Lucas 13
John MacArthur · Citado em PreceptAustin
Lucas 13
MacArthur - Revelation) Rod Mattoon describes the destruction of Jerusalem (See Wikipedia article) - The siege of Jerusalem was a blood bath of destruction and desolation. The Jews were celebrating Passover. The Romans surrounded the city so that no one could get out at all. This army under the command of General Titus attacked Jerusalem. The defenses of the city and the Temple were phenomenal. The walls were five stories high and very thick. General Titus believed Rome could not conquer Jerusalem unless God delivered the city into his hands. The Jewish historian Josephus revealed that the people defending Jerusalem had access to unlimited water supplies and abundant grain reserves within the city. Yet, these advantages did not spare the Jews or the Temple from God's hand of chastisement and the fulfillment of Jesus' words. The siege of Jerusalem was a catastrophe and beyond imagination. In the five-month siege, 1.2 million Jews died. Six hundred thousand people starved to death in the streets. Bodies were thrown over the walls at a rate of 4000 per day. The sickening stench of death and hoards of annoying flies were unbearable. The Jewish historian Josephus records cannibalism among the starving and panicky. The three million people who were crammed within the walls had quickly depleted food reserves. It is interesting to note that Titus ordered the Temple to NOT be destroyed. The Jewish defenders, however, would not surrender and a battle ensued. The Roman soldiers were so angry they threw torches into the Temple, setting it ablaze. Josephus saw General Titus beating back his soldiers with his sword in front of the Holy Place in an attempt to save the Holy of Holies, but his efforts were in vain. When Titus saw that the flames had reached the inner sanctuary, he fell to his knees and cried out, "As God is my witness, this was not done by my order." These Roman soldiers and General Titus were being used of God to fulfill two key prophecies in Scripture. Six hundred years earlier the prophet Daniel prophesied the Temple's destruction. Daniel 9:26 (see commentary)— And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. We will direct your attention to two key points in this verse. 1. It was the people, the Roman soldiers, that were responsible for the devastation of the Temple, not their leader, "the prince." 2. The phrase "the prince that shall come" refers to the prince of the Empire of Rome. When Titus began the Jewish War in the beginning, he was not considered royalty. In A.D. 69, circumstances changed for Titus. His father, General Vespasian, became the emperor of Rome making General Titus a prince when the Temple was destroyed in 70 A.D. God's Word was fulfilled exactly as prophesied. A second prophesy was fulfilled by the Roman soldiers in the Temple's destruction. This one was given by the Lord Jesus. Luke 19:41-44— ... And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, [42] Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. [43] For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, [44] And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation. The fire caused the overlaid gold in the Temple's construction to melt and seep between the cracks of the stones. Roman soldiers took the Temple apart stone by stone with crowbars and wedges in their search for this gold. Not one stone was left standing and the words of Jesus were fulfilled exactly to the "T". The Jews were broken and crushed. The Romans wasted no time in punishing them. According to Josephus, so many Jews were crucified during the siege of Jerusalem that there was not enough room for crosses, nor wood enough to crucify those people that Titus condemned to death. Even the olive trees on the Mount of Olives were used for crosses. The nation was left in desolation. Jesus continued and said, "Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord." The crucifixion would prepare the Lord for His return to Heaven. He doesn't force Himself on people. He does not stay where He is not wanted. After He arose from the grave, Jesus appeared only to those who believed in Him. The rest of the Jewish people did not see the Lord. Their rejection of Christ led to separation from Christ. That truth applies today. When you reject the Lord, you separate yourself from Him. When you turn your back on Christ, you open yourself up to major trouble and problems like you would not believe. The problems that America is facing right now are in direct correlation to the attitude of our nation toward Him. Jesus said that when the Jews changed their attitude about the Lord, they would see Him again. Christ is coming back to earth someday soon. One day, the Jewish nation will recognize and receive Jesus as their Messiah and Savior. Their hearts will be changed and eyes will be opened. That will be a great day! Until that time, men will continue to hide from the Lord or hide Him out of their lives. An interesting verse is found in Mark 7:24. Jesus is trying to find a secluded place from the crowds, but He cannot be hid. (Treasures from Luke)
Lucas 13
MacArthur has an interesting note on the man Pontius Pilate - As governor, Pilate displayed insensitivity and brutality (cf. Luke 13:1). Reversing the policy of the earlier governors, Pilate marched his troops into Jerusalem carrying standards bearing images that the Jews viewed as idolatrous. Outraged, many protested heatedly against what they saw as a sacrilege. Pilate ignored their protests and ordered them, on pain of death, to stop bothering him. But they called his bluff and dared him to carry out his threat. Unwilling to massacre so many people, Pilate removed the offending standards. The story reveals his poor judgment, stubbornness, arrogance, and vacillating weakness. Pilate also enraged the Jews when he took money from the temple treasury to build an aqueduct to bring water to Jerusalem. In the ensuing riots, his soldiers beat and slaughtered many of the protesters. Ironically, the incident that finally triggered Pilate’s removal from office involved not the Jews, but their hated rivals the Samaritans. A group of them decided to climb Mount Gerizim in search of golden objects Moses had supposedly hidden on its summit. Mistakenly thinking the Samaritans were insurrectionists, Pilate ordered his troops to attack them, and many were killed. The Samaritans complained about Pilate’s brutality to his immediate superior, the governor of Syria. He removed Pilate from office and ordered him to Rome to be judged by Tiberius, but Tiberius died before Pilate reached Rome. At that point, Pilate disappeared from history. Some accounts claim that he was banished, others that he was executed, still others that he committed suicide. (See Luke Commentary) Mattoon on Pilate - The first illustration Jesus uses to warn these people about perishing is about the massacre of Galileans by Pilate. Pilate was notorious for his treachery and vile treatment of people. His treatment of the Jews and Samaritans drove these people to rebellion several times. They hated this man with despicable disdain. Josephus recorded several of the collisions between the Romans and the Jews. At one Jewish Passover he related how three thousand Jews were butchered, and the temple courts were filled with dead corpses. On the occasion of another of these Jewish feasts, two thousand perished by being slaughtered. Luke records the death of Galileans at the hand of Pilate here. Galilee was a hotbed for fanatics that strived to overthrow the Roman occupation of Israel. Galilee was not under Pilate's jurisdiction, but when these Galileans came to Jerusalem, Pilate had them killed. Pilate's treachery eventually caught up with him. Several years after the crucifixion of Christ, a prophet claimed to possess a supernatural gift that enabled him to locate consecrated Jewish vessels, allegedly hidden in secret places by Moses. When this prophet announced that he would unearth these vessels, Samaritans turned out in large numbers to observe the event. Pilate, who thought the entire affair was a disguise for some other political or military activity, dispatched Roman forces to assault and massacre the crowd that had gathered. In the end, it became apparent that nothing political had been intended. The Samaritans felt such great loss for those who died, they3 formally requested that the governor of Syria intervene in this matter. Their complaints of Pilate became so numerous that he was eventually summoned to Rome in 36 A.D. to give account for his actions before the Emperor Tiberius himself. These indictments resulted in his removal from office and exile to Gaul (modern-day France). Eusebius, the well-known early Christian historian, later wrote that Pilate fell into misfortune under the wicked Emperor Caligula and lost many privileges. According to Eusebius, this man Pilate — who was ultimately responsible for the trial, judgment, crucifixion, and burial of Jesus, and who had ruled Judea ruthlessly and mercilessly for ten years, finally committed suicide. (Treasures from Luke) Croft Pentz - PERSECUTION-PATIENCE-PERFECTION Luke 13:1–17 These three words are very important to the Christian. Persecution comes to all those who follow Christ (2 Tim. 3:12). All Christians need more patience. A Christian’s patience should grow as he serves the Lord. God wants to heal His people. He wants to heal broken lives, spirits, bodies, and vows. He wants man to be whole. I. THE PERSECUTION—vv. 1–5 1. Persecution—v. 1. Pilate killed some Jews as they were making sacrifices at the temple in Jerusalem. 2. Purpose—vv. 2–3. Were these people worse than other sinners? Why did they suffer? God treats all the same! 3. Parable—vv. 4–5. When the tower of Siloam fell on eighteen people, did this mean they were worse sinners than others? Of course not. Note in verses 2–3 the importance of repentance! II. THE PATIENCE—vv. 6–9 1. Problem—v. 6. There is no fruit upon the fig tree. The master is angry (note the words of John 15:2). 2. Plan—v. 7. The master wants to cut down the tree and destroy it since it has no fruit. 3. Patience—vv. 8–9. The tree is given another chance—it is allowed to stand another year, before being destroyed. III. THE PERFECTION—vv. 10–13 1. Place—v. 10. Jesus is teaching in the synagogue on the sabbath. Though busy, He always had time for the house of God. 2. Problem—v. 11. A woman who could not stand erect comes to Christ for healing. She had been in this condition for eighteen years! 3. Perfection—v. 12. She is healed by Christ. He wants men to have healthy bodies as well as souls. 4. Praise—v. 13. After being healed, the woman praises and glorifies the Lord. IV. THE PROBLEM—vv. 14–17 1. Reaction—v. 14. The ruler of the synagogue complains because Jesus has healed on the sabbath. These people never praised Christ for His good work. They always opposed Him for doing good. They were not sympathetic toward man’s needs. 2. Reasoning—vv. 15–16. If an ox fell into a ditch on the sabbath, they would remove it, feeling they did no wrong. In this way they broke their own sabbath laws. Why shouldn’t this woman, who had been sick for eighteen years, be healed on the sabbath? 3. Rejoicing—v. 17. Those accusing Christ become ashamed. The people rejoice at the healing. The Jews were so concerned with their own man-made laws that they couldn’t accept the good that Jesus did. These man-made laws had no feelings toward man and his need. These rulers were inconsistent—they did not keep their own laws. Laws are all right, if they agree with the Scriptures and show concern toward mankind. (Expository Outlines from Luke ) Luke 13:2 And Jesus said to them, "Do you suppose that these Galileans were greater sinners than all other Galileans because they suffered this fate? KJV Luke 13:2 And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things? Do you suppose that these Galileans were greater sinners Lk 13:4; Job 22:5-16; Jn 9:2; Acts 28:4 Luke 13:1-9 What We Should Learn From Tragedies - Steven Cole Luke 13:1-5 Supernatural Lessons from a Natural Disaster - John MacArthur Multiple Sermons and Commentaries - Luke 13 Resources Related Passages: John 9:2-3 And His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?” 3 Jesus answered, “It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him. WAS THEIR FATE RELATED TO THEIR DEGREE OF SIN? Do you suppose (dokeo) that these Galileans (Galilaios) were greater sinners (hamartolos) than all other Galileans (Galilaios) because they suffered (pascho) this fate? - What is Jesus alluding to with this question? He knew that they Jews held a common belief (a "bad" theology, pun intended) that disasters such as the Galileans suffered was their punishment for being bad people and thus those who died were greater sinners. John alludes to this Jewish belief even among Jesus' disciples. We recall their question “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?” (John 9:2) Even here Jesus replied that the man's blindness was not related to sin but that God might be glorified. (Jn 9:3). And do not miss the fact that these Galileans did not expect to die that day, which adds a strong note of urgency to Jesus' call to repent in the next verse! Gilbrant - Many people still today believe that sudden catastrophes occur because God is angry with the victims. In certain instances in the Bible that did happen, e.g., the Flood of Noah's time, the destruction of Sodom, the annihilation of the family of Ahab, etc. However, the Bible does not teach that every time there is a murder the victim was extremely evil. The people of Jesus' day made the false assumption that these men murdered by Pilate and the people upon whom the tower fell (Lk 13:4) were sinners above others that God was punishing. (Complete Biblical Library) MacArthur on the fate of the Galileans - The real question is not why bad things happen to good people, but why good things happen to bad people. That they do reflects God’s compassion, grace, and mercy to undeserving sinners. (See Luke Commentary) Spurgeon paraphrases Jesus' question - “Do you imagine that there was some extraordinary guilt which brought this judgment upon them, and that those who were spared may be supposed to have been more innocent than they were?” (Luke 13 - exposition) To suppose means to assume that something is the case on the basis of evidence or probability but without proof or certain knowledge. Their supposition (belief held without proof) was based on their false theology (cf Jn 9:2) ILLUSTRATION - When the blind English poet John Milton was old and obscure, he was visited one day by Charles II, son of the king that the Puritans had beheaded. “Your blindness is a judgment from God for the part you took against my father,” said the king. Milton replied, “If I have lost my sight through God’s judgment, what can you say of your father who lost his head?” (Wiersbe) Mattoon - The Jews felt that tribulation, trauma, and great trouble were part of God's judgment on an individual because of some great sin. That was true in the case of the Genesis Flood and Sodom and Gomorrah, but it was not true at all concerning the trials of Job. (Treasures from Luke) So how would you expect the Jewish crowd would answer Jesus' question? Obviously they would think those killed by Pilate were greater sinners but they would be obviously wrong. They would falsely reason that the victims of Pilate's wrath must have been especially sinful or wicked or otherwise God would not have allowed them to be killed. Jesus Himself answers this question in the next verse, indicating that these Galileans were not greater sinners than other Galileans. The implication is that their sin had nothing to do with their specific fate. It was simply their time to die, for sin results in physical death for everyone. Notice that Jesus did not ask if they were sinners (that is assumed) but whether they were greater sinners than all other Galileans. It was their greater sin to which Jews ascribed their tragic fate, not to the fact that they were just sinners. The implication is that the Jews knew they were sinners, but they were just not as "bad" a group of sinners as those who they thought were punished by God for their greater sin. Jesus will correct their faulty theology. It is not greater sin that calls down God's wrath (cf Ro 1:18+ "already revealed" is literally "already BEING revealed" - even now), but ONE sin that kills a man, "For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all." (James 2:10). Galileans (Wikipedia)(1057)(Galilaios from Galilaia - northern region of Palestine - see map or Galilee in the time of Jesus) refers in general to any inhabitant of Galilee. Specifically, it is used of Jesus and the majority of His followers (Matthew 26:69; Acts 1:11; 2:7); of victims who were murdered by Pilate (Luke 13:1); and of an insurrectionist named Judas (Acts 5:37). Galileans were notable among the Jews as a problem to their Roman masters. Galilaios - 11x in 10v - Galilean(4), Galileans(5), Galilee(2). No uses in the Septuagint Matthew 26:69 Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard, and a servant-girl came to him and said, "You too were with Jesus the Galilean." Mark 14:70 But again he denied it. And after a little while the bystanders were again saying to Peter, "Surely you are one of them, for you are a Galilean too." Luke 13:1 Now on the same occasion there were some present who reported to Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. Luke 13:2 And Jesus said to them, "Do you suppose that these Galileans were greater sinners than all other Galileans because they suffered this fate? Luke 22:59 After about an hour had passed, another man began to insist, saying, "Certainly this man also was with Him, for he is a Galilean too." Luke 23:6 When Pilate heard it, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. John 4:45 So when He came to Galilee, the Galileans received Him, having seen all the things that He did in Jerusalem at the feast; for they themselves also went to the feast. Acts 1:11 They also said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven." Acts 2:7 They were amazed and astonished, saying, "Why, are not all these who are speaking Galileans? Acts 5:37 "After this man, Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the census and drew away some people after him; he too perished, and all those who followed him were scattered. Sinners (268)(hamartolos from hamartáno = deviate, miss the mark which some lexicons say is from a = negative + meiromai = attain -- not to attain, not to arrive at the goal) is an adjective (e.g., "that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful" - see Ro 7:13-note) that is often used as a noun (as in this verse and Ro 5:19 [note]) to describe those who are continually erring from the way, constantly missing God's mark, living in opposition to His good and acceptable and perfect will (Ro 12:2). Thus a sinner is one who lives in opposition to the divine will. In a more selective use, in the view of the Pharisees a sinner was a Jew who was one not careful in the observance of ceremonial duties (Mt 9:10ff, Lk 15:1ff, Mk 2.16). The Jews arrogantly called the Gentiles sinners or despisers of God and considered them heathen or pagan. Jesus' purpose for coming into the world was to save sinners (Mt 9:13 1Ti 1:15) Sinners were frequently placed in the same category as despised tax-collectors - Mt 9:10, 11, Mt 11:19, Mk 2:15, 16, Lk 5:30, Lk 7:34, Lk 15:1, Lk 18:13. In the secular writings of Aristophanes (ca. 450-385 B.C.) the substantive appears as a barbarism and carries a disparaging and sarcastic nuance. In the Septuagint, where hamartōlos appears frequently, it usually translates the Hebrew rāshā‛, “wicked” or “criminal.” It also translates other Hebrew terms, especially those which describe someone who has violated the covenant with God or who has sinned against His law. Suffered (3958)(pascho) means essentially what happens to a person, to what they experience. It means to undergo something, to experience a sensation, to experience an impression from an outside source, normally with the implication of physical or psychological suffering. Here the perfect tense of pascho speaks of this as the Galileans irrevocable (irreversible, unchangeable) fate. Physical death is final and irrevocable to be sure, but it is not the final fate of every Christ-rejecting soul who will suffer eternally in Hell! Some people think Hell will not be so bad since it will be a place of unhindered partying. They will have a rude awakening to the horrible experience that Hell is the absolute antithesis of partying! D A Carson - FEBRUARY 27 Exodus 10; Luke 13; Job 28; 1 Corinthians 14 PILATE WAS A WEAK, wicked man. Thus the account in Luke 13:1–5 is entirely credible. The details may be obscure, but the general picture is clear enough. Some Galileans had offered sacrifices: if they were Jews, they must have done so at the temple in Jerusalem. Perhaps they