of stealing money from the Temple to build an aqueduct. Pilate's headquarters was in Caesarea, but he was frequently in Jerusalem. He was in Jerusalem with his wife Claudia when Jesus was arrested. The Jewish high council (Sanhedrin) brought Jesus to stand trial before him. The Sanhedrin lacked the authority to sentence a prisoner to death (John 18:31), so they pressured Pilate to crucify Jesus. A pure politician, Pilate was more interested in political expediency than justice. Already disciplined by Rome once, Pilate wasn't willing to release Jesus and risk more Jewish complaints. He repeatedly declared Jesus innocent (Luke 23:4; 23:14; 23:22; John 18:38) yet was prepared to order His execution (Matthew 27:24-26; Mark 15:15). In AD 36, Pilate finally lost favor with Rome after the Governor of Syria brought yet more charges of cruelty against him. He was exiled to Vienne in Gaul, where he committed suicide in AD 38. "Suppose ye." (13:2) - "Do you think." "Siloam." (13:4) - A section of Jerusalem located in the southern part of the city near the water pool (Nehemiah 3:15; John 9:7; 9:11). A stone tower had recently fallen and taken eighteen lives. Jesus used this "current event" to make a point. "Sought fruit thereon." (13:6) - Means, "Looked for fruit on it." In the Old Testament, fruitful trees symbolized a devout life (Psalm 1:3; Jeremiah 17:7-8). This parable tells us to be faithful before we are cut down. "Dresser." (13:7) - The person who cared for the vineyard, a gardener. "Why cumbered it the ground." (13:7) - "Why should it take up ground." "Dung it." (13:8) - "Fertilize it." "Well." (13:9) - "Fine." "Was bowed together." (13:11) - "Was bent over." "Thou art loosed from thine infirmity." (13:12) - "You are free of your disease." "There are six days in which men ought to work." (13:14) - The priest is paraphrasing Exodus 20:9-10, Leviticus 23:3, and Deuteronomy 5:13-14, but he is unaware that God never forbade showing compassion on the Sabbath. On at least six other occasions, Jesus upset priests by healing on the Sabbath (Mark 1:21-27; 1:29-31; 3:1-6; 14:1-6; John 5:1-18; 9:1-16). "A daughter of Abraham." (13:16) - This means she was Jewish. "Whereunto shall I resemble it?" (13:18) - "What can I compare it with?" "Mustard seed." (13:19) - The smallest seed known to the farmers of Palestine. Despite the seed's small size, the mature mustard plant reaches a height of ten feet. "Waxed a great tree." (13:19) - "Became a great tree." "Leaven." (13:21) - Usually symbolizes evil, but here Jesus uses it as a symbol of growth. "Meal." (13:21) - "Flour." |
Jesus also teaches the important parable of the mustard seed in Matthew 13:31-32 (lesson 26) and Mark 4:30-32 (lesson 70).
New Living Translation
Luke 13:1-21
A Call to Repentance
1 About this time Jesus was informed that Pilate had murdered some people from Galilee as they were offering sacrifices at the Temple.
2 "Do you think those Galileans were worse sinners than all the other people from Galilee?" Jesus asked. "Is that why they suffered?
3 Not at all! And you will perish, too, unless you repent of your sins and turn to God.
4 And what about the eighteen people who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them? Were they the worst sinners in Jerusalem?
5 No, and I tell you again that unless you repent, you will perish, too."
Parable of the Barren Fig Tree
6 Then Jesus told this story: "A man planted a fig tree in his garden and came again and again to see if there was any fruit on it, but he was always disappointed.
7 Finally, he said to his gardener, 'I've waited three years, and there hasn't been a single fig! Cut it down. It's just taking up space in the garden.'
8 "The gardener answered, 'Sir, give it one more chance. Leave it another year, and I'll give it special attention and plenty of fertilizer.
9 If we get figs next year, fine. If not, then you can cut it down.'"
Jesus Heals on the Sabbath
10 One Sabbath day as Jesus was teaching in a synagogue,
11 he saw a woman who had been crippled by an evil spirit. She had been bent double for eighteen years and was unable to stand up straight.
12 When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, "Dear woman, you are healed of your sickness!"
13 Then he touched her, and instantly she could stand straight. How she praised God!
14 But the leader in charge of the synagogue was indignant that Jesus had healed her on the Sabbath day. "There are six days of the week for working," he said to the crowd. "Come on those days to be healed, not on the Sabbath."
15 But the Lord replied, "You hypocrites! Each of you works on the Sabbath day! Don't you untie your ox or your donkey from its stall on the Sabbath and lead it out for water?
16 This dear woman, a daughter of Abraham, has been held in bondage by Satan for eighteen years. Isn't it right that she be released, even on the Sabbath?"
17 This shamed his enemies, but all the people rejoiced at the wonderful things he did.
Parable of the Mustard Seed
18 Then Jesus said, "What is the Kingdom of God like? How can I illustrate it?
19 It is like a tiny mustard seed that a man planted in a garden; it grows and becomes a tree, and the birds make nests in its branches."
Parable of the Yeast
20 He also asked, "What else is the Kingdom of God like?
21 It is like the yeast a woman used in making bread. Even though she put only a little yeast in three measures of flour, it permeated every part of the dough."
This second Bible text from the "New Living Translation" (Tyndale House, Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois) is a paraphrase and not an accurate word for word translation of the Bible. However, it is a helpful tool when read with the "King James Version."
