đ Heavenly Father, thank You for speaking truth into our lives whether it is easy to hear or not â todayâs chapters are not! Let us draw near with open minds and open hearts to hear Your Word. Teach us Your love, give us Your strength, and hold us tight as we fight the remaining inner struggles of our own rebellion.  Amen.
Repent or Perish
13 Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. 2 Jesus answered, âDo you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? 3 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. 4 Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on themâdo you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.â
6 Then he told this parable: âA man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. 7 So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, âFor three years now Iâve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and havenât found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?â
8 ââSir,â the man replied, âleave it alone for one more year, and Iâll dig around it and fertilize it. 9 If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.ââ
Points to Ponder: It is easy to use a recent tragedy and its consequences and connect it to The Wrath of God. This is just bad theology and The Church has its history of doing the same. We read the title of this section and think of the âhellfire and brimstoneâ preachers. And we bristle. Our emotional walls go up in defense. But let us approach this section by listening to the Words of Jesus.
First, He responds by taking away any assumption that âthose people deserved it⌠for their sin.â This also takes away the wrath of God being immediately inflicted on bad people. Those kinds of thoughts neglect the entire Gospel message. Those kinds of thoughts neglect the sinful human condition living in a broken world. Those kinds of thoughts neglect Godâs mercy and faithfulness and merge His nature with the Hindu or Buddhist teachings of Karma. Those kinds of thoughts are not in line with scripture. We live in a broken world⌠Bad things happen to ALL people.
Second, you can forget lamenting over bad things happening to âgoodâ people. Jesus puts us in our place by reminding us that none of us are âgoodâ. We are all sinners and without repentance, we cannot be in the presence of a perfect, Holy, and loving God. Without repentance, we cannot receive His grace and forgiveness.
The parable reminds us that God, the Father, created us to bear good fruit for Him and He will not wait forever. We see the other man, a servant, in the parable as Jesus, who intercedes for us and says, to the Father⌠Wait, let me have a chance with them.
Jesus died for us so that we now have the opportunity to confess our sins and repent⌠turn away from those sinful thoughts, actions, etc. We cannot change on our own, we cannot suddenly bear fruit. When we believe that Jesus really did what Scripture tells us He did⌠and when we trust that His plan includes us personally, we start our healing process and our journey of faith.
Donât lose time looking at events or other people. This section clearly advises you to look at yourself. For more thoughts on this section, read Got Questions response to Jesusâ mentioning the tower of Siloam.
Jesus Heals a Crippled Woman on the Sabbath
10 On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, 11 and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. 12 When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, âWoman, you are set free from your infirmity.â 13 Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God.
14 Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue leader said to the people, âThere are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath.â
15 The Lord answered him, âYou hypocrites! Doesnât each of you on the Sabbath untie your ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water? 16 Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?â
17 When he said this, all his opponents were humiliated, but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing.
Points to Ponder: How frustrating it must have been for Jesus to see the religious leaders of the day continue in their hypocrisy â full of self-righteousness. Here a woman is faithfully attending synagogue and she had been bent over for 18 years. Surely the leaders had seen her before, yet they are indignant when Jesus heals her on this day because it was a Sabbath. Instead of being awed, they are appalled that this healing because this âworkâ was done on this day. (FYI⌠there were around 5600 workdays in those 18 years. Where were the Pharisees then?) I love that Jesus calls this woman a daughter of Abraham, right in front of the Pharisees and the synagogue. He restores her dignity, while calling out the leadership to check themselves. (Great transition from the ârepent or perishâ thread into a âcheck yourself before you wreck yourselfâ example.)
The Parables of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast
18 Then Jesus asked, âWhat is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it to? 19 It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds perched in its branches.â
20 Again he asked, âWhat shall I compare the kingdom of God to? 21 It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough.â
Points to Ponder: Godâs Kingdom is like a small seed that grows and becomes something new â something that was locked in its DNA⌠something it always had the potential of becoming⌠something larger that fulfills a purpose greater than what was once thought possible for a little seed. A seed, once eaten by birds, grows to become something in which birds can find rest.
Godâs Kingdom is like yeast â the small organism that has the power within itself to affect, completely, a large batch of dough working its power from within⌠slowly, steadily, silently. You may not see it working, but no one can deny the effect it has on the risen dough. Jesus and His small band of disciples have affected billions worldwide; no one can deny this fact.