were involved, or were perceived to be involved, in some wing of the nationalistic Zealot movement, and Pilate saw them as a threat. He had them slaughtered, and their blood mingled with the blood of the sacrificial animals they themselves had brought. If the mingling of blood is literal, this means that Pilate had them slaughtered in the temple courts—sacrilege mingling with slaughter. When this incident is brought up to Jesus for his comment, he launches out in a direction that must have astonished his interlocutors. Perhaps some expected him to denounce Pilate; perhaps others wanted him to comment on the Zealot movement; a few may have hoped he would offer a few waggish denunciations about these rebels getting what they deserved. Jesus opts for none of those paths. “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish” (13:2–3). The point he was making might well been lost in the political sensitivities of this tragedy, so Jesus promptly refers to another disaster, this one stripped of Galileans, Pilate, the temple, sacrifices, and mingled blood. Eighteen people died when a tower collapsed. Jesus insists that they were no more wicked than anyone else in Jerusalem. Rather, the same lesson is to be learned: “unless you repent, you too will all perish” (13:5). Jesus’ surprising analysis makes sense only if three things are true: (a) All of us deserve to perish. If we are spared, that is an act of grace. What should surprise us is that so many of us are spared so long. (b) Death comes to all of us. Our world often argues that the worst disaster is for someone to die young. Not so. The real disaster is that we all stand under this sentence of death, and we all die. The age at which we die is only relatively better or worse. (c) Death has the last word for all of us—unless we repent, which alone leads us beyond death to the life of the consummated kingdom. Have you heard of the millions massacred under Pol Pot? Have you heard of the savage butchery in southern Sudan? Have you seen the massed graves in Bosnia? Or the pictures of the Florida swamp where Valujet Flight 592 crashed? I tell you the truth: unless you repent, you too will all perish. (See For the Love of God)+ Before the Face of God - Surprised by God’s Mercy “Unless you repent, you too will all perish.” [Luke 13:5b] Jesus had been speaking of the coming judgment of God, when the righteous would be blessed and the wicked punished. In this context a man asked him about some Galileans “whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices” (Luke 13:1). These men had been offering sacrifices to God, in obedience, yet they had been brutally slain. Where was God when all of this happened? The Bible provides a number of answers to questions about suffering. For instance, as the book of Job teaches, we do not always know God’s reasons, but we know he has a holy purpose for everything he allows to happen. Also, suffering in this world lasts only an instant compared to eternity. Jesus, however, answers the question about suffering another way: He says we deserve to suffer as fallen sons and daughters of Adam. “Do you think,” asked Jesus, “that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish” (vv. 2–3). The crowd might have thought, “Well, these Galileans must have been worse than the rest of us for this to happen to them.” Jesus rejects that thought. He says that all humanity stands under God’s judgment, and, apart from his mercy, all will be destroyed. Our problem is that we tend to become so accustomed to God’s mercy that we have begun to think we deserve it. Then we are astonished when we suffer. Jesus says we should not be surprised at suffering; rather, we should be amazed that we do not suffer more. What is truly astonishing is that so many live without excruciating suffering. Most of us wonder, “Why do I suffer so much?” Yet, do any of us ever ask, “Why is it that I suffer so little, when I deserve to suffer so much?” I am afraid most of us believe God owes us a life free of suffering and heartache. Yet, if we really understand the depth of our sinfulness, we will not be surprised by suffering, but by mercy. Coram Deo = Christians sometimes feel they must defend God’s goodness in a world of pain and injustice. But the problem of pleasure is perhaps more difficult to understand. Why is God good to fallen sinners? That is the really profound question. Even the least amount of pleasure must be accounted for, and we all tend to enjoy considerable pleasure in this life. Enjoy God’s goodness and benefits to you today, both through grateful prayer and testimony to others. Luke 13:3 "I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. KJV Luke 13:3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. BBE Luke 13:3 I say to you, It is not so: but if your hearts are not changed, you will all come to the same end. GWN Luke 13:3 No! I can guarantee that they weren't. But if you don't turn to God and change the way you think and act, then you, too, will all die. unless you repent Lk 13:5; Lk 24:47; Mt 3:2,10-12; Acts 2:38-40; Acts 3:19; Rev 2:21,22 you will all likewise perish Lk 19:42-44; 21:22-24; 23:28-30; Mt 12:45; 22:7; 23:35-38; 24:21-29 Luke 13:1-9 What We Should Learn From Tragedies - Steven Cole Luke 13:1-5 Supernatural Lessons from a Natural Disaster - John MacArthur Luke 13:1-5 Unless You Repent You Will All Likewise Perish - John Piper Luke 13:1-5 Accidents, Not Punishments - C H Spurgeon Multiple Sermons and Commentaries - Luke 13 Resources Related Passages: Luke 24:46-47+ - and He said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, 47 and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 2 Ti 2:25+ with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth Acts 5:31+ “He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. Acts 11:18+ When they heard this, they quieted down and glorified God, saying, “Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life.” Ro 2:4+ Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? REPENT! TURN OR BURN! I tell you, no - Can you imagine the look of shock and surprise on the faces of the hearers when Jesus said "No!" Their aberrant theology (cf Jn 9:2) called for a "Yes." But not only did Jesus say "No", His "No" was the no of absolute negation and was emphatically the first word in the Greek sentence, signifying absolutely not ("I tell you, no!" = NIV, "By no means!" = NAB)! That is, the Galileans who died at the hands of Pilate were not greater sinners than other Galileans. Their problem was the same as that of all men -- they were sinners in need of salvation. Sinners may escape calamities, but they will not escape the judgment of God in Hell for eternity unless they repent. God uses calamities to remind all people that death is often an imminent surprise for which they need to be prepared! -- John MacArthur MacArthur has an interesting comment noting that while "It is true that God sometimes immediately judges sinners for a specific sin, as He did Herod (Acts 12:21–23). There are also built-in judgments for sinful behavior, such as alcohol abuse leading to cirrhosis of the liver, immorality leading to sexually transmitted diseases, or criminal behavior leading to a violent death. Those judgments are not in view here. Jesus was not referring to the inevitable consequences of sin, but rather to catastrophic calamities that fall on people seemingly without discrimination....The Lord’s point is that those who perish in such calamities are no worse sinners than those who survive. Those who live do so because though they deserve to die, God withholds what they deserve for a time in mercy. He allows sinners to live because He is compassionate, gracious, merciful, and “patient toward [them], not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9+). But God uses calamities to remind all people that death is often an imminent surprise for which they need to be prepared (cf James 4:14, Job 7:7, Ps 90:9). The exhortation of Jim Elliot, missionary and martyr, is fitting: “When it comes time to die, make sure that all you have to do is die.” (See Luke Commentary)
Lucas 13
MacArthur on repent - It is a turning 180 degrees, so it’s turning from sin to something and the something or someone is always Christ. When I go to Russia, always refreshed, but the fact that the believers never say I was born again, I was saved, I was redeemed, I was converted. They always say, “I repented, I repented, I repented.” That’s what they always say. And they understand in that repentance is the full embracing of the only one who can deliver them from sin’s power, sin’s penalty, and sin’s presence, namely Jesus Christ. (Supernatural Lessons from a Natural Disaster) Luke records a similar message from Jesus to His disciples after His death, burial and resurrection Then He opened their minds (His 11 Disciples) to understand the Scriptures, and He said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you (THE HOLY SPIRIT); but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power (dunamis - supernatural power) from on high (Acts 1:8-note).” (Lk 24:45-49-note) Darrell Bock writes "the point is that repentance involves a reorientation of perspective, a fresh point of view. When dealing with God's plan, it means to see that plan in a new way and to orient oneself to it. Luke demonstrates the fruit of repentance expresses itself concretely (Lk 3:10-14). Repentance expresses itself in life, especially in how one treats others." (Gulp!) There can be no genuine conversion without genuine repentance. A heart that has never turned to God and from sin, has never experienced regeneration and is still dead it trespasses and sins (Eph 2:1). Metanoeo in the NT - notice most of the uses are by Luke. Matt. 3:2; Matt. 4:17; Matt. 11:20; Matt. 11:21; Matt. 12:41; Mk. 1:15; Mk. 6:12; Lk. 10:13; Lk. 11:32; Lk. 13:3; Lk. 13:5; Lk. 15:7; Lk. 15:10; Lk. 16:30; Lk. 17:3; Lk. 17:4; Acts 2:38; Acts 3:19; Acts 8:22; Acts 17:30; Acts 26:20; 2 Co. 12:21; Rev. 2:5; Rev. 2:16; Rev. 2:21; Rev. 2:22; Rev. 3:3; Rev. 3:19; Rev. 9:20; Rev. 9:21; Rev. 16:9; Rev. 16:11 God uses at least four factors to prompt repentance = (1) The knowledge of God's Truth should prompt repentance (Mt 11:21-24 - where Chorazin, et al refused to repent at the Truth; cp Lk 16:30-31-note which also illustrates the sufficiency of the Truth to prompt repentance.) Note the deadly deception - one can have Truth (as well as #2 sorrow) without true repentance! Beware! (2) Sorrow for sin can lead to repentance (2Cor 7:9-10), but the sorrow per se should NOT be confused with true repentance. E.g., Judas felt sorrow for betraying Jesus but did not repent. (3) God's kindness prompts (leads to) repentance (Ro 2:4-note). (4) Fear of final judgment can motivate one to true repentance.(Acts 17:30-31-note) Indeed, realization that there is no other way of escape but through Jesus, should cause any "rational" person to repent. It is crucial to understand that (contrary to what some "evangelical" writers say) repentance is not an act separate from faith, but saving faith includes and implies the true change of heart/mind which is called repentance. As noted in the use of the present imperative (as commanded by John the Baptist in Mt 3:2 and the Lord Jesus in Mt 4:17, Mk 1:15), to repent is not just an event at the time of conversion, but represents an ongoing lifestyle -- we sin daily, and sometimes we get caught in a "rut" (habit) of sin, and so we are daily in desperate need of God's gracious gift of repentance. In the parable of the two sons, our Lord Jesus Christ gives a beautiful illustration of what true repentance looks like (Read Mt 21:28-31 = notice the second son changed his mind and his behavior!). "False repentance dreads the consequences of sin; true repentance dreads sin itself." --Albert Barnes It is notable (and probably no coincidence) that the most "concentrated" use of metanoeo (10/34x) is found in the Letters to the Seven Churches of Asia Minor in Revelation 2-3 (which is intriguing since John the human author of The Revelation, is the only Gospel that does not use metanoeo in the his Gospel). This begs the question - Does the modern church need to be reminded of its need to continually repent? I recall years ago hearing that the new believers behind the (then) "Iron Curtain" called themselves "Repenters" rather than believers! (Read the incredible note in MacArthur's book "The Vanishing Conscience" which is actually 3 books "The Gospel According to the Apostles" being the one with the quote on "repenters") How wonderful would it be to be part of a local body of Christ full of habitual repenters! Kenneth
Lucas 13
MacArthur explains that "The people of Jerusalem and Judea looked down on the Galileans as inferior (cf. John 7:52). But Jesus’ follow up question, (Lk 13:4) referred to an incident involving Jerusalemites. (See Luke Commentary) Cornerstone Biblical Commentary – This particular incident, unrecorded by Josephus, presented Jesus with an ideal opportunity to comment on the pressing need for his hearers to clean up their acts in genuine turning to God in the light of disturbing recent events. Talbert has astutely observed, Jesus is dealing with two forms of tragedy here: tragedy due to human causes (the massacre), and tragedy due to a natural cause (the collapse of the tower). “Tragedy, says Jesus, is not the measure of one’s sinfulness and one’s need to repent. Those whose lives are tranquil likewise need to repent” (1989:145). (See Luke, Acts) Siloam - (Wikipedia) Water flowed into the pool of Siloam (John 9:7) from the Gihon spring (illustration) in the Kidron Valley through Hezekiah's tunnel (2 Kings 20:20) There is no archaeological record of a tower but in view of the name (tower of Siloam), it is very likely associated with the pool of Siloam. NET Note - Unlike the previous event, when the tower in Siloam fell on them, it was an accident of fate. It raised the question, however, "Was this a judgment?" As an aside, Jesus had just alluded to debtor's prison in Lk 12:58-59, and here uses the term translated culprits in the NAS but is more literally rendered "debtors." Culprits (Literally "debtors" - "offenders" - ESV, "sinners" - KJV, NLT, "more guilty" - NIV) (3781)(opheiletes from opheilo = owe, conveying the basic meaning of owing a debt) means one who owes another. Opheiletes in other words describes one who has committed a misdeed and owes it to the law to make it right - in such case this person is called a guilty person, an offender or a sinner (Lu 13:4). Opheiletes describes one who owes God or from whom God can demand punishment as something due. All sinners owe a sin debt we can never pay, and only faith in Messiah "pays our debt," for He Alone paid for this debt, a debt He did not owe. Richards writes that words in the opheilo word group (including opheiletes) = "Words in this group originally expressed the idea of a legal or personal obligation. The Greeks had both financial and, later, moral obligations in mind when they used this term. (Borrow Expository Dictionary of Bible Words: Regency) EXCURSUS ON OUR DEBT PAID IN FULL - The payment required for sin is death (cf Ge 2:17+, Ro 5:12+, Ro 6:23+) and when Christ said TETELESTAI in John 19:30+, He was saying that the sin debt was “PAID IN FULL!" If you believe that dear reader, His righteousness has been credited to your account (Ro 4:3+, Ro 4:24+, Gal 3:6-7+). We owed a debt we could never pay. Jesus paid a debt He did not owe! Tony Evans says "All the funds necessary to pay for our total redemption were put up by Jesus Christ on the Cross." Or as Warren
Lucas 13
MacArthur - In the terms of the Lord’s analogy, they need to settle their case before they face the divine judge and it is too late (see exposition of Luke 12:58–59). Most of the Jewish people were caught up in a works-righteousness system that forced people to view themselves as good based on selective and superficial perception. Consequently, they refused to see themselves as sinners and therefore rejected (Matt. 11:20) Jesus’ call for them to repent (Matt. 4:17), just as they had John the Baptist’s before Him (Matt. 3:2). Ultimately, it was because Jesus rejected the Jewish people’s hypocritical self-righteousness, categorized them as spiritually blind and impoverished, and boldly confronted their need for repentance that they plotted to murder Him. (See Luke Commentary) Mattoon - The evidence of saving faith is repentance from sin or a turning from and hatred for sin. A Sunday School teacher once asked a class what was meant by the word "repentance." A little boy put up his hand and said, "It is being sorry for your sins." A little girl also raised her hand and said, "It is being sorry enough to quit." Spurgeon said, "Repentance is an inseparable companion of faith." The tear of repentance glitters in the eye of faith. Faith and repentance are like Siamese twins, they are virtually joined together. They are two spokes of the same wheel or two handles of the same plow. Repentance is a heart broken FOR sin and FROM sin. True repentance has a double aspect. It looks upon things in the past with a weeping eye, and upon the future with a watchful eye. If your sorrow is because of certain consequences that have come on your family because of your sin, this is remorse, not true repentance. If, on the other hand, you are grieved because you also sinned against God and His Word, then you are on the right road. Late repentance is seldom true but true repentance is never late. Repentance is a turning from sin and returning to the Lord. Repentance adds nothing to faith but is rather an integral part of it. Saving faith is repentant faith. Repentance and faith are inseparable. Acts 20:21— Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible refers to salvation as repentance at times. Romans 2:4, 2 Peter 3:9. If a person genuinely loves God, he will have a built-in hatred for sin. It is impossible to love two things contradictory of one another. If you love gardens, you will hate weeds. If you love babies, you will hate abortion. If you love God you will hate sin. Proverbs 28:13 (note) says "He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, But he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion." This verse links the two inseparable parts of true repentance: confession and forsaking sin. True repentance is more than being sorry for your sins. Some are sorry they got caught. This is not repentance. Hell is full of people sorry for their sins. Judas was sorry for betraying Jesus. He thought he could solve his problem by giving the money back to the priests. It did not work. He ended his anguish by committing suicide. We never saw any repentance in Judas or asking for forgiveness. Judas knew only the burden of broken fellowship and it destroyed him. The test of true repentance does involve a godly sorrow that one has disobeyed and offended the Lord. 2 Corinthians 7:8-9+— For though I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it; though I did regret it–for I see that that letter caused you sorrow, though only for a while–I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to the point of repentance; for you were made sorrowful according to the will of God, so that you might not suffer loss in anything through us. The truly repentant person, who wants freedom from the burden of broken fellowship, comes to the Lord with no pride, self-will, rights, and no claim to worthiness. He sees himself as a repulsive sinner who has no claim to salvation apart from the abundant grace of God. Without repentance, we will perish. (Treasures from Luke)
Lucas 13
MacArthur says parabole is "A spiritual or moral truth would often be expressed by laying it alongside, so to speak, a physical example that could be more easily understood. A common, observable object (IN THIS CASE A FIG TREE) or practice was used to illustrate a subjective truth or principle. That which was well known was laid alongside that which was not known or understood in order to explain it. The known elucidated the unknown. The parable was a common form of Jewish teaching… Teaching through parables and other figurative means is effective because it helps make abstract truth more concrete, more interesting, easier to remember, and easier to apply to life. When a truth is externalized in the figures of a parable, the internalizing of moral and spiritual meaning is much easier. In the series of parables in Matthew 13, Jesus uses such familiar figures as soil, seed, birds, thorns, rocks, sun, wheat, tares, mustard seed, leaven, hidden treasure, and a pearl. But in these particular parables themselves the truth is not made clear, because the basic story tells nothing but the literal account, without presenting the moral or spiritual truth. It was only to His disciples that Jesus explained what the soil, the seed, the thorns, and the other figures represent. And an unexplained parable was nothing but an impossible riddle, whose meaning could only be guessed at." (See The MacArthur Commentary).