A Call to Repentance
1 About this time Jesus was informed that Pilate had murdered some people from Galilee as they were offering sacrifices at the Temple.
2 "Do you think those Galileans were worse sinners than all the other people from Galilee?" Jesus asked. "Is that why they suffered?
3 Not at all! And you will perish, too, unless you repent of your sins and turn to God.
4 And what about the eighteen people who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them? Were they the worst sinners in Jerusalem?
5 No, and I tell you again that unless you repent, you will perish, too."
Parable of the Barren Fig Tree
6 Then Jesus told this story: "A man planted a fig tree in his garden and came again and again to see if there was any fruit on it, but he was always disappointed.
7 Finally, he said to his gardener, 'I've waited three years, and there hasn't been a single fig! Cut it down. It's just taking up space in the garden.'
8 "The gardener answered, 'Sir, give it one more chance. Leave it another year, and I'll give it special attention and plenty of fertilizer.
9 If we get figs next year, fine. If not, then you can cut it down.'"
Jesus Heals on the Sabbath
10 One Sabbath day as Jesus was teaching in a synagogue,
11 he saw a woman who had been crippled by an evil spirit. She had been bent double for eighteen years and was unable to stand up straight.
12 When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, "Dear woman, you are healed of your sickness!"
13 Then he touched her, and instantly she could stand straight. How she praised God!
14 But the leader in charge of the synagogue was indignant that Jesus had healed her on the Sabbath day. "There are six days of the week for working," he said to the crowd. "Come on those days to be healed, not on the Sabbath."
15 But the Lord replied, "You hypocrites! Each of you works on the Sabbath day! Don't you untie your ox or your donkey from its stall on the Sabbath and lead it out for water?
16 This dear woman, a daughter of Abraham, has been held in bondage by Satan for eighteen years. Isn't it right that she be released, even on the Sabbath?"
17 This shamed his enemies, but all the people rejoiced at the wonderful things he did.
Parable of the Mustard Seed
18 Then Jesus said, "What is the Kingdom of God like? How can I illustrate it?
19 It is like a tiny mustard seed that a man planted in a garden; it grows and becomes a tree, and the birds make nests in its branches."
Parable of the Yeast
20 He also asked, "What else is the Kingdom of God like?
21 It is like the yeast a woman used in making bread. Even though she put only a little yeast in three measures of flour, it permeated every part of the dough."
This second Bible text from the "New Living Translation" (Tyndale House, Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois) is a paraphrase and not an accurate word for word translation of the Bible. However, it is a helpful tool when read with the "King James Version."
Today's question:
1. Why report on Pilate killing Galileans and a falling tower?
Happy moments, praise God. Difficult moments, seek God. Quiet moments, worship God. Painful moments, trust God. Every moment, thank God.
1. Why report on Pilate killing Galileans and a falling tower?
Happy moments, praise God. Difficult moments, seek God. Quiet moments, worship God. Painful moments, trust God. Every moment, thank God.
Answer: (Do you agree?)
1. In Jesus' day, it was believed that people born with a handicap (John 9:2-3), or were murdered (13:1), or victims of accidents (13:4) were being punished by God. Jesus tells us that whether we survive an accident or not is not the way to measure our righteousness. We will all die someday and face judgment, but it is wrong to think that some of us will be punished in this life. We shouldn't make judgments on the lives of others, but rather repent of our own sins and turn to
God so that we can enjoy everlasting life (John 3:16).
Application thought for the day:
By giving the fig tree more time to be productive, the parable of the fruitless tree (13:6-9) shows God's patience towards us. Are you fruitful?
1. In Jesus' day, it was believed that people born with a handicap (John 9:2-3), or were murdered (13:1), or victims of accidents (13:4) were being punished by God. Jesus tells us that whether we survive an accident or not is not the way to measure our righteousness. We will all die someday and face judgment, but it is wrong to think that some of us will be punished in this life. We shouldn't make judgments on the lives of others, but rather repent of our own sins and turn to
God so that we can enjoy everlasting life (John 3:16).
Application thought for the day:
By giving the fig tree more time to be productive, the parable of the fruitless tree (13:6-9) shows God's patience towards us. Are you fruitful?
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Thanks to the writings and commentary of John Wesley and Adam Clarke. Also, "The Layman's Bible Study Notebook" by Irving Jensen published by Harvest House Publishing, Irvine, California; the "Life Change Series" published by NavPress Books, Colorado Springs, Colorado; the "Life Application Study Bible" published by Tyndale House Publishing, Carol Stream, Illinois; "The Quest Study Bible" published by The Zondervan Corporation, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "Robertson's New Testament Word Studies"; "The MacArthur Bible Commentary" by John MacArthur published by Thomas Nelson, Nashville, Tennessee; "Wisdom of the Bible" CD by Topics Entertainment, Inc., Renton, Washington for their inspiring pictures; "My utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers published by Barbour publishing, Inc., Uhrichsville, Ohio; The "Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge" by Reuben Archer Torrey; "Hope For Each Day" by Billy Graham published by J. Countryman, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, Tennessee; "Easton's Bible Dictionary" by Matthew George Easton; "Unger's Bible Dictionary" by Merrill F. Unger, published by Moody Press, Chicago, Illinois; "Halley's Bible Handbook" by Henry H. Halley, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "The Living New Testament" published by Tyndale house; "The New Living Translation" published by Tyndale House; BibleGateway.com for all their wonderful links; and of course the "King James Bible". All were critical in putting these lessons together.
© 2021 evolke
© 2021 evolke