It is always interesting to note that Jesus can use âyeastâ as a warning⌠beware of the yeast of the Pharisees⌠their effect can ruin everything. Yet the âyeastâ effect of Godâs Kingdom is comforting to believers that yearn for faster results. Jesus reminds us to be patient and steadfast as The Kingdom rises.
The Narrow Door
22 Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem. 23 Someone asked him, âLord, are only a few people going to be saved?â
He said to them, 24 âMake every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. 25 Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, âSir, open the door for us.â
âBut he will answer, âI donât know you or where you come from.â
26 âThen you will say, âWe ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.â
27 âBut he will reply, âI donât know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!â
28 âThere will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out. 29 People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. 30 Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last.â
Points to Ponder: If our first response to this section is to cry out, âThatâs not fair!!!â Then we stop and read Isaiah 55:8-9 and remember, He is God and we are not. We remember this is in the same ârepent or perishâ section of Lukeâs Gospel, so the message is consistent with Jesusâ teachings⌠whether we like them or not! This section will ask you to examine your heart and take an assessment⌠are you proud or humble? He is telling us that Godâs redemption plan, salvation through faith in the finished work of Jesus, is THE ONLY WAY to be saved for eternity.
This section follows Lukeâs other sections that highlight Jesusâ teachings from Genesis 3:15 identifying us as either the offspring of the woman or offspring of the serpent. Jesus is still teaching primarily to the Jewish nation. The Jews assumed that being Jewish meant they were all offspring of the woman and that their enemy, the Gentiles, were the offspring of the serpent. This is not what Scripture teaches â the seed of the woman is Jesus and the offspring of the woman are those born again to new life in Jesus.
Before you accuse a Christian of being offensive or exclusive, read your Bible. It is right here where Jesus is telling His own Jewish nation not to be so presumptive. Being Jewish doesnât save them, Jesus does, being united with Him saves them. He tells them that people from all over the created world will enter the Kingdom. (Thank You, Jesus!!! I am one of those saved Gentiles!)
Many will assume theyâre saved because of some attribute they inherited by birth, like race, family or cultural heritage. Others will think they did something that earns their salvation⌠eating and drinking or listening to His teachings. While those things may help draw you closer to Jesus, there must be a relationship where we are âin Christâ, first. For us to live in love in His Kingdom, we must first want to be there! We must recognize the sin around us and the sin within us â then face the sorrow in our hearts for being part of the misery in the world. Only then can we confess those sins and turn away from them and start attending to our Savior. When we turn to look⌠He will do the rest. (Exodus 3:4)
Jesusâ Sorrow for Jerusalem
31 At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said to him, âLeave this place and go somewhere else. Herod wants to kill you.â
32 He replied, âGo tell that fox, âI will keep on driving out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.â 33 In any case, I must press on today and tomorrow and the next dayâfor surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem!
34 âJerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. 35 Look, your house is left to you desolate. I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, âBlessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.ââ
Points to Ponder: Only God knows if these Pharisees were sincere in their warning Jesus or if they just wanted Him out of Jerusalem before the Passover. But Jesus knows His time to die is coming, yet He presses on. Like a hen with her chicks or a âhelicopter parentâ, He admits to wanting to just hold and protect the nation of Israel, but they were not willing! He ends His lament over Israel quoting from Psalm 118 one of the Hallel psalms recited by the Jews during the Passover celebration. Christians celebrate this psalm as the foreshadowing of Jesusâ triumphal entry into Jerusalem.
Jesus at a Phariseeâs House
14 One Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee, he was being carefully watched. 2 There in front of him was a man suffering from abnormal swelling of his body. 3 Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in the law, âIs it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?â 4 But they remained silent. So taking hold of the man, he healed him and sent him on his way.
5 Then he asked them, âIf one of you has a child or an ox that falls into a well on the Sabbath day, will you not immediately pull it out?â 6 And they had nothing to say.