Lucas 13
MacArthur - Fig trees were common as a source of food. Three years were required from planting until fruit bearing. After that, a tree could be harvested twice a year, usually yielding much fruit. The figs normally grew with the leaves. This tree had leaves but, strangely, no fruit. That this tree was along the side of the road (cf. Mt 21:19), implies it was public property. It was also apparently in good soil because its foliage was ahead of season and ahead of the surrounding fig trees. The abundance of leaves held out promise that the tree might also be ahead of schedule with its fruit. not the season for figs. The next normal fig season was in June, more than a month away. This phrase, unique to Mark, emphasizes the unusual nature of this fig tree. (MacArthur Study Bible) See also MacArthur's sermon - Mark 11:12-21 Nothing but Leaves Mark 11:20 As they were passing by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots up. Mark 11:21 Being reminded, Peter said to Him, "Rabbi, look, the fig tree which You cursed has withered." Mark 13:28 "Now learn (aorist imperative) the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. MacArthur's sermon - Mark 13:28-37 The Final Generation, Part 1 Mark 13:28-37 The Final Generation, Part 2 Luke 13:6 And He began telling this parable: "A man had a fig tree which had been planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and did not find any. Luke 13:7 "And he said to the vineyard-keeper, 'Behold, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree without finding any. Cut it down! Why does it even use up the ground?' Luke 21:29 Then He told them a parable: "Behold the fig tree and all the trees; John 1:48 Nathanael said to Him, "How do You know me?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you." John 1:50 Jesus answered and said to him, "Because I said to you that I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You will see greater things than these." James 3:12 Can a fig tree, my brethren, produce olives, or a vine produce figs? Nor can salt water produce fresh. Revelation 6:13 and the stars of the sky fell to the earth, as a fig tree casts its unripe figs when shaken by a great wind. Suke - 25x in 25v in the Septuagint - Ge. 3:7; Nu 13:23; Num. 20:5; Deut. 8:8; Jdg. 9:10; Jdg. 9:11; 1 Ki. 4:20; 2 Ki. 18:31; Neh. 2:13; Ps. 105:33; Prov. 27:18; Cant. 2:13; Isa. 34:4; Isa. 36:16; Jer. 8:13; Hos. 2:12; Hos. 9:10; Joel 1:7; Joel 1:12; Joel 2:22; Mic. 4:4; Nah. 3:12; Hab. 3:17; Hag. 2:19; Zech. 3:10 Here are some interesting uses of suke in the Septuagint - the first use is particularly interesting as it represents our spiritual parents first set of self made clothes, clearly a picture of man's attempt at a bloodless religious of good works in an attempt to be righteous (and to hide shame). Genesis 3:7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves (Lxx = leaves of the fig tree) together and made themselves loin coverings. Isaiah 34:4 And all the host of heaven will wear away, And the sky will be rolled up like a scroll; All their hosts will also wither away As a leaf withers from the vine, Or as one withers from the fig tree. Jeremiah 8:13 “I will surely snatch them away,” declares the LORD; “There will be no grapes on the vine And no figs on the fig tree, And the leaf will wither; And what I have given them will pass away.”’” Hosea 2:12 “I will destroy her vines and fig trees, Of which she said, ‘These are my wages Which my lovers have given me.’ And I will make them a forest, And the beasts of the field will devour them. Hosea 9:10 I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your forefathers as the earliest fruit on the fig tree in its first season. But they came to Baal-peor and devoted themselves to shame, And they became as detestable as that which they loved. Comment: The firstfruits of the fig tree were considered a great delicacy. God had found this type of delight in His people at the inception of Israel's history. Joel 1:7 It has made my vine a waste And my fig tree splinters. It has stripped them bare and cast them away; Their branches have become white. MacArthur - Instead of symbols of prosperity and peace (1Ki 4:25; Mic 4:4; Zec 3:10), the vine and fig tree had become visual reminders of divine judgment. Habakkuk 3:17+ Though the fig tree should not blossom And there be no fruit on the vines, Though the yield of the olive should fail And the fields produce no food, Though the flock should be cut off from the fold And there be no cattle in the stalls, Zechariah 3:10 ‘In that day,’ declares the LORD of hosts, ‘every one of you will invite his neighbor to sit under his vine and under his fig tree.’” Jehovah is referring here to the time of the Millennium. James Smith - THE BARREN FIG-TREE. Luke 13:6-9. "Praise, O Lord, for grace bestowed, If fair graces in me have showed; Praise for growth as of leaf or flower By Thy Spirit's quickening power; But fruit, 'much fruit,' O Lord, I ask As 'neath Thy sweet shining I bask; Enrich me as I urge my suit, With nothing less than plenteous fruit." The Jews as a nation were more highly favoured than any other. Taken out of barren Egypt and planted by the hand of God in fertile Canaan, with all the care and protection that divine wisdom and power could bestow, much fruit was naturally expected. But the heart of Him who planted was grieved and disappointed. For three years God in Christ sought fruit and found none. Yet the compassionate Saviour interceded, crying, "Father, forgive them" (Luke 23:34). And though spared for a season to get the "digging" of His teaching and proofs of His resurrection, yet remaining in unbelief they were cut off (Rom. 11:20). Cumberers will not always be permitted in His vineyard. This parable contains solemn and searching lessons for every Christian. I. The Tree Mentioned. Observe its— 1. HOPEFUL CHARACTER. "A fig-tree" (v. 6). It is the right kind of a tree for a garden. It was a fruit tree. It belonged without doubt to a valuable class of trees. None could dispute its good connection. This fig-tree represents one who has been born from above, who has received a new nature, and who is a new creature, one who belongs to the family of God. He is perfectly assured of his honourable connection. Once he had another name and a more disreputable character, but now he is classed as a Christian. 2. GREAT PRIVILEGE. "Planted in the vineyard" (v. 6). This fig-tree did not grow by the wayside. It was more highly favoured. It was chosen by the Lord of the vineyard and carefully planted in the most favourable place, under the immediate eye and hand of the skilful dresser, and within the enclosure of the separating walls. In short, it was chosen, planted, supplied, and protected. Such is the privilege of every chosen one. "I have chosen you, and ordained you, that you should bring forth fruit" (John 15:16). Ye are the Lord's planting, and in the place of blessing has He put you "by the rivers of water" (Psa. 1:3). 3. BARREN CONDITION. "Fruitless" (v. 7). Fruit sought and none found. Is it possible? A fruit tree in a vineyard and yet no fruit? Quite possible, and, alas, far too common. Then who is to blame? Neither the dresser nor the ground, but the tree, which refuses or neglects to rise up to its great privilege. It was planted there not for an ornament, not merely to be fed, but to bear fruit, failing this all is failure. It might boast of its life, leaves, and opportunities, but there is nothing to satisfy the Lord. Many are fruitless Christians just for the same reason. Failing to prove their nature by their fruits they fail to rise to their high calling. The Lord seeks fruit, and has a right to expect it from every fruit-tree in His vineyard. Your presence in the vineyard proves His claim. II. The Master's Complaint. "Behold these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig-tree" (v. 7). From His own language we have suggested three thoughts. His— 1. LONG SUFFERING GRACE. "These three years." (v. 7). "He is long suffering to usward, not willing that any should perish" (2 Peter 3:9). The three years suggest something like a threefold failure. Yet hitherto no judgment was passed. It stands by grace alone. How his heart must have been grieved at seeing such great grace bestowed in vain, or worse, only used for self-aggrandisement. How is it with you? What about all your privileges? Has the Master found fruit in your life? He, no doubt, has been seeking fruit. How long is it since you was converted, or planted in the vineyard? Have you only been a receiver, drinking up the sap and the sunshine of His gifts, while he, the Master, receives nothing? Oh, ungrateful heart! 2. WEARIED PATIENCE. "Cut it down" (v. 9). "Hope deferred maketh the heart sick" (Isa. 7:13). The trees in the vineyard are judged by their works, those outside by their nature. By our works are we justified or condemned. Fruit-bearing constitutes the only title we have to our continuance in the vineyard (Isa. 15:2). "My Spirit will not always strive with men." Privileges abused will be privileges lost. He that hid his lord's money lost it, and suffered besides. Shall we sin that grace may abound? God forbid! for the grace of God teacheth us to deny ungodliness and to live soberly and righteously in this present world. Mere lip profession will not save us from becoming a castaway as a servant (1 Cor. 9:27). 3. SOLEMN QUESTION. "Why cumbereth it the ground?" Every fruitless tree is a cumberer. Why should it be a hindrance? Who can reply against this? Who can defend the fruitless? Every unfruitful professor is a burden and a hindrance. Their roots, or motives, get intertwined with those of the fruit-bearing, and drink up that which should have gone to the fruit-making. And how often we spread forth our barren branches over others, hindering the bright sunshine, and so affect their fruit-bearing. The inconsistencies of professing Christians have been the destruction of much fruit; they act as a biting frost upon the tender bud. III. The Dresser's Intercession. He— 1. PLEADS FOR MORE GRACE. "This year also" (v. 8). How interesting that he who had been at all the labour and watchfulness, without receiving any credit or honour through it, should yet advocate its cause and plead in its name. Here Jesus is seen, and His voice is heard. He maketh continual intercession for us. "I pray not that thou shouldst take them out of the world" (John 17:15). That some Christians are still in the place of fruit-bearing, but in a barren condition, living only for self, how much is this owing to the priestly work of Jesus? "This year also." This may be your last. 2. PROMISES MORE WORK. "I shall dig about it, and dung it" (v. 8). This speaks of grace more abundantly. If fruit is found at all it must be the result of grace alone. Other trees are not to be impoverished for the sake of this, hence the extra digging, etc. The unfruitful Christian has often been perplexed and amazed at the unusual digging about the roots of his being, which looked very much like a removal at the time. Such times of affliction and trial are solemn warnings. They seem to whisper, "More fruit," or less privilege. The shaking of the roots indicate the presence of the Gardener. After the digging comes the additional supply. 3. AGREES THAT THE RESULTS SHOULD BE FINAL. "After that" (v. 9). Oh, how very solemn is this "after that!" This is known only to themselves, the owner and the dresser. The last effort grace may expend in order to fruit bearing may be a season of affliction, a searching sermon, or some providential incident. In the case of many this may have already taken place. The present may be the brief season of His waiting. Waiting on God, and God waiting on us, are widely different thoughts. The fruit of a fig-tree is figs, the fruit of a Christian is Christ. (ED: I PREFER THE FRUIT THAT IS THE RESULT OF ABIDING IN CHRIST - John 15:5). Oh, how dreadful the thought — to go to Hell through the church of God! - James Smith "A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it — but did not find any. So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard: For three years now, I've been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree — and haven't found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil!" Luke 13:6-7 Let us look at Christ's figure a little: A fig-tree — or a professor of the religion of Christ. A fruitless fig-tree — or a barren, useless professor. A fig-tree with leaves of profession — but not the fruit of holiness. No place is as dangerous for an unconverted person — as the church of God! It is to be feared that many join the church before they are truly converted; and yet very, very few are ever converted after. Once under a profession — God expects you to live up to that profession. If you are planted in His vineyard — God expects you to bring forth fruit. The owner of the vineyard comes and seeks fruit; He comes again, and again; and if He find none, He passes this solemn sentence, "Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil!" Concerning every fruitless professor God says, "Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil! It drains the ground of its nourishment, for no good purpose. Labor is but lost upon it;expectation is disappointed by it; therefore, Cut it down! My patience and forbearance are worn out; I have come three years seeking fruit — and find none; so, Cut it down!" It is a fearful sentence! God gives the command to some disease — He says, "Go, cut that barren professor down!" He sends death, like the woodsman with his sharpened axe — at length he strikes the fatal blow; and then the fruitless professor falls! This command of God is fearful — it is full of terror — it includes utter destruction! This command is irresistible — we cannot evade it — we cannot brave it out — the boldest heart fails — the strongest body yields to God's "Cut it down!" This command is final! There is all that is dreadful wrapped up in it — even a certain, fearful expectation of God's judgment, and the raging fire that will consume His enemies! The fruitless professor is to be cut down and committed to the eternal flames of Hell! Here is wrath — fearful wrath! Here is justice — inflexible justice! Here is vengeance — the vengeance of an infinite God! O fruitless professor. . . Consider! Fear! Tremble! Repent! God looks for fruit from every professor. He will certainly punish — if there is no fruit. Fruitless professor — where will you be soon? The axe lies at your root, even now! The executioner is only awaiting the command! Divine mercy will soon urge her last plea; the year of reprieve will soon expire — and then,"Cut it down!" is all that remains! Oh, how dreadful the thought — to go to Hell through the church of God! To profess that you are traveling to Heaven — when in reality you are going with the lost multitude to eternal perdition! QUESTION - What is the meaning of the Parable of the Fig Tree? ANSWER - Jesus told the Parable of the Fig Tree—Luke 13:6-9—immediately after reminding His listeners of a tower over the pool of Siloam (John 9:7) which unexpectedly fell and killed eighteen people. The moral of that story is found in Luke 13:3: “Unless you repent, you will likewise perish.” To reiterate this moral, Jesus tells the story of the fig tree, the vineyard owner, and the gardener who took care of the vineyard. The three entities in the story all have clear symbolic significance. The vineyard owner represents God, the one who rightly expects to see fruit on His tree and who justly decides to destroy it when He finds none. The gardener, or vineyard keeper who cares for the trees, watering and fertilizing them to bring them to their peak of fruitfulness, represents Jesus, who feeds His people and gives them living water. The tree itself has two symbolic meanings: the nation of Israel and the individual. As the story unfolds, we see the vineyard owner expressing his disappointment at the fruitless tree. He has looked for fruit for three years from this tree, but has found none. The three-year period is significant because for three years John the Baptist and Jesus had been preaching the message of repentance throughout Israel. But the fruits of repentance were not forthcoming. John the Baptist warned the people about the Messiah coming and told them to bring forth fruits fit for repentance because the ax was already laid at the root of the tree (Luke 3:8-9). But the Jews were offended by the idea they needed to repent, and they rejected their Messiah because He demanded repentance from them. After all, they had the revelation of God, the prophets, the Scriptures, the covenants, and the adoption (Romans 9:4-5). They had it all, but they were already apostate. They had departed from the true faith and the true and living God and created a system of works-righteousness that was an abomination to God. He, as the vineyard owner, was perfectly justified in tearing down the tree that had no fruit. The Lord’s ax was already poised over the root of the tree, and it was ready to fall. However, we see the gardener pleading here for a little more time. There were a few months before the crucifixion, and more miracles to come, especially the incredible miracle of the raising of Lazarus from the dead, which would astound many and perhaps cause the Jews to repent. As it turned out, Israel as a nation still did not believe, but individuals certainly did (John 12:10-11). The compassionate gardener intercedes for more time to water and fertilize the fruitless tree, and the gracious Lord of the vineyard responds in patience. The lesson for the individual is that borrowed time is not permanent. God’s patience has a limit. In the parable, the vineyard owner grants another year of life to the tree. In the same way, God in His mercy grants us another day, another hour, another breath. Christ stands at the door of each man’s heart knocking and seeking to gain entrance and requiring repentance from sin. But if there is no fruit, no repentance, His patience will come to an end, and the fruitless, unrepentant individual will be cut down. We all live on borrowed time; judgment is near. That is why the prophet Isaiah wrote, "Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon" (Isaiah 55:6-7). GotQuestions.org Luke 13:7 "And he said to the vineyard-keeper, 'Behold, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree without finding any. Cut it down! Why does it even use up the ground?' KJV Luke 13:7 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? for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree Lev 19:23; 25:21; Ro 2:4,5 Cut it down Lk 3:9; Ex 32:10; Da 4:14; Mt 3:10; 7:19; Jn 15:2,6 Why does it even use up the ground Ex 32:10; Mt 3:9 Luke 13:1-9 What We Should Learn From Tragedies - Steven Cole Luke 13:6-9 Living on Borrowed Time - John MacArthur Multiple Sermons and Commentaries - Luke 13 Resources Related Passages: Matthew 3:8-12+ Therefore bear fruit in keeping with repentance; 9 and do not suppose that you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father’; for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham. 10 “The axe is already laid at the root of the trees ; therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down (ekkopto) and thrown into the fire.