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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." |