7 When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: 8 âWhen someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. 9 If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, âGive this person your seat.â Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. 10 But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, âFriend, move up to a better place.â Then you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests. 11 For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.â
12 Then Jesus said to his host, âWhen you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. 13 But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.â
Points to Ponder: Quite the set-up. (1) itâs a Sabbath, (2) Jesus is being carefully watched, (3) there is a man suffering. Jesus shows more constraint than I could. Itâs a similar situation as the earlier healing at the synagogue for the woman that was bent over for 18 years, but this time, at a Phariseeâs house. It just seems like a demand for a parlor trick. Jesus knows the man is there as part of the set up. He heals him then dismisses him. This time He asks if they had a child or an ox that fell, wouldnât they âworkâ to rescue either of them?
Jesus gives the dinner guests some words of advice â itâs the same message but coming from two different angles. Donât honor yourself⌠donât assume you are owed any honor and donât give the appearance of being generous when you know thereâs a good chance youâll be repaid for your generosity.
The Pharisees believed in the resurrection, Jesus is telling them to step out of their comfort zone and act like they really believe in the resurrection⌠inviting others to Godâs Kingdom where their generosity will be rewarded at the resurrection.
The Parable of the Great Banquet
15 When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, âBlessed is the one who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.â
16 Jesus replied: âA certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. 17 At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, âCome, for everything is now ready.â
18 âBut they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, âI have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.â
19 âAnother said, âI have just bought five yoke of oxen, and Iâm on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.â
20 âStill another said, âI just got married, so I canât come.â
21 âThe servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, âGo out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.â
22 ââSir,â the servant said, âwhat you ordered has been done, but there is still room.â
23 âThen the master told his servant, âGo out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full. 24 I tell you, not one of those who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.ââ
Points to Ponder: This parable, as a response to the Phariseeâs invited guests, reminds them not to presume their resurrection â their heritage was an invitation to the feast in His Kingdom. Jesus, the servant, announces that the Kingdom is now here to the Jewish people, but they begin to make excuses. Godâs banquet table will be full â the Gospel message goes out and invites the least, the lost, and the left-out. Do we honor God and accept His invitation? For, apparently, everything is now ready? Or do we make excuses, that we have other pressing matters to attend to?
The Cost of Being a Disciple
25 Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26 âIf anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sistersâyes, even their own lifeâsuch a person cannot be my disciple. 27 And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
28 âSuppose one of you wants to build a tower. Wonât you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? 29 For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, 30 saying, âThis person began to build and wasnât able to finish.â
31 âOr suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Wonât he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. 33 In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.
34 âSalt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? 35 It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out.
âWhoever has ears to hear, let them hear.â
Points to Ponder: Surely hating your family or yourself is not what Jesus is teaching here. Love and hate in Scripture is more about motivation, priority, and choice. What do you prioritize in your life? After the last parable where invited guests make excuses to decline Godâs Kingdom feast, Jesus tells the people around Him, the people that are being invited to the Kingdom feast, that God must be honored in our lives, first. We are to intentionally choose Him â over our desires for position, possessions, power, pleasing other people, or just pleasing ourselves. We âhateâ our life, by reexamining our priorities to see if there is anything that we place a higher value on than our Creator. If there is such a thing, we donât make excuses for it, we crucify it.
This will not be easy. A sinful, broken world will never encourage this. Jesus warns us to acknowledge that fact before embarking on a path of discipleship. Stumbling and falling on that path is inevitable, and people will ridicule you when it happens. This reads as a command to be all-in â to remain strong and faithful, knowing that God is with us in the journey. Compromising or distorting Jesusâ message of salvation is like salt that loses its flavor⌠itâs no longer salt, just some worthless material to be thrown out.
Summary: These chapters are difficult to read in a culture that condemns the Christian message of âonly Jesusâ. Yet He tells us that what we are praying about, âGodâs will be doneâ, is happening. As Godâs will is being played out in time, are we repenting of the choices weâve made in our own wills, instead of Godâs? We no longer live in a time where the chosen nation of Israel needs to invite us to Godâs feast. We have the invitation for ourselves. Jesus is the Word of God â He is the narrow door. Luke 13:29 People will come from the east and west and north and south and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. Have we accepted the invitation and committed our lives to become guests of the feast that honor God first in our lives?
đ Dear Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your Word. You do not leave us wondering if we are worthy of Your love. Clearly, we are not. And yet, You love us anyway and extend an invitation to us to love you forever. How merciful You are. Let today be the day that more of Your children accept the invitation to Your feast and place their faith and trust in Your saving grace. Amen.