(COMPARE THE "FIG TREE" IN THIS PARABLE IN Luke 13:9!) 11 “As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 “His winnowing fork is in His hand (SPEAKS OF SEPARATING WHEAT FROM CHAFF, THE GENUINE BELIEVERS FROM THE HYPOCRITES), and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” (ETERNAL PUNISHMENT) Lk 3:3, 8+ And he came into all the district around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins; (3:8) “Therefore bear fruits in keeping with repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father,’ for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham. And he said to the vineyard-keeper for three years I have come looking (zeteo) for fruit (karpos) on this fig tree without finding (heurisko) any - Generally three years were required from planting until fruit bearing. Note that in this passage three years was not from the time of planting, but from the time it should have started bearing fruit. In other words, presumably it had been planted and was at the age where fruit could be expected. And for 3 years there was no fruit. Here we see the patience of God in judgment. One wonders if Jesus is not making at least some allusion to the fact that He ministered in Israel (the "fig tree") for 3 years? Once fig trees begin to bear fruit, they could be harvested twice a year, usually yielding much fruit, so this was a very unexpected and disappointing outcome. What would be the fruit one would have expected from Israel? Fruit in keeping with repentance, but since (for the majority of Israel) there was no fruit, clearly their had been no genuine repentance. This makes one think of the crowds coming to be baptized by John's "baptism of repentance." Apparently their "repentance" was as we say a "flash in the pan," for most of Israel was rejecting the Messiah. THOUGHT - Let's apply this to our lives - As the Lord looks at our life right now, does He find any fruit? Are you as convicted as I am? An even more sobering question is "What is the evidence in my life that I am really a follower of Christ?" The best way to identify a tree is by its fruit. As Jesus said (in the context of false prophets but applicable in principle to us personally) "So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit." (Mt 7:18) He then followed up with another principle regarding divine judgment declaring that “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire." (Mt 7:19) Woe! So let me ask you again, what is the evidence that identifies you as genuine believer. If you are a true believer, you have the indwelling Spirit which begs the question "Is the fruit of the Holy Spirit evident in your life -- "love (agape), joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control" (Gal 5:22-23+)? Let's be practical -- if you are a husband who professes to be a believer, is there evidence of agape love for your wife obeying Paul's command "Husbands love your wives" (Eph 5:25+) The verb love is agapao and is a command in the present imperative which calls for us to display unconditional love as our "lifestyle." It is not a call for perfection, but for "direction." It can ONLY be carried out by jettisoning self-reliance and humbly surrendering to dependence on the enabling power of the indwelling Spirit (See Need for Spirit to obey NT commands). The upshot is that if you are completely UNABLE to demonstrate agape (unconditional, sacrificial) love toward your wife, one reason may be that you do not possess the supernatural power source, the indwelling Spirit. And again, don't get hung up on obeying the command to love your wife perfectly, because none of us are able to do that. But there should be at least some evidence of the "FRUIT" of agape love in your relationship. (See more evidence of fruit) As
Lucas 13
MacArthur - The parable illustrates the tragic reality that Israel would continue to fail to bear spiritual fruit even after the arrival of Jesus as Messiah, and would finally be destroyed. Like the tree in the parable, Israel was living on borrowed time and demonstrated little reason to hope for anything different in the future. Five implications, which sum up the Lord’s teaching in this section, may be drawn from this parable. First, the solitary fig tree has an individual application, both national and personal. The national application is to Israel, which like this tree was planted in very fertile, well-tended ground (Isa 5:1–2). The people of Israel had received continual blessings from God, including “the adoption as sons, and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the temple service and the promises…the fathers, and from whom is the Christ according to the flesh” (Rom. 9:4–5). But despite those rich privileges Israel, like the fig tree, failed to produce spiritual life (Isa 5:3–4; cf. Mt. 21:18–20). The nation was already apostate before Jesus began His ministry. His forerunner John the Baptist had denounced the people as hypocrites (tt. 3:7), and warned of coming judgment (Mt 3:10). And nothing changed during our Lord’s time in the land. In fact, in the last year of Jesus’ ministry, the people remained fixed in unbelief and judgment was fast approaching. There was still time to repent and live before the crucifixion; time for them to hear and believe teaching from Jesus and to repent in the face of more displays of His miraculous power—including one of the most remarkable of all, the raising of Lazarus from the dead (Jn 11:1–45). But because of their hardened hearts, there was little hope that they would bear the fruit of repentance (cf. Lk 13:34–35; 19:41–44; 20:9–18; 21:20–24). The axe of divine judgment would fall and Israel would be destroyed in a holocaust by the Romans a mere four decades later. The final four implications are personal. The second one is that those who fail to produce the spiritual fruit that accompanies salvation will be cut down in judgment. Third, judgment is near; next year in the parable. At any moment the unsaved could perish, lose their last chance of salvation, and face eternal punishment. Fourth, the delay in divine judgment is not due to any worthiness on the part of sinners, as the vineyard owner’s disgusted statement, Why does it even use up the ground? illustrates. Finally, God’s patience with those living on borrowed time is not permanent. Therefore the Bible exhorts sinners to “seek the Lord while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near” (Isa. 55:6). Jesus warned that generation, “For a little while longer I am with you, then I go to Him who sent Me” (John 7:33); “I go away, and you will seek Me, and will die in your sin; where I am going, you cannot come” (John 8:21). For those living on borrowed time “now is the acceptable time, behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor. 6:2), before their time is up and their eternal destiny sealed. (See Luke Commentary) If is the conjunction kan (2579) which is a combination of two conjunctions kai ( = and) and ean (= if). Kan is a third class conditional ("IF") statement which expresses possibility but not certainty. Kan is used 15x in the NT Matt. 21:21; Matt. 26:35; Mk. 5:28; Mk. 6:56; Mk. 16:18; Lk. 12:38; Lk. 13:9; Jn. 8:14; Jn. 8:55; Jn. 10:38; Jn. 11:25; Acts 5:15; 2 Co. 11:16; Heb. 12:20; Jas. 5:15 J C
Lucas 13
MacArthur - Jesus repeatedly assaulted their Sabbath sensibilities. He knew that if He was going to bring them to understand their true spiritual condition, He had to unmask the hypocrisy of the Sabbath. (Christ Creates Conflict in the Synagogue) Recall that Jesus had begun His ministry in a synagogue with the prophetic promise “THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR. HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE (aphesis) TO THE CAPTIVES, AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET FREE (aphesis) THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED, TO PROCLAIM THE FAVORABLE YEAR OF THE LORD.” (Lk 4:18-19+) Here in Luke 13-10-21 we see His last appearance in a synagogue, fulfilling those very words as He proclaimed release to the crippled woman and set her free. Luke repeatedly emphasized Jesus’ teaching ministry (Luke 4:16-21, 31-32, 43; 5:17; 6:6, 17-49; 8:1; 9:11). Keep in mind that here we have the greatest Teacher in the Universe and as shown in this story, hard hearts will always resist His message. God speaking God's words and men continuing to resist! Amazing! So don't be too put out when you sharing of the Gospel falls on deaf ears and maybe even generates a negative backlash. If they did it to Jesus, they will do it to you! (cf Mt 10:24, Jn 13:16, 15:20, 21)
Lucas 13
MacArthur - Without confronting or even referring to the demon, with merely a word and a touch, the Lord broke the evil spirit’s hold over her. She was completely and permanently freed from her physical malady, as the perfect tense of the verb indicates. Nothing is said about her having faith—whether she believed Jesus could heal her and sought Him out, or was just coming to the synagogue as she always did. The text does not reveal her spiritual condition before or after her healing, or whether she became a true believer in Jesus Christ that day. What Jesus did was completely sovereign, and totally independent of any faith element from her. (See Luke Commentary) Mattoon - The phrase "made straight" was used to describe the setting up of a building or the restoration of a ruin. This is how it was used in Acts 15:16. Acts 15:16— After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up (restore it). This was a crooked woman that Jesus straightened out! Amen! Like the restoration of ruins, our Lord restored this woman. Christ is in the business of straightening out our own lives today. He can give you the power to conquer sin in your life and heal your hurt, your pain, your discouragement and depression. There are a number of other treasured insights that we find nestled in these two verses that we want to apply to our own lives. First of all, we find the priority of Jesus. Jesus put the needs of a person over the needs of religious man-made traditions of men. He healed this woman on the Sabbath because of the need in her life. Christ was alert to others needs and we need to be alert, too. That will not happen, however, if you are focused on yourself instead of being focused on encouraging or reaching other people for Christ. Secondly, just as the Lord called out to her to come to Him, our Lord continues that same call today for all sinners to come to Him and have their sin cleansed and forgiven, and to be restored in their fellowship with God. If you don't know Christ, He is calling to you. If you have backslidden away from the Lord, He is calling out to you. Thirdly, when the Lord called out to this woman, this would focus the attention of all the people upon her. This would have been humiliating for her because she would have been the center of attention. It would also draw attention to her condition. You will find, however, that many times the Lord will humble people, before He blesses them. Solomon stated in Proverbs that before honor is humility. Humility is not going to hurt you, but your pride will. Humility will not rob you of great blessings, but your pride will rob you. God has honored this woman by recording her story in the Scriptures. We are reading about her life 2000 years later. In the fourth place, the fact that this woman was in the place of worship shows us the importance of being in the place of blessing. Just think what she would have missed because she skipped church that day. She would have not been touched by the Lord. How many blessings have people missed because they were not in the place of blessing? How many solutions to your problems have you missed because you missed an important message in church? (Treasures from Luke)
Lucas 13
MacArthur - Such an attitude is all too typical of false religion. Martin Luther’s pastoral concern for the common people, who were subjected to crushing burdens by the Roman Catholic Church, helped trigger the Reformation. It was the sale of indulgences (essentially “get out of jail free” passes from purgatory) that was the final straw for Luther. In 1517 the Roman Catholic preacher Johan Tetzel arrived in the vicinity of Wittenberg selling indulgences, using as part of his sales pitch the catchy advertising jingle, “As soon as the coin in the coffer rings, the soul from purgatory springs.” Appalled and horrified that his parishioners were flocking to purchase them, Luther posted his famous Ninety-Five Theses condemning indulgences. That event sparked the Reformation. The Pharisees, too, cared little for the common people, whom they contemptuously dismissed as “this crowd which does not know the Law [and] is accursed” (John 7:49). Jesus denounced them as those who “tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger” (Matt. 23:4). The dozens of paralyzing restrictions and regulations associated with it had turned the Sabbath from a day of rest into the most burdensome day of the week. (Ibid) Steven
Lucas 13
MacArthur - The conjunction oun (so, or “therefore”) connects these parables with the incident in the previous section (Lk 13:10–17). The Lord had interrupted his teaching in a synagogue (Lk 13:10) to heal a woman who had been crippled for eighteen years by a demon-caused illness (Lk 13:11). That demonstration of His power over Satan’s kingdom revealed the presence of God’s kingdom (cf. Luke 11:20). The Lord then continued His teaching with these two parables, which illustrate the truth that the divine kingdom both externally and internally would expand exponentially from its small beginnings. (See Luke Commentary) Steven Cole offers a more detailed explanation of the connection noting that "Jesus was facing opposition and rejection from the Jewish religious leaders (Lk 13:14). You have to put yourself back into the times to understand what the disciples must have been feeling. They had left their businesses and way of life to stake everything on the fact that this young carpenter turned preacher was none other than God’s Anointed One, the Messiah. He didn’t look like what everyone expected the Messiah to look like. He wasn’t born to nobility. He didn’t have connections with the religious leaders in Jerusalem. He had not been educated in their schools. He had no pedigree in the worldly sense of the term. But His powerful teaching and the miracles He performed had convinced these men that He was the one. They expected Him to inaugurate His kingdom by overthrowing the Roman rule and establishing the throne of David again in Jerusalem. But things weren’t going according to expectation. The religious leaders were not lining up on His side. In fact, they were growing increasingly hostile. Rather than trying to win them over, Jesus was boldly confronting them by calling them hypocrites, so that they were being humiliated (13:17). The disciples might have looked at themselves, men who lacked the education and sophistication of the religious leaders, and at the way things seemed to be heading, and have grown discouraged. But these two parables show them and us that in spite of small and seemingly insignificant beginnings, the gospel will prevail. Even though there is conflict and the task seems overwhelming, God’s purpose through Christ will triumph. Thus, You want to be on Jesus’ side because ultimately He will triumph over all." (Why You Want to Be on Jesus' Side) What is the kingdom of God like? - Mark 4:30 has a very similar introduction to the parable of the mustard seed (Mk 4:30-32).
Lucas 13
MacArthur adds this note regarding the mustard seed problem - Dr. L. H. Shinners, director of the herbarium at Southern Methodist University in Dallas and lecturer at the Smithsonian Institution, stated in a conversation that "the mustard seed would indeed have been the smallest of those to have been noticed by the people at the time of Christ. The principal field crops (barley, wheat, lentils, and beans) have much larger seeds, as do other plants which might have been present as weeds and so forth. There are various weeds and wild flowers belonging to the mustard, amaranth, pigweed, or chickweed families with seeds that are as small as or smaller than mustard; but they would not have been known or noticed by the inhabitants. They are wild and they certainly would not have been planted as a crop.… The only modern crop plant in existence with smaller seeds than mustard is tobacco, and this plant of American origin was not grown in the old world until the sixteenth century or later." (MNTC-Mt)
Lucas 13
MacArthur explains that "The point of this parable is that viewed from an external, visible perspective, the eventually large size of the kingdom was not perceivable at the start...at this point there were only a small number of people who followed Jesus. The kingdom was obscure; it was not distinguished by any majesty, power, or public display. Those things will mark its consummation, not its beginning. Most of the Jewish people were unaware of it (Luke 17:20–21), since its present form was not Messiah’s earthly reign, but the sphere of salvation where God reigns in the hearts of His people. The Lord’s illustration is also a powerful prophecy. The kingdom will steadily grow until its consummation, which will be amazingly out of proportion to its beginning. That will happen when the Lord Jesus Christ returns in glory (Rev. 19:11–15+) and “the kingdom of the world [becomes] the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever” (Rev 11:15+). (See Luke Commentary) W A Criswell - The parable of the mustard seed illustrates the unexpected and previously undisclosed nature of the coming of God's kingly reign. The kingdom has come (Lk 17:21+), but, like a mustard seed, it begins as something small and humble; it does not come in the expected form of a glorious manifestation that would usher in the age to come. Only gradually does the kingdom develop, and then from so small an inception. (Believer's Study Bible) And THE BIRDS OF THE AIR NESTED (kataskenoo) IN ITS BRANCHES This description would also serve to emphasize the fact that the branches could support the weight of birds and thus indicate the substantial size of the mustard plant. While none of the synoptic accounts give an explanation by Jesus to the disciples of the meaning of the Parable of the Mustard Seed, Mark does make a statement that would suggest that He did explain this parable to the twelve. Mark 4:34+ records that "He did not speak to them without a parable; but He was explaining everything privately to His own disciples." MEANING OF THE BIRDS? The mustard seed parable and specifically the meaning of the birds is open to the danger of allegorical interpretation. Roy Zuck writes that "Allegorizing is searching for a hidden or secret meaning underlying but remote from and unrelated in reality to the more obvious meaning of a text. In other words the literal reading is a sort of code, which needs to be deciphered to determine the more significant and hidden meaning. In this approach the literal is superficial, the allegorical is the true meaning." In summary, using allegorical interpretation, makes it possible to “find” all manner of meanings beyond the plain sense of the text. David Turner adds that "Both church history and Christian experience testify to the prevalence of imaginative interpretations of Jesus’s parables. Multitudes of such “heavenly meanings” have been superimposed upon the “earthly stories” of the parables. The patristic transformation of the parable of the good Samaritan into the story of Adam’s fall and redemption (Kissinger 1979: 2–4, 18, 26–27) may be the most notorious example of this allegorizing approach, which atomizes the parables and tends to ignore their historical and literary contexts." (See Matthew Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament) That said, there are three common interpretations of the birds: The fact that they can nest on the mustard plant emphasizes its substantial size and incredible growth Represent Gentiles/nations who come into and contribute to the growth of the Kingdom of God Represent evil forces that come into the Kingdom of God, infiltrating the Church #2 - Some commentators (e.g., John MacArthur) interpret the birds as representative of "nations" or Gentiles (#2). In the interpretation of the birds as nations or Gentiles, the birds would represent believers who by grace through faith come into the Kingdom of God. There is support for this interpretation in at least two ways: (1) Gentiles coming into the Kingdom of God contribute to the growth of that Kingdom In the book of Acts the spread of the Kingdom of God from "Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8+), a spread which begin primarily with Jewish believers but soon included Gentile believers as the Gospel spread throughout the Roman Empire. (2) There are OT passages that equate birds with Gentles. For example Ezekiel writes “On the high mountain of Israel I will plant it, that it may bring forth boughs and bear fruit and become a stately cedar. And birds of every kind will nest under it; they will nest in the shade of its branches." (Ezekiel 17:23) #3 - Some commentators say the birds are "representatives of Satan" (#3 above) (Ironside) based on Mk 4:15+, but places great weight on interpreting the figure of birds in the same way it was interpreted in the parable of the soils. However there is nothing in the context of the mustard seed parable which dogmatically supports this interpretation. I favor #1 as most obvious (the kingdom's substantial size and incredible growth) but can see how #2 is a reasonable interpretation. While #3 is true of the church over the last 2000 years, that interpretation is less appealing as it would not be very encouraging to Jesus' disciples. And why would Jesus intend this interpretation in the parable of the mustard seed, when He clearly presents the truth in the parable of the tares? In the final analysis, you will have to make your own decision whether you think Jesus used the picture of birds to picture Gentiles. Either interpretation does not detract from the main point of the parable which is that of a small beginning of the Kingdom of God consummating in the large Kingdom of God. Jesus does not tell us when the "time" of growth ends but it is fair to say that the Kingdom growth will not be seen as largest of all until the King of that Kingdom returns at the Second Coming. (See note) Below are some more comments related to the meaning of the birds. Walter Liefeld writes that "Birds are specifically mentioned in each version of the parable (Mt 13:32; Mk 4:32, Lk 13:19) and may therefore be significant in symbolizing Gentile nations. Plummer (p. 345) cites Ezekiel 17:23; 31:6 as OT evidence for this." (EBC) William Lane takes a "middle road" interpretation of the birds (as does James Edwards in Pillar NTC-Mk) - The reference to the birds of the air which find shelter in the branches of the mustard shrub may have a deeper significance, but it seems more probable that they are part of the picture of the surprising character of the end when considered from the beginning.....This parable is concerned with the enigmatic present manifestation of the Kingdom as embodied in Jesus’ person. Its appearance may be characterized by weakness and apparent insignificance—but remember the mustard seed. The day will come when the Kingdom of God will surpass in glory the mightiest kingdoms of the earth, for it is the consequence of God’s sovereign action. The mustard seed is the word of God proclaimed by Christ. This word possesses the power which one day will make all things new. When the glory of that manifestation breaks forth before men they will be as startled as the man who considers the tiny mustard seed and the mighty shrub (ED: cf Rev 1:7+). (NICNT-Mk) Steve
Lucas 13
MacArthur explains it this way "He [rich young ruler] sincerely wanted eternal life, but he wanted his riches and his self-righteousness even more. Whoever wants anything more than Christ will forfeit Christ." (cp Mk 8:35) ESV Study Bible - The largest land animal in Palestine. the eye of a needle. The smallest opening found in the home. Jesus paints a picture of something impossible in order to illustrate that even the seemingly impossible is possible with God. There is no evidence for the popular interpretation that there was a gate in Jerusalem called “the eye of the needle,” which camels had to stoop to their knees to enter. Such an interpretation would miss the point: it is not merely difficult for the wealthy to be saved; without God’s grace it is impossible. For the wealthy to shift their primary allegiance to God is humanly impossible, but with God all things are possible, as evidenced by the conversions of rich men like Joseph of Arimathea (Mt 27:57) and Zacchaeus (Luke 19:9-10). (Borrow the ESV Study Bible) Jon Courson - It's hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom because riches can make one independent of God and intolerant of others. Riches can cause us to say, "Why should I pray or seek God when I can consult my banker or stockbroker?" Riches can cause us to ask, "Why is everyone so poor? Why don't they have the initiative, the industry, or the energy I do? What's wrong with them?" When you become independent of God and intolerant of others, you forfeit the kingdom. Riches can be dangerous indeed if they make us stiff of knee and hard of heart. (See Jon Courson's Application Commentary) Walter Kaiser comments: This teaching was not given to one special individual; it was intended for Jesus’ followers in general. He urged them to have the right priorities, to seek God’s kingdom and righteousness above all else (Mt 6:33). But it is very difficult to do this, he maintained, if one’s attention is preoccupied by material wealth. (See Hard Sayings of the Bible) Jesus equated entrance into the kingdom of God with being saved as indicated by the disciples' question. Humanly speaking, a rich man simply cannot be saved. These are "hard sayings" from the mouth of our Lord, but they are the truth about genuine salvation, truth which the world desperately needs to hear and heed in these last days during which the Gospel is being "diluted" (cp Paul's warning in Gal 1:6 7 8 9 10)! In another place Jesus helps us understand what it means to continually (present tense) strive when He says... For this reason you be (present imperative = command to continually be prepared, in a state of readiness) ready too; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will. (Mt 24:44) In explaining to His disciples and the multitudes what it meant to come after Him, denying self, taking up one's cross and following Him, Jesus declared that whoever wishes to save (sozo) (referring to one's physical life) his life shall lose it (eternally); but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's shall save (sozo) (spiritually) it (eternally). (Mk 8:34+, Be sure to check the context Mk 8:34, 35, 36) John
Lucas 13
MacArthur: Entering the narrow gate is difficult because of its cost in terms of human pride, because of the sinner’s natural love for sin, and because of the world’s and Satan’s opposition to the truth. (Borrow The MacArthur Study Bible) F B
Lucas 13
MacArthur - The requirement that sinners enter through the narrow door further indicates the intensity of the struggle (cf. Matt. 7:13-14). The door is a tight fit, requiring those who enter through it to strip themselves of their personal baggage. It is also made hard to find by the many deceptive voices luring the unwary and undiscerning to the broad gate that leads to hell. Therefore many will seek to enter and will not be able. (See Luke Commentary) John
Lucas 13
MacArthur - Jewish tradition taught that sinners-a term synonymous with Gentiles in their thinking-would spend eternity in the outer darkness of Gehenna. Jesus concurred with them about the destiny of condemned sinners (see Mt 22:13 24:51), but He declared them totally wrong about the identity of those condemned sinners....Being a physical descendant of Abraham was a great privilege and advantage (Ro 3:1 2), but in spite of what most Jews believed, it did not guarantee salvation. It is the children of Abraham’s spiritual faith, not the children of his physical body, whom God adopts as His own children (Ro 8:14 15 16 17; Gal. 3:7 89, 26 27 28 29; cf. Ro 4:11, 16). (See The MacArthur Commentary) Lawrence Richards comments that this verse underscores "why repentance and faith in Jesus are such urgent matters. Individuals who failed to turn to Him will be shut out of the future kingdom, where “there will be weeping . . . and gnashing of teeth.” (Borrow The 365 Day Devotional Commentary) Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God - This description underscores that the primary group Jesus addresses is the Jews, the nation of Israel. The broader application clearly would include Gentile sinners who refuse the Savior's offer of salvation.The Jews saw themselves as descendants of the patriarchs and thus felt that they they had a right to the kingdom of God because of their ancestors. Jesus warned the Jews declaring "do not suppose that you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham for our father'; for I say to you, that God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. (Mt 3:9,10+). In John Jesus gives a solemn, but indisputably clear warning to Jews who had expressed an "intellectual" belief in Him but who were still clinging to the fact that they were Abraham's physical offspring... Jesus therefore was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, "If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; 32 and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." 33 They answered Him, "We are Abraham's offspring, and have never yet been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, 'You shall become free'?"...37 "I know that you are Abraham's (physical) offspring; yet you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you. 38 "I speak the things which I have seen with My Father; therefore you also do the things which you heard from your father." 39 They answered and said to Him, "Abraham is our father." Jesus said to them, "If you are Abraham's (spiritual) children, do the deeds of Abraham. 40 "But as it is, you are seeking to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth, which I heard from God; this Abraham did not do. 41 "You are doing the deeds of your (spiritual) father." They said to Him, "We were not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God." (They were deceived! Self-delusion is a frightening state!) 42 Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love Me; for I proceeded forth and have come from God, for I have not even come on My own initiative, but He sent Me. 43 "Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot hear My word (They heard His audible words, but did not have spiritual circumcised ears and circumcised hearts to hear the spiritual truth of Jesus' audible words!). 44 "You are of your father the devil, (What proves this to be a true statement?) and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature; for he is a liar, and the father of lies. 45 "But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me (And their subsequent seeking to murder Jesus proved they belonged to the devil and were not spiritual children of Abraham and did not have genuine, saving faith - see Jn 8:58, 59). (John 8:31-33, 37-45) And so here in Luke 13:22-30 Jesus upset the expectations of the Jewish audience by announcing that many of the sons of the kingdom would not be allowed to participate in it, and that many Gentiles would be granted entry! Many “sons of the kingdom” (Jews) would find themselves outside the banquet. The upshot of Jesus' statement directed to the Jews is that being Jewish did not guarantee a place in the Kingdom of God! Jews as well as Gentiles must all strive to enter by the narrow door (Jn 10:9)! Henry Cowles agrees commenting that "The obvious sense of these words is that many Jews will be excluded from God's kingdom and many Gentiles admitted. The men who said—"We have Abraham to our father," and yet disowned Jesus of Nazareth, will see Abraham with all the sainted patriarchs and prophets admitted to this kingdom, but themselves excluded. (Henry Cowles - Luke - at top of page enter 168) John MacArthur adds that "The Gospel came through Abraham’s seed, as Matthew...attested through Jesus’ genealogy (Mt 1:1). But the benefit of the Gospel, which brings salvation, is appropriated by faith, not by genealogical descent. The Jews played an integral part in God’s bringing the Messiah and His gospel, and they are yet destined to play an important role in the end times. It was integral to God’s plan of salvation that His own Son be born, live, and die as a Jew. But the fact that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob-or any other Jew-will be in the kingdom of heaven will not be because of their Jewishness but because of their saving faith...Those who reject Christ, even though they are physical descendants of Abraham, will have no place at the table with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. (See The MacArthur New Testament Commentary ) J C Ryle alluded to the belated "wake up call" to the Jews who would be cast out of the presence of the King when he said that "Hell is nothing but truth known too late!" Steven
Lucas 13
MacArthur - Jesus’ concluding statement, And behold, some are last who will be first and some are first who will be last, further intensifies the shock these lost Jews will feel. Not only will Gentiles be in the kingdom, but they will also be equal with the Jews who are there. In the realm of salvation “there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for [the redeemed] are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:28; cf. Eph. 2:11-16). (See Luke Commentary) I H Marshall - It may mean here that those who regard themselves as oppressed and hopeless will gain entry to the kingdom, while those who think that they alone are worthy will be excluded (cf. 1:51–53). It is possible that the saying contrasts the Jews, who were first to hear the gospel, with the gentiles (J. Weiss, 476; Grundmann, 286f.). Yet another possibility is that the saying places both groups on an equal footing (cf. W. Michaelis, TDNT VI, 868 n. 14). It is probable that the saying is applied here especially to the relation between Jews and gentiles. (See The Gospel of Luke) W A Criswell - "There are last" refers to the Gentiles and "there are first" refers to the Jews, some of whom would have a lower rank than the Gentiles whom they despise. (The Believer's Study Bible) The preceding interpretation of first...last (first = Jews, last = Gentiles) is favored by most evangelical commentaries, but there is another possibility that the terms "last...first...first...last" could relate to degrees of glory in eternity future. In other words, some who were first on earth (in terms of privilege, prestige, honor) might be last in glory. I personally think that the context favors the interpretation of those who were first to receive the Gospel as the Jews and the last being the Gentiles but in fairness one cannot be dogmatic. Some writers also think the "first who will be last" refers to those (probably Jews) who are cast out of the Kingdom of God. Robert Stein on last...first - Compare Matt 19:30; 20:16; Mark 10:31. The parallels in Matthew and Mark indicate that Jesus used this proverb primarily to signify the admission of Israel’s outcasts (tax collectors, sinners, the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind) and the exclusion of the religious elite (Pharisees, scribes, lawyers, priests). Luke and his readers, however, also would have understood this in terms of Acts 13:46; 18:6; and Acts 28:28, i.e., the unbelief of much of Israel and the inclusion of the Gentiles. The lack of the article before “last” and “first” indicates that neither all the last nor all the first would experience this reversal. Some Jews (the disciples and the church of Acts 1–9) did believe. The saying contrasts not all the last and all the first but “last ones” kinds of people and “first ones” kinds of people. Both the NIV and the RSV seek to convey this in their translations. Compare Luke 1:51–53; 2:34; 6:20–26; 14:11, 15–24. (See Luke: An Exegetical and Theological Exposition) Steven
Lucas 13
MacArthur - cf. Mt. 19:1; Mk 10:1; Jn 10:40–42) or in Galilee (most favor the latter) both of which were ruled by Herod (Herod Antipas). The question arises is whether this was a genuine threat? While we cannot be dogmatic, the fact that Herod was wicked (poneros = determined, aggressive, fervent evil that actively opposes good) (Lk 3:19+) and had already murdered one prophet (Lk 9:9+), indicates that he was certainly "capable" of following through and murdering a second Prophet. Wants (thelo in present tense) means he simply had a desire, but that this was a determined and constant exercise of his will. This Herod should be distinguished from "Herod the Great" (Mt 2:1, 3, 7, 12, 13, 15, 16, 19) who ruled Palestine from 37 B.C. until he died in 4 B.C. Herod the Great was known for his extensive building projects (including the Temple in Jerusalem) and for his cruelty. Regarding the latter trait, we could say "like father, like son," for Herod Antipas was Herod the Great's son. The Herod here in Lk 13:31 is Herod the tetrarch of Galilee also known as Herod Antipas and a son of Herod the Great. (Mt 14:1,3, 6, Lk 3:19, 9:7, Acts 13:1). Herod is called King Herod in Mk 6:14 (Mt 14:9) but technically he was not a king but a tetrarch, a ruler with rank and authority lower than a king. A tetrarch ruled over Galilee and Perea (the region through which Jesus was journeying through in this section of Luke) but his rule was only with the approval of the Roman authorities. This was roughly equivalent to being governor of a region. Herod the tetrarch imprisoned John the Baptist (Mk 6:14-29, cf Lk 3:20) and later had him executed (Lk 9:9, Mk 6:27-28). Herod the Tetrarch also had a hand in the unjust trial of Jesus (Lk 23:7-12+) Herod the Tetrarch ruled from 4 B.C.–A.D. 39, sharing the rule of his father’s realm with his two brothers (purple regions in map). Wiersbe reasons that "The Pharisees wanted to get Jesus back into Judea where the religious leaders could watch Him and ultimately trap Him, so they tried to frighten Him away." (Be courageous Luke 14-24) Alfred Plummer notes that “The incident is remarkably parallel to the attempt of Amaziah, priest of the golden calf at Bethel, who first denounced the Prophet Amos to Jeroboam II, and then tried to frighten Amos out of Israel into Judah, equally in vain (Amos 8:10–17)." Before the Face of God - Herod and the True King He replied, “Go tell that fox, ‘I will drive out demons and heal people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach My goal.’” [Luke 13:32] As Jesus approached Jerusalem, some of the Pharisees warned him to leave because Herod would try to kill him. Jesus replied by calling Herod a fox. This declaration implied that Herod was a sly and untrustworthy thief, lacking dignity and honor. Not only did Jesus denounce Herod to the crowd, but when he was summoned before Herod, he refused to answer his questions. In doing these things Jesus was making it clear that he was the true king and that he would pass judgment on Herod. Jesus stated that no one was going to stop him from doing his work. He said that he was going to keep right on driving out demons and healing people until he had achieved his objective. When we read Jesus saying, “On the third day I will reach my goal” (v. 32), we think of the resurrection, but the resurrection was actually more than three days away. In the ancient world, to say something had reached the third day was a way of saying that it had reached completion. Jesus was saying that he was going to finish his work, whether Herod liked it or not. Perhaps these Pharisees were being friendly to Jesus, but it is more likely that they were trying to silence him by bringing up the threat of Herod. In any event, Jesus went on to issue one more condemnation of Israel, telling the Pharisees, “In any case, I must keep going today and tomorrow and the next day—for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem!” (v. 33). This ironic statement calls attention to the fact that the people had repeatedly rejected God’s messengers. In one sense the Old Testament reads as a litany of judgments by the unrighteous against the righteous. Jesus would be the culmination of that history of injustice. Jesus continued, “O Jerusalem, 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, but you were not willing!” (v. 34). The chicks preferred Herod the fox to Jesus the hen, and so they were destroyed. Coram Deo There is no word Jesus ought to have said but didn’t; likewise he spoke no word he was later to regret. Whether calling Herod a fox or condemning Israel or prophesying doom, each word was perfectly suitable. Can the same be said of you? Honor Christ today with your speech. (HEROD AND THE TRUE KING – Sermons and Biblical Studies) Luke 13:32 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 reach My goal.' KJV Luke 13:32 And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected. Go and tell that fox Lk 3:19,20; 9:7-9; 23:8-11; Ezek 13:4; Micah 3:1-3; Zeph 3:3; Mk 6:26-28 I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow Lk 9:7; Mk 6:14; Jn 10:32; 11:8-10 the third day I reach My goal Jn 17:4,5; 19:30; *Gr:; Heb 2:10; 5:9 Luke 13 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Luke 13:31-35 Christ Would, But They Would Not - Steven Cole Luke 13:31-33 Who Really Killed Jesus? - John MacArthur JESUS ADDRESS TO THE FOX And He said to them - Notice what He does NOT say to them "Thank you for alerting me to the danger!" While the Jewish Pharisees were clearly opposed to the Roman's titular ruler Herod, when it came to the "Usurper" Jesus (to their spiritually blind eyes), these two enemies became "friends." The enemy of my enemy is my friend is an ancient proverb which suggests that two opposing parties can or should work together against a common enemy, and they saw Jesus as their "enemy." We see collusion between these two enemies in Mark... Mark 3:6+ The Pharisees went out and immediately began conspiring with the Herodians against Him (Jesus), as to how they might destroy (apollumi) Him. Mark 12:13+ Then they *sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Him in order to trap Him (Jesus) in a statement. Go and tell (aorist imperative) that fox - What does Jesus mean by calling Herod a fox? It is not a complement but a phrase expressing "utter contempt" (Leon Morris Borrow Luke Commentary) MacArthur - For Jesus to make such a derogatory statement (CALLING HEROD A "FOX") was highly unusual; Herod is the only individual in the New Testament for whom the Lord expressed such contempt. Some may wonder whether Jesus’ comment was a violation of the Mosaic law, which forbids speaking evil of a ruler (Ex. 22:28; Eccl. 10:20; cf. Acts 23:5). While that was normally the case, there were exceptions. God often directly rebuked Israel’s rulers through the prophets. Speaking through Isaiah God said to Israel, “Your rulers are rebels and companions of thieves; everyone loves a bribe and chases after rewards. They do not defend the orphan, nor does the widow’s plea come before them” (Isa. 1:23). In Ezekiel 22:27 God lamented that Israel’s “princes within her are like wolves tearing the prey, by shedding blood and destroying lives in order to get dishonest gain.” Hosea 7:3–7 records God’s strong rebuke of Israel’s wicked leaders. (See Luke Commentary) One writer says "Upon hearing of Herod's threat, Jesus pegs the Tetrarch as a varmint in the Lord's field, a murderer of God's agents, a would-be disrupter of the divine economy." (Quoted in The New International Commentary on the New Testament – The Gospel of Luke)
Lucas 13
MacArthur - Rabbinical writings often used "the fox" to signify someone who was both crafty and worthless. The Pharisees, who trembled at Herod's power, must have been astonished at Christ's boldness. (Borrow The MacArthur Study Bible) Behold (idou) I cast out (ekbállō) demons (daimonion) and perform (apoteleo) cures (iasis) today and tomorrow and the third day I reach My goal (teleioo) - Most writers interpret this "triple time reference" as a Hebrew "idiom for a short indefinite time followed by an imminent and certain event” (Ellis). It speaks of journeying on, continuing the miraculous (signs) ministry without interruption or detours! Jesus is simply saying He would continue doing what He set out to do until He was finished, regardless of travel recommendations from the Pharisees or death threats from Herod. He would continue unperturbed and unhindered. His miracles would continue to attest to His power and authority over both the supernatural (casting out demons) and the natural world (healing) and were evidence that the Kingdom of God had come upon them (Lk 11:20-note, Mt 12:28). They were signs, that pointed in the "right direction" so to speak, but sadly as described below, for the most part the miraculous signs to the "Way, the Truth and the Life" (Jn 14:6) were not heeded. What is Jesus goal? Ultimately His goal was to die for the sins of the world, and the resurrection on the third day after His crucifixion would attest to the fact that He had conquered sin and death. Spurgeon on cast out demons, etc - That is, “I shall stay my full time here, while I have work to do, I shall do it, and I am not going away until it is finished. I am not afraid of Herod threatening to kill me, for I am immortal till my work is done.” He is not even flurried, or put about by such a message as that. Besides when men mean to bite, they do not usually bark; and if Herod had meant to kill Christ just then, he would not have told him what he was going to do. NET Note on time phrases today and tomorrow and the third day - The third day is a figurative reference to being further on in time, not a reference to (a literal) three days from now. Jesus is not even in Jerusalem yet, and we know that the events of the last days in Jerusalem take a week. BDAG writes that the expression today and tomorrow and the third day "refers to a short period of time, the exact duration of which the speaker either cannot or does not wish to disclose." THOUGHT TO PONDER: In using the phrase third day could Jesus have been making an allusion to the consummate fulfillment of His goal of redemption made available for sinners, a goal which was validated by His resurrection on the third day? It is just a thought, although in context is probably not the intended meaning here. Nevertheless, it is notable that third day is an integral part of the Gospel message as Paul wrote to the Corinthians... For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures (1 Cor 15:3-4+) Related references to the third day... From that time Jesus Christ began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day. (Mt 16:21) And while they were gathering together in Galilee, Jesus said to them, "The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men; and they will kill Him, and He will be raised on the third day." And they were deeply grieved. (Mt 17:22-23) (Jesus) "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn Him to death, and will deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and scourge and crucify Him, and on the third day He will be raised up." (Mt 20:18-19) (Jesus) saying, "The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day." (Lk 9:22) (Jesus) For He will be delivered to the Gentiles, and will be mocked and mistreated and spit upon, and after they have scourged Him, they will kill Him; and the third day He will rise again." (Lk 18:32-33) (Angels at the tomb) saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again." (Lk 24:7) But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, it is the third day since these things (Jesus' crucifixion) happened. (Luke 24:21) (Jesus) and He said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and rise again from the dead the third day and that repentance for forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. (Lk 24:46-47) (Peter) "God raised Him up on the third day, and granted that He should become visible, (Acts 10:40) William
Lucas 13
MacArthur - Repetition is a familiar way in Scripture of expressing emphasis and pathos. (cf Lk 10:41, Lk 22:31, Acts 9:4) The city that kills the prophets and stones those sent to her - Kills and stones are both present tense verbs indicating that they continued to carry out these actions even in Luke's day (see stoning of Stephen below). The blood of the prophets cries from the dust of the streets of Jerusalem and even more tragically from the courts of God's Holy Temple! Earlier Jesus had said For this reason also the wisdom of God said, ‘I will send to them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and some they will persecute, (Lk 11:49+) Joel Green on stoning the prophets - Stoning is the most common form of execution found in the OT, used in such cases as those involving blasphemy (Lev 24:14, 16, 23) and apostasy (Lev 20:2; Deut 13:11). This OT background is important because the indictment against Jerusalem for stoning "those who are sent to it" thus identifies Jerusalem as attributing blasphemy or apostasy to the very ones whom God has sent. (Ibid) Below are some of the events to which Jesus likely was making reference: 2 Chr 24:20-22 Then the Spirit of God came on (Lxx = enduo = figuratively to be "clothed" with the Spirit, as in Lk 24:49-note = "you are clothed [enduo] with power from on high") Zechariah (not the prophet Zechariah) the son of Jehoiada the priest; and he stood above the people and said to them, “Thus God has said, ‘Why do you transgress the commandments of the LORD and do not prosper? Because you have forsaken the LORD, He has also forsaken you.’” 21 So they conspired against him and at the command of the king they stoned him to death in the court of the house (TEMPLE!) of the LORD. 22 Thus Joash the king did not remember the kindness which his father Jehoiada had shown him, but he murdered his son. And as he died he said, “May the LORD see and avenge!” Comment: In Luke 13:35 Jesus gives at least one answer to Zechariah's ancient prayer in the form of a prophecy regarding the city that kills the prophets and stones those sent to her! 2 Chronicles 36:15-16 The LORD, the God of their fathers, sent word to them again and again by His messengers, because He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place; 16 but they continually mocked the messengers of God, despised His words and scoffed at His prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against His people, until there was no remedy. Jeremiah 2:30 “In vain I have struck your (JERUSALEM'S - see Jer 2:2) sons; They accepted no chastening. Your sword has devoured your prophets Like a destroying lion. Jeremiah 26:20-23 Indeed, there was also a man who prophesied in the name of the LORD, Uriah the son of Shemaiah from Kiriath-jearim; and he prophesied against this city (JERUSALEM) and against this land words similar to all those of Jeremiah. 21 When King Jehoiakim and all his mighty men and all the officials heard his words, then the king sought to put him to death; but Uriah heard it, and he was afraid and fled and went to Egypt. 22 Then King Jehoiakim sent men to Egypt: Elnathan the son of Achbor and certain men with him went into Egypt. 23 And they brought Uriah from Egypt and led him to King Jehoiakim, who slew him with a sword and cast his dead body into the burial place of the common people Nehemiah 9:26 “But they became disobedient and rebelled against You, And cast Your law behind their backs And killed Your prophets who had admonished them So that they might return to You, And they committed great blasphemies. And we dare not forgot the "prophetic" (speaking forth of truth, not necessarily predictive) discourse of the first martyr Stephen, for he too was stoned to death in Yerushalayim (play song). Listen to Stephen's words and watch the reaction... "You men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did. 52 "Which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those (PROPHETS) who had previously announced the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become; 53 you who received the law as ordained by angels, and yet did not keep it." 54 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the quick, and they began gnashing their teeth at him. 55 But being full of the Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God; 56 and he said, "Behold, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." 57 But they cried out with a loud voice, and covered their ears, and they rushed upon him with one impulse. 58 And when they had driven him out of the city, they began stoning him, and the witnesses laid aside their robes at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 And they went on stoning Stephen as he called upon the Lord and said, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!" 60 And falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them!" And having said this, he fell asleep (Acts 7:51-60+) How often I wanted (thelo) to gather your children together (episunago) - How often? This is rhetorical because He has always wanted to gather Israel together under His protective "wings" but they "would not!" Bock notes that "the image of God as a bird is common in the OT and in Judaism (Dt. 32:11; Ru 2:12; Ps. 17:8; 36:7; Ps 57:1; Ps 61:4; Ps 63:7; 91:4; Isa. 31:5). Gentile converts to Judaism were said to come under the wings of the Shekinah. In this image, Jesus reveals God’s heart. God’s constant desire is to intimately care for, nurture, and protect his people....Only one thing stopped God from exercising such care: the people did not wish him to do so. As a result, the gathering, with its accompanying offer of protection, could not take place." (See Luke Baker Exegetical Commentary)
Lucas 13
MacArthur - Rejecting God’s compassion results in His condemnation. The particle idou (behold) indicates that what follows is surprising and shocking. (See Luke Commentary) Bock - The upcoming rejection requires that the prophet Jesus declare that Israel is in peril. (Ibid) Your house is left to you desolate - Note "your house" not "God's house!" Note also that the word desolate is added by the NAS and the KJV but the ESV and NET have a more accurate rendering "Your house is forsaken." The Greek word order places emphasis on forsaken for this verb is before "house." So more literally it (awkwardly) reads "Behold, forsaken your the house." In Matthew's version (Mt 23:38) the word "desolate" is included in the Greek "Behold, your house is being left to you desolate (eremos)!" House (household, home) (3624)(oikos) refers to a place of habitation here "your house" (cf Mt 23:38) seems to refer to the Temple (which was the "house of God" - Mt. 12:4; Mk. 2:26; Lk. 6:4; 11:51; Heb. 10:21) in Jerusalem which was destroyed by the Romans in 70 A.D. (See description including information from Josephus). Other writers feel that "house" is not necessarily the Temple but could be a reference to the nation as a whole, or to the city of Jerusalem. In any cast the Temple, the city and nation were all forsaken, so it could be a reference to all three, for all suffer the same fate. MacArthur - The nation had set its course; the day of opportunity was over; God had judicially abandoned them (cf. Rom. 1:24, 26, 28). Jesus “came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him” (John 1:11), because they “loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil” (3:19). They would soon disown “the Holy and Righteous One” and ask “for a murderer to be granted to [them]” (Acts 3:14). It was no longer God’s house; the glory had departed and Ichabod was written on it (cf. 1 Sam. 4:21). Is left (is forsaken) (863) (aphiemi from apo = prefix implies separation + hiemi = put in motion, send; See aphesis) conveys the basic idea of an action which causes separation and thus to send from one's self, to forsake, to hurl away, to put away resulting in total detachment or total separation from a previous location or condition. In context Jesus is saying to the Jews that their precious Temple will be "sent away from" them, so to speak. This verb aphiemi recalls the prophet Jeremiah's fateful words which would be fulfilled by King Nebuchadnezzar in 586 BC... (Jer 12:7) “I have forsaken (Lxx = aphiemi) My house, I have abandoned My inheritance; I have given the beloved of My soul Into the hand of her enemies. Compare Jeremiah's later prophecy: “But if you will not obey these words, I swear by Myself,” declares the LORD, “that this house will become a desolation.”’ (Jer 22:5) Of course Jeremiah's prophecies were fulfilled with the destruction of Jerusalem and the First Temple (Solomon's) in 586 BC. That destruction was brought on the Jews because they had rejected Jehovah and gone whoring for other lovers, idols who are really no gods at all. And here on the precipice of rejecting the Messiah, Jesus the greater Prophet, proclaims these tragic words to His people. And so Jesus' first prophecy is that the "house" or Temple of the Jews would be destroyed, a prediction which was fulfilled in 70 AD when the Romans sacked Jerusalem and burned the Temple. I say to you, you will not see Me until - Notice the expression of time "until" indicating that once a period of time (the rest of this present age however long it lasts) has been fulfilled, Israel will again see the Messiah when He returns at the Second Coming to inaugurate a new age, the Messianic Age. At that time He will indeed be the returning King of kings and Lord of lords (Lk 19:16+). This UNTIL reminds me of another set of UNTIL's Jesus used as He spoke to His disciples at the Last Supper... And He said to them, "I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; 16 for I say to you, I shall never again eat it UNTIL it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God." 17 And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He said, "Take this and share it among yourselves; 18 for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine from now on UNTIL the Kingdom of God comes." (Lk 22:15-18+) Comment: The English definition of UNTIL is "happening up to a particular point in time, and then stopping." In the present context Jesus use of UNTIL refers to what will NOT be happening (He will not eat or drink at the Passover feast) and which instead of "stopping" will "start" (At that time He will celebrate the Passover meal again). In sum, these two "prophetic" "UNTIL'S" mark the beginning of the Kingdom of God as the time when Jesus Christ will next partake of the Passover Meal. When does "the KINGDOM OF GOD" come? This is clearly referring to the Millennium, when the KING returns set up His KINGDOM on the earth. One wonders how amillennialists interpret Jesus wonderful prophetic promise of celebrating Passover in the coming Kingdom? While one cannot be dogmatic, it is possible that Jesus is referring to the marriage supper of the Lamb (Rev 19:9-see note; See also topic - Marriage of the Lamb) In light of the truth that Christ Himself will celebrate the Passover Meal with us when He returns, can you see the added significance of Paul's words in 1 Cor 11:26 "For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death UNTIL HE COMES!" Did you notice the two comings? Lord's death = first coming, until He comes = second coming. Tony
Lucas 13
MacArthur - Those who spiritualize the prophecies of Israel’s future blessing admit that applying the literal, historical, grammatical and contextual method of hermeneutics—which they themselves apply to the non-prophetic portions of Scripture—to prophecy leads inevitably to the conclusion that there will be a future for Israel. Floyd Hamilton, an advocate of interpreting the prophecies regarding Israel non-literally acknowledges, “Now we must frankly admit that a literal interpretation of the Old Testament prophecies gives us just such a picture of an earthly reign of the Messiah as the premillennialist pictures” (The Basis of Millennial Faith [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1942], 38). Loraine Boettner, who also advocated the non-literal view, agrees with Hamilton’s assessment: “It is generally agreed that if the prophecies are taken literally, they do foretell a restoration of the nation of Israel in the land of Palestine with the Jews having a prominent place in that kingdom and ruling over the other nations” (“A Postmillennial Response [to Dispensational Premillennialism],” in Robert G. Clouse, ed., The Meaning of the Millennium: Four Views [Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity, 1977], 95). To adopt a hermeneutical method for interpreting prophecy different from that used to interpret the rest of Scripture is entirely arbitrary. Those who advocate such a method do so because the literal interpretation of the prophecies regarding Israel’s future is inconsistent with their theological preferences. Theology, however, should be based on exegesis, not determine it. But what is really at stake here is God’s faithfulness. To put it simply, can He be counted on to keep His promises? In both the Abrahamic and Davidic covenants God promised unconditionally that there would be a future for the chosen nation. The Davidic covenant, first given in 2 Samuel 7:12–17 and referred to throughout the Old Testament, promised that God will establish the Messiah as King, defeat all of Israel’s enemies, and grant Israel prosperity and prominence. When Messiah comes to establish His kingdom, Israel will be saved (Rom. 11:25–26). (See Luke Commentary)
Lucas 13
MacArthur adds "There is a future for Israel in the plan of God beyond the remnant who are being saved during the church age. The time will come when Israel will say to Christ, Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord (cf. Ps. 118:26). The term until encompasses all of God’s covenant promises; see refers to spiritual recognition (cf. Luke 2:30; 2 Cor. 5:16). In that future day when they confess Jesus as their Messiah, Israel will recognize who He truly is. When the “Spirit of grace and of supplication” comes to them, they will “look on [Him] whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him” (Zech. 12:10). Then the fountain of cleansing will come to them from heaven. The rebels will be purged out and Israel saved (Zech. 13:1ff.). Despite the Lord’s promise, however, many argue that God is permanently finished with Israel. They believe that there is no future for the nation, though individual Jews will continue to come to faith in Christ and be incorporated into the church. That is an essential tenet of covenant theology. Covenant theologians hold that the curses promised for Israel’s disobedience were literally fulfilled. On the other hand, they argue that because Israel rejected Jesus Christ, it is no longer part of God’s plan. Therefore the blessings promised for obedience are fulfilled spiritually in the church. That view raises a number of difficulties. First, once the literal meaning of a passage is rejected, how can the spiritual sense be determined? If the normal rules of biblical interpretation do not apply to prophecy, who is to say what the spiritual meaning of the passages regarding Israel’s future is? If the Bible does not mean what it says, to what authority can we turn to determine what it does mean? Further, if those prophecies are not to be taken literally, what meaning did they have for those to whom they were addressed? If the prophecies of Israel’s future blessing really apply to the church, why were they addressed to Israel? And why was Israel literally cursed? Finally, spiritualizing those prophecies results in some glaring inconsistencies. As I noted in an earlier volume in this series: It is inconsistent to argue that the cursings [the prophecies regarding Israel] they pronounce apply literally to Israel, while the blessings they promise apply symbolically and spiritually to the church. An example of inconsistency in the spiritualizing method of interpreting prophecy comes from the angel Gabriel’s words to Mary in Luke 1:31–33: “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.” If, as all conservative scholars agree, Jesus was literally conceived in Mary’s womb, literally named “Jesus,” literally became great, was literally “the Son of the Most High,” will He not also literally reign on David’s throne over Israel? Can the same passage be interpreted both literally and non-literally? (Revelation 12–22, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary [Chicago: Moody, 2000], 232) Those who spiritualize the prophecies of Israel’s future blessing admit that applying the literal, historical, grammatical and contextual method of hermeneutics—which they themselves apply to the non-prophetic portions of Scripture—to prophecy leads inevitably to the conclusion that there will be a future for Israel. Floyd Hamilton, an advocate of interpreting the prophecies regarding Israel non-literally acknowledges, “Now we must frankly admit that a literal interpretation of the Old Testament prophecies gives us just such a picture of an earthly reign of the Messiah as the premillennialist pictures” (The Basis of Millennial Faith [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1942], 38). Loraine Boettner, who also advocated the non-literal view, agrees with Hamilton’s assessment: “It is generally agreed that if the prophecies are taken literally, they do foretell a restoration of the nation of Israel in the land of Palestine with the Jews having a prominent place in that kingdom and ruling over the other nations” (“A Postmillennial Response [to Dispensational Premillennialism],” in Robert G. Clouse, ed., The Meaning of the Millennium: Four Views [Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity, 1977], 95). To adopt a hermeneutical method for interpreting prophecy different from that used to interpret the rest of Scripture is entirely arbitrary. Those who advocate such a method do so because the literal interpretation of the prophecies regarding Israel’s future is inconsistent with their theological preferences. Theology, however, should be based on exegesis, not determine it. (See Luke Commentary) (The following sermon deals with this same topic - God is not finished with Israel - Luke 13:34-35 Divine Compassion for Those Deserving Condemnation, Part 5) How tragic that a number of evangelicals have replaced Israel with the Church (see replacement theology; see study of phrase Israel of God), claiming that God is finished with Israel, but such thinking makes prophecies like this one in Luke 13:35 devoid of their original contextual meaning! Jesus was in Palestine NOT giving this IMMUTABLE PROMISE to the Church (which had not yet come into existence) but to LITERAL Jews who LITERALLY rejected Him! He was prophesying that at His return some of Jews in the nation of Israel (believing remnant) would receive Him and would shout "BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!" Zechariah describes those Jews who will have experienced a true circumcision (of their heart by grace through faith) and who will cry out Ps 118:6 “It will come about in all the land,” Declares the LORD, “That two parts in it will be cut off and perish; But the third will be left in it. 9“And I will bring the third part through the fire, Refine them as silver is refined, And test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, And I will answer them; I will say, ‘They are My people,’ And they will say, ‘The LORD is my God. (Zechariah 13:8-9+) Luke quotes Ps 118:26 in reference to Jesus' Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem As soon as He was approaching, near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the miracles which they had seen, shouting: “BLESSED IS THE KING WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD; Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” (Lk 19:37-38+) Comment: Even this drew opposition from the religious leaders (Lk 19:39-40). This acclamation of Jesus as "the King" occurred on Palm Sunday, but the crowds who were crying out “Hosanna!” on Palm Sunday were later in the week crying “Crucify Him!...Crucify Him!” (Mt 27:22–23). Note that this seeming acceptance by some in Lk 19:37-38 is followed by another lament (and warning from Jesus) in Luke 19:41–44. When He approached Jerusalem, He saw the city and wept over it, 42 saying, “If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes. 43 “For the days will come upon you when your enemies will throw up a barricade against you, and surround you and hem you in on every side, 44 and they will level you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.” Jesus quotes again from Ps 118:26 in Matthew's Gospel, but this prediction is given AFTER HIS TRIUMPHAL ENTRY into Jerusalem (specifically on "Holy Tuesday" of "Passion Week"). So here in Luke 13:35 while there may be an allusion to His triumphal entry prior to His crucifixion, it is clear that Jesus is looking past His triumphal entry and ultimately to His Second Coming which will be a true and lasting "triumphal entry." The first time He entered Jerusalem on a donkey bringing peace, but the second time (the second coming) He comes riding as the conquering King of kings and Lord of lords (Rev 19:16+) on a white horse to bring judgment to all who reject Him (see Rev 19:11-16+), both Jews and Gentiles. At that time only the believing remnant of Israel will acclaim Him as their King. Zechariah records Jehovah's prophetic promise which will be fulfilled by the believing remnant of Israel... “I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn. (Zech 12:10+) John records in the Revelation BEHOLD, HE IS COMING WITH THE CLOUDS, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen. (Rev 1:7+) Tonyy
Lucas 13:22-30
MacArthur: Entering the narrow gate is difficult because of its cost in terms of human pride, because of the sinner’s natural love for sin, and because of the world’s and Satan’s opposition to the truth. (MacArthur Study Bible) F B
Lucas 13:22-30
MacArthur adds that the Greek verb didasko refers to the passing on of information, often, but not necessarily, in a formal setting. It focused on content, with the purpose of discovering the truth-contrary to the forums so popular among Greeks, where discussion and the bantering about of various ideas and opinions was the primary concern (see Acts 17:21). Synagogue teaching, as illustrated by that of Jesus, was basically expository. Scripture was read and explained section by section, often verse by verse. (MacArthur, J: Matthew 1-7 Chicago: Moody Press) Proceeding on His way to Jerusalem - When you walk with Jesus, you walk in the light (Jn 8:12 1:4 9:5 12:46) for He tells you where is going as in the following passages... Luke 9:51 When the days were approaching for His ascension (Lk 24:51, Acts 1:2 9 Ep 4:10), He was determined to go to Jerusalem (I love the King James Version which is more literal here than the NAS = He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem) Mark 10:32 They were on the road going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking on ahead of them; and they were amazed, and those who followed were fearful. And again He took the twelve aside and began to tell them what was going to happen to Him, 33 saying, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and will hand Him over to the Gentiles. 34 “They will mock Him and spit on Him, and scourge Him and kill Him, and three days later He will rise again.” Proceeding (present tense to = continually) (4160)(poieo) usually means to make, to do or accomplish, this latter in the sense of undertaking some action and here in Lk 13:22 speaking of making His way (His purpose - see discussion of "way" below) to Jerusalem. Way (4197) (poreia) means a journey which Thayer says in the Hebrew mind spoke of "a going", i.e., a purpose, a pursuit or an undertaking, which is the sense in the only other NT use (Rendered "pursuits" in Jas 1:11-note). Luke 13:23 AND SOMEONE SAID TO HIM, "LORD, ARE THERE JUST A FEW WHO ARE BEING SAVED?" AND HE SAID TO THEM: eipen (3SAAI) de tis auto, Kurie, ei oligoi hoi sozomenoi (PPPMPN)? o de eipen (3SAAI) pros autous (3MPA): Are: Mt 7:14 19:25 20:16 22:14 And: Lk 12:13 14 15 21:7,8 Mt 24:3 4 5 Mk 13:4,5 Jn 21:21,22 Ac 1:7,8 ) And someone said to Him - Some have said this may have even been one of His 12 disciples but Lk 13:28 suggest that such would be unlikely (unless of course it was Judas Iscariot!) Are there just a few - He is asking the wrong question. The question for every man and woman to ask is "Am I saved?" And Jesus turns the question of the solitary man into an answer to the masses ("to them") that were around Him. Kent
Lucas 13:22-30
MacArthur explains it this way "He [rich young ruler] sincerely wanted eternal life, but he wanted his riches and his self-righteousness even more. Whoever wants anything more than Christ will forfeit Christ." (cp Mk 8:35) Walter Kaiser comments: This teaching was not given to one special individual; it was intended for Jesus’ followers in general. He urged them to have the right priorities, to seek God’s kingdom and righteousness above all else (Mt 6:33). But it is very difficult to do this, he maintained, if one’s attention is preoccupied by material wealth. (Kaiser, W. C. Hard Sayings of the Bible. Downers Grove, Il: InterVarsity) Jesus equated entrance into the kingdom of God with being saved as indicated by the disciples' question. These are "hard sayings" from the mouth of our Lord, but they are the truth about genuine salvation, truth which the world desperately needs to hear and heed in these last days during which the Gospel is being "diluted" (cp Paul's warning in Gal 1:6 7 8 9 10)! In another place Jesus helps us understand what it means to continually (present tense) strive when He says... For this reason you be (present imperative = command to continually be prepared, in a state of readiness) ready too; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will. (Mt 24:44) In explaining to His disciples and the multitudes what it meant to come after Him, denying self, taking up one's cross and following Him, Jesus declared that whoever wishes to save (sozo) (referring to one's physical life) his life shall lose it (eternally); but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's shall save (sozo) (spiritually) it (eternally). (Mk 8:34, Be sure to check the context Mk 8:34, 35, 36) John
Lucas 13:22-30
MacArthur - The requirement that sinners enter through the narrow door further indicates the intensity of the struggle (cf. Matt. 7:13-14). The door is a tight fit, requiring those who enter through it to strip themselves of their personal baggage. It is also made hard to find by the many deceptive voices luring the unwary and undiscerning to the broad gate that leads to hell. Therefore many will seek to enter and will not be able. John
Lucas 13:22-30
MacArthur adds that "The Gospel came through Abraham’s seed, as Matthew...attested through Jesus’ genealogy (Mt 1:1). But the benefit of the Gospel, which brings salvation, is appropriated by faith, not by genealogical descent. The Jews played an integral part in God’s bringing the Messiah and His gospel, and they are yet destined to play an important role in the end times. It was integral to God’s plan of salvation that His own Son be born, live, and die as a Jew. But the fact that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob-or any other Jew-will be in the kingdom of heaven will not be because of their Jewishness but because of their saving faith...Those who reject Christ, even though they are physical descendants of Abraham, will have no place at the table with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. (MacArthur, J: Matthew 1-7 Chicago: Moody Press) J C Ryle alluded to the belated "wake up call" to the Jews who would be cast out of the presence of the King when he said that "Hell is nothing but truth known too late!" Steven
Lucas 13:22-30
MacArthur - Jewish tradition taught that sinners-a term synonymous with Gentiles in their thinking-would spend eternity in the outer darkness of Gehenna. Jesus concurred with them about the destiny of condemned sinners (see Mt 22:13 24:51), but He declared them totally wrong about the identity of those condemned sinners....Being a physical descendant of Abraham was a great privilege and advantage (Ro 3:1 2), but in spite of what most Jews believed, it did not guarantee salvation. It is the children of Abraham’s spiritual faith, not the children of his physical body, whom God adopts as His own children (Ro 8:14 15 16 17; Gal. 3:7 89, 26 27 28 29; cf. Ro 4:11, 16). (MacArthur, J: Matthew 1-7 Chicago: Moody Press) Lawrence Richards - This was why repentance and faith in Jesus are such urgent matters. Individuals who failed to turn to Him will be shut out of the future kingdom, where “there will be weeping . . . and gnashing of teeth.” (Richards, L. The 365 Day Devotional Commentary. Victor Books) Weeping (2805) (klauthmos from klaio = to weep or bewail) is a noun which describes a strong inner emotion which is evoked in weeping, crying, lamentation (cries of grief, the act of bewailing as an expression of sorrow). Hell is a place of conscious sorrow for the unconscious would not weep. Klauthmos - 9x in 9v - Mt 2:18; 8:12; 13:42, 50; 22:13; 24:51; 25:30; Lk 13:28; Acts 20:37 Matthew 2:18 "A VOICE WAS HEARD IN RAMAH, WEEPING AND GREAT MOURNING, RACHEL WEEPING FOR HER CHILDREN; AND SHE REFUSED TO BE COMFORTED, BECAUSE THEY WERE NO MORE." Matthew 8:12 but the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." Matthew 13:42 and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Matthew 13:50 and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Matthew 22:13 "Then the king said to the servants, 'Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' Matthew 24:51 and will cut him in pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Matthew 25:30 "Throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Luke 13:28 "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 yourselves being thrown out. Acts 20:37 And they began to weep aloud and embraced Paul, and repeatedly kissed him, In most of these NT uses the tears are genuine, but their effect on the wrath of God is nil, as it is too late for those who shed them. The image is of utter hopelessness and is intended as a warning to those who read or hear these difficult to accept sayings! Klauthmos - 30x in the non-apocryphal Septuagint (LXX) - Ge 45:2; 46:29; Dt 34:8; Judg 21:2; 2Sa 13:36; 2 Kgs 20:3; Ezra 3:13; Job 16:16; 30:31; Ps 6:8; 30:5; 102:9; Isa 15:3; 16:9; 22:12; 30:19; 38:3; 65:19; Jer 3:21; 22:10; 31:9, 15 16; 48:5, 32; Lam 5:13; Dan 6:20; Joel 2:12; Mic 7:4; Mal 2:13 The first OT use is of godly Joseph weeping... (Ge 45:2) And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard of it. (Ge 46:29) And Joseph prepared his chariot and went up to Goshen to meet his father Israel; as soon as he appeared before him, he fell on his neck and wept on his neck a long time. In contrast to the eternal weeping of the ungodly, the Psalmist describes the temporary weeping of the godly Psalm 30:5 For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for a lifetime; Weeping (klauthmos) may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning. The Psalmist writes... Psalm 112:10 The wicked will see it (Ps 112:9) and be vexed, He will gnash his teeth and melt away. The desire of the wicked will perish.
Lucas 13:22-30
MacArthur - Jesus’ concluding statement, And behold, some are last who will be first and some are first who will be last, further intensifies the shock these lost Jews will feel. Not only will Gentiles be in the kingdom, but they will also be equal with the Jews who are there. In the realm of salvation “there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for [the redeemed] are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:28; cf. Eph. 2:11-16). (Luke Commentary) W A Criswell - "There are last" refers to the Gentiles and "there are first" refers to the Jews, some of whom would have a lower rank than the Gentiles whom they despise. Robert Stein on last...first - Compare Matt 19:30; 20:16; Mark 10:31. The parallels in Matthew and Mark indicate that Jesus used this proverb primarily to signify the admission of Israel’s outcasts (tax collectors, sinners, the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind) and the exclusion of the religious elite (Pharisees, scribes, lawyers, priests). Luke and his readers, however, also would have understood this in terms of Acts 13:46; 18:6; and 28:28, i.e., the unbelief of much of Israel and the inclusion of the Gentiles. The lack of the article before “last” and “first” indicates that neither all the last nor all the first would experience this reversal. Some Jews (the disciples and the church of Acts 1–9) did believe. The saying contrasts not all the last and all the first but “last ones” kinds of people and “first ones” kinds of people. Both the NIV and the RSV seek to convey this in their translations. Compare Luke 1:51–53; 2:34; 6:20–26; 14:11, 15–24. (New American Commentary)
Lucas 13:24
MacArthur explains it this way "He [rich young ruler] sincerely wanted eternal life, but he wanted his riches and his self-righteousness even more. Whoever wants anything more than Christ will forfeit Christ." (cp Mk 8:35) Walter Kaiser comments: This teaching was not given to one special individual; it was intended for Jesus’ followers in general. He urged them to have the right priorities, to seek God’s kingdom and righteousness above all else (Mt 6:33). But it is very difficult to do this, he maintained, if one’s attention is preoccupied by material wealth. (Kaiser, W. C. Hard Sayings of the Bible. Downers Grove, Il: InterVarsity) Jesus equated entrance into the kingdom of God with being saved as indicated by the disciples' question. These are "hard sayings" from the mouth of our Lord, but they are the truth about genuine salvation, truth which the world desperately needs to hear and heed in these last days during which the Gospel is being "diluted" (cp Paul's warning in Gal 1:6 7 8 9 10)! In another place Jesus helps us understand what it means to continually (present tense) strive when He says... For this reason you be (present imperative = command to continually be prepared, in a state of readiness) ready too; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will. (Mt 24:44) In explaining to His disciples and the multitudes what it meant to come after Him, denying self, taking up one's cross and following Him, Jesus declared that whoever wishes to save (sozo) (referring to one's physical life) his life shall lose it (eternally); but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's shall save (sozo) (spiritually) it (eternally). (Mk 8:34, Be sure to check the context Mk 8:34, 35, 36) John Piper exhorts us to... STRIVE TO ENTER THROUGH THE NARROW DOOR, FOR ALL OF LIFE IS WAR And someone said to him, “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” And he said to them, “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.”—LUKE 13:23–24 Jesus taught us that life is war. When he said, “Strive to enter through the narrow door” (Luke 13:24), the Greek word behind the English strive is recognizable in English transliteration: agōnizesthe. You can see the word agonize in that Greek word. The implication is that we must struggle, wrestle, and exert ourselves. But the most important fact about the word “strive” is that the one other place where we find it on Jesus’ lips is John 18:36, where he says his disciples would be “fighting” if his kingdom were of this world. “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting [ēgōnizonto], that I might not be delivered over to the Jews.” So here the phrase “strive to enter” means that entering is a battle. STRIVE TO ENTER WHAT? Entering what? The kingdom of God. This is plain from the following context. After saying that we should “strive to enter through the narrow door,” he refers to a master of a house who rises and shuts the door so that no one else can enter (Luke 13:25). Those outside knock and say, “Lord, open to us,” but the master says, “I do not know where you come from.” Then they say, “We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.” But he responds, “Depart from me, all you workers of evil!” (Luke 13:25–27). Then Jesus applies this picture to the real situation of some who will be excluded from the kingdom of God while Gentiles from all over the world will “recline at table in the kingdom of God.” “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. And people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at table in the kingdom of God” (Luke 13:28–29). So the “narrow door” through which we must “strive” to enter is the door to the kingdom of God. Outside there is “weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Luke 13:28). This is one of the ways Jesus refers to hell: “Throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matt. 13:50). The alternative to entering by the narrow gate is destruction. “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction” (Matt. 7:13). In other words, what is at stake when Jesus demands that we “strive to enter” is heaven and hell. It is an ultimate issue. THE GREATEST THREAT IS OUR OWN SIN EVERY DAY But what does Jesus want us to strive against so that we can enter through the narrow door? What are the obstacles? If life is war, who is the enemy? In our striving, the aim is not to hurt anyone. Jesus is clear that we are to love our enemies and do good to those who hate us (Luke 6:27). Saying that life is war does not mean that we make war on people, but on sin, especially our own. In fact, it is only our own sin that can keep us from entering the kingdom, not anyone else’s. The sin of others can hurt us, even kill us. But that does not keep us from entering the kingdom of God. Our own sin is the greatest threat to entering the kingdom of God. But temptation to sin comes from an amazing variety of sources. Jesus is demanding serious personal vigilance. The command to “watch” is one of his most frequent commands. The idea is that we must be awake and alert and ready, lest the temptations of life take us off guard and we be overcome and ruined. Jesus said to his disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane, “Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Mark 14:38). This command is relevant to all of life. Temptations abound, and Jesus does not take them lightly. The watchword of all of life is, watch, be alert. I say all of life because Jesus warned that the days just before His second coming would be in many ways very normal. It will be, Jesus says, like the days of Noah before the flood came and swept people away who were utterly unsuspecting (Ed Comment: This is another reason to support the doctrine of the Rapture as Pre-Tribulation - if it is Post-Tribulation, those days surely will not be "normal"). They were not watchful. Life seemed too normal, so they were not vigilant. “As in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark … so will be the coming of the Son of Man.… Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming” (Matt. 24:38–39, 42). Nothing is more normal than eating and drinking and marrying. The point is that we must be vigilant all the time, not just when the times feel perilous. They are always perilous. Soul-destroying temptations to unbelief and sin are present in everyday, normal life. Striving to enter through the narrow door is a lifelong, all-day, every-day calling. PAIN AND PLEASURE CAN KEEP US FROM ENTERING THROUGH THE NARROW DOOR Jesus’ demand for vigilance is all-embracing. Both the pleasant parts of life and the painful parts of life present dangers to the soul. In the parable of the four soils he warns about both. The painful and the pleasant threaten to destroy the faith-sustaining work of the word in our lives. When the word falls on rocky ground it sprouts, then dies. This represents those who hear the word, but then “tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word” (Matt. 13:21), and they fall away. They do not enter through the narrow door. When the word falls on thorny ground it sprouts, then dies. This represents those who hear the word, but then “they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life” (Luke 8:14). They do not enter through the narrow door. One person falls away because of pain (tribulation or persecution); the other person falls away because of pleasure (riches and pleasures of life). The call for vigilance is all-embracing. There is no unembattled place in this life. Surprising to us perhaps, Jesus’ demand for vigilance is directed more often at the pleasures of life than the pain. Some people are driven away from God by their pain, but more are lured away by their pleasures. Pleasures seldom awaken people to their need for God; pain often does. So Jesus is more concerned to warn us about the dangers of prosperity than the dangers of poverty. THE PERILS OF PRAISE AND PHYSICAL INDULGENCE One powerful lure away from the kingdom of God is the praise of man. Therefore, Jesus said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love greetings in the marketplaces and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts” (Luke 20:46). “Beware” means be alert, take care, pay close attention to. This is a call for vigilance against the lure of following those who live for the praises of man. “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them” (Matt. 6:1). We feel good when people speak well of us. It may not be wrong. But it is dangerous. It is a time for vigilance. “Woe to you,” Jesus says, “when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets” (Luke 6:26). Less subtle is the lure of physical indulgence. Jesus focuses on alcohol and the dissipating effects it has on our minds and bodies. He says, “But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap” (Luke 21:34). There are drugs and foods and practices that “weigh down” the heart. They make the heart sluggish. This is the opposite of vigilance. We will not “strive to enter through the narrow door” if we are self-indulgent and use drugs or food or drink in a way that dulls our spiritual alertness and vigilance. MONEY IS A MORTAL THREAT TO ENTERING THROUGH THE NARROW DOOR The danger Jesus warns against most often is the danger of money. It is a mortal danger. Heaven and hell hang in the balance in our vigilance against the lure of money. Jesus made this as clear as possible with the words, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God” (Mark 10:25). The issue is entering the kingdom. Striving for wealth is not the striving that leads to the narrow door. Over and over Jesus warns us to be vigilant against the lure of riches. “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth” (Matt. 6:19). “You cannot serve God and money” (Matt. 6:24). “Do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ” (Matt. 6:31). “The deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word” (Mark 4:19). “Sell your possessions, and give to the needy” (Luke 12:33). “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matt. 6:21). “Any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:33). “But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation” (Luke 6:24). “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God” (Luke 6:20). “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions” (Luke 12:15). THE “HEALTHY EYE” WILL HELP US STRIVE TO ENTER THE NARROW DOOR It appears, then, that striving to enter the kingdom of God through the narrow door is largely a battle about how we relate to money. We should linger here since Jesus did. He is jealous that we “guard against all covetousness.” He is deeply concerned with our “eyes” when it comes to the treasure of our lives. We see this in a puzzling statement he made in Matthew 6:22–23, “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!” In other words, if the eye is good (literally, “single”), the whole body will be full of light. But if the eye is bad, the body will be full of darkness. In other words, how you see reality determines whether you are in the dark or not. You will naturally ask, what does that have to do with money? First of all, notice that these words of Jesus are sandwiched between the command to lay up treasures in heaven (6:19–21) and the warning that you can’t serve God and money (6:24). Why is this saying about the good and bad eye sandwiched between two teachings on money? I think it’s because what makes the eye good is how it sees God in relation to money. That’s the issue on either side of this saying. In Matthew 6:19–21 the issue is: You should desire heaven-reward, not earth-reward. Which, in short, means: Desire God, not money. In Matthew 6:24, the question is whether you can serve two masters. Answer: You cannot serve God and money. This is a double description of light! If you are laying up treasures in heaven, not earth, you are walking in the light. If you are serving God, not money, you are walking in the light. Between these two descriptions of the light Jesus says that the eye is the lamp of the body and that a good eye produces a fullness of this light. So, what is the good eye that gives so much light and the bad eye that leaves us in the dark? WHAT IS THE GOOD EYE? One clue is found in Matthew 20:15. Jesus has just said that men who worked one hour will be paid the same as those who worked all day, because the master is merciful and generous. And besides, they all agreed to their wage before they worked. Those who worked all day grumbled that the men who worked one hour were paid too much. Jesus responded with the same words found here in Matthew 6:23, “Is your eye bad because I am good?” (literal translation). What is bad about their eye? What’s bad is that their eye does not see the mercy of the master as beautiful. They see it as ugly. They don’t see reality for what it is. They do not have an eye that can see mercy as more precious than money. Now bring that understanding of the “bad eye” back to Matthew 6:23 and let it help us discern the meaning of the “good eye.” What would the good eye be that fills us with light? It would be an eye that sees the Master’s generosity as more precious than money. Which means that the good eye sees God and his ways as the great Treasure in life, not money. The good eye sees things as they really are. God is really more valuable than all that money can buy. You have a good eye if you look to God and love to maximize the reward of his fellowship—that is, lay up treasure in heaven. You have a good eye if you look at Master-money and Master-God and see Master-God as infinitely more valuable. In other words, a “good eye” is a wisely valuing eye, a discerning eye, an astutely treasuring eye. It doesn’t just see facts about money and God. It doesn’t just perceive what is true and false. It sees beauty and ugliness; it senses value and worthlessness; it discerns what is really desirable and what is undesirable. The seeing of the good eye is not neutral. When it sees God, it sees God-as-beautiful. It sees God-as-desirable. That is why the good eye leads to the way of light: laying up treasures in heaven and serving God, not money. The good eye is a single eye. It has one Treasure: God. When that happens in your life, you are full of light. And this is so important that Jesus adds in Luke 11:35, “Therefore be careful lest the light in you be darkness.” In other words, be vigilant. Don’t be casual or slack or careless about this matter. Strive, wrestle, fight to keep your eye good. That is, do what you must to see God, not money, as supremely valuable and desirable. In the next chapter we will continue to unfold the implications of Jesus’ demand to strive to enter by the narrow door. We will see how he calls for vigilance and watchfulness in regard to false prophets and false christs and the suddenness of his second coming. And then we will turn to the question, how does the demand for vigilance fit with his demand that we rest in him? How does the seriousness of watchfulness fit with the sweetness of Jesus’ care? (Download the free Pdf copy of Dr Piper's book - What Jesus Demands from the World) In the parable of the soils, Jesus gives us examples of those who do not keep on striving and will not be allowed to enter the narrow door... The one on whom seed (Mt 13:19 = the word of the kingdom = equivalent to the Gospel) was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises (Note: Not just any affliction and persecution but specifically that which comes) because of the word, immediately he falls away (skandalizo = see related noun skandalon). (Mt 13:20 21) The seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked (suffocated, caused to die, figuratively causing the Word of God to be ineffective in a person's life) with worries (anxieties) and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to maturity (No fruit = no Root = no Salvation). (Lk 8:14, cp Mk 4:19 amplifies Luke's description adding "deceitfulness" and "desires") John
Lucas 13:24
MacArthur: Entering the narrow gate is difficult because of its cost in terms of human pride, because of the sinner’s natural love for sin, and because of the world’s and Satan’s opposition to the truth. (MacArthur Study Bible) F B
Lucas 13:24
MacArthur - The requirement that sinners enter through the narrow door further indicates the intensity of the struggle (cf. Matt. 7:13-14). The door is a tight fit, requiring those who enter through it to strip themselves of their personal baggage. It is also made hard to find by the many deceptive voices luring the unwary and undiscerning to the broad gate that leads to hell. Therefore many will seek to enter and will not be able. John