The Gospel According to Saint Luke
Luke 13
Chapter XIII · Vol. IV, pp. 181–182
1 Christ preacheth repentance upon the punishment of the Galileans, and others. 6 The fruitless fig-tree may not stand. 11 He healeth the crooked woman: 18 showeth the powerful working of the word in the hearts of his chosen, by the parable of the grain of mustard-seed, and of leaven: 23 exhorteth to enter in at the strait gate, 31 reproveth Herod, and lamenteth over Jerusalem.
1 There were present at that season some that told him of the aGalileans, whose blood Pilate had bmingled with their sacrifices.1
a Ac.5.37.
b La.2.20.
1 These Galileans are by some supposed to have been the followers of Judas of Galilee (Ac.5.37), who endeavoured to excite the Jews against the Romans, and to prevent the payment of tribute to Cæsar. To this supposition, however, the chronological objections seem insuperable. But that the Galileans were a most ungovernable and seditious people, and that they excited several insurrections, Josephus testifies; and to some well-known instance of their crime and their punishment our Lord here alludes.—C.
2 And Jesus answering said unto them, cSuppose ye that these Galileans were sinners above all the Galileans, because they suffered such things?
3 I tell you, Nay: but dexcept ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.2Cited in WLC 153 · WCF 15.3
d ver.5. Jn.3.3,5. ch.19.27,42-44; 21.24. Mat.3.10,12; 12.45; 21.41,44; 22.7; 23.35-39; xxiv. Mar.xiii. Ac.3.19. Re.2.21,22. De.28.52-68.
2 Ye shall all likewise perish. This is not a general assertion that all impenitent sinners would perish, but that his Jewish auditors would perish in the same manner—that is, at the time of the sacrifice, and by the Roman sword, which literally came to pass, as Josephus testifies; for Jerusalem was taken at the time of the passover, and many thousands slaughtered in and about the temple.—C.
4 Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners3 above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem?
5 I tell you, eNay: but except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.Cited in WLC 153 · WCF 15.3
e Ex.4.8. Is.28.10,13. Mi.6.9. Eze.18.30; 7.3,4.
6 He spake also this parable: A certain man had ga fig-tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none.
7 Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, hBehold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig-tree, and find none: icut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?
8 And he answering said unto him, Lord, letj it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it:
10 Andl he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath.
A.M. cir. 4036. A.D. cir. 32.
l ch.4.15,16,44.
11 And, behold, there was a woman which had a nspirit of infirmity4 eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself.
12 And when Jesus saw her, ohe called her to him, and psaid unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity.
14 And sthe ruler of the synagogue answered twith indignation, ubecause that Jesus had healed on the sabbath-day, and said unto the people, vThere are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath-day.
15 The Lord then answered him, and said, xThou hypocrite! ydoth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering?
16 And ought not this woman, being za daughter of Abraham, whom aSatan hath 5bound, lo, these eighteen years, bbe loosed from this bond on the sabbath-day?
z ch.19.9; 3.8. Ge.17.7.
a Jn.8.44. Ep.2.2. Mar.9.17,18,21,22,26.
5 Whom Satan hath bound. Newcome and others have attributed this and similar expressions (as Ac.10.38. 1 Co.5.5. 2 Co.12.7. 1 Ti.1.20) to 'the popular language of the Jews,' by which 'diseases and infirmities were attributed to Satan or the devil.' Now if by 'popular language' be meant language derived from the Old Testament, the popular book of the Jews, there can be no objection to the statement; but if by 'popular language' is meant the language of vulgar ignorance, prejudice, or superstition, then is the statement to be altogether repudiated. It is the glory of the Jews that, in this case, their 'popular language' was the language of truth, immediately derived from the revelation of God. Till this hour, and till 'the last enemy shall be destroyed,' Satan 'has the power of death' (He.2.14), and consequently, as in the case of Job and his family (Job 1.12; 19.2, 6,7), in some sense of reality, the power over all that produces it.—C.
b Is.49.24-26. Mar.2.27; 3.4. Mat.12.11,12.
17 And when he had said these things, call his adversaries were ashamed: dand all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him.
18 Then said he, Unto what is the ekingdom of God like? gand whereunto shall I resemble it?
g Mat.13.31,32. Mar.4.30-32. Job 8.7. Is.60.22; 2.2-4; xlix. liv. lx. Eze.47.1-12. Da.2.44. Zec.2.11; 8.20-23; xiv. Ac.i.-xix. Ps.80.8-11. Pr.4.18. Job 17.9.
19 It is like a grain of mustard-seed,6 which a man took, and cast into his garden; and it grew, and waxed a great tree; and the fowls of the air lodged in the branches of it.
6 See note on Mat. 13.31.—C.
20 And again he said, Whereunto shall I liken the kingdom of God?
21 Ith is like leaven,7 which a woman took, and hid in three imeasures of meal, till the whole was leavened.
A.M. cir. 4036. A.D. cir. 32.
h Mat.13.33. Ro.1.14,16. 1 Co.9.22,23. Ps.72.16-19; 119.11. 1 Th.5.23.
7 See note on Mat. 13.33.—C.
i See Mat.13.33.
22 Andj he went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying towards Jerusalem.8
j Mat.9.35. ch.4.43,44. Ac.10.38. Mar.6.6.
8 It has already been stated that our Lord's last journey from Galilee to Jerusalem was made in the month of December preceding his crucifixion. Christ's route was not direct. He appears to have visited many places, probably paying a farewell visit to each town and village in which he had previously taught. He repeated in substance many of his former discourses and parables.—P.
23 Then said one unto him, Lord, kare there few9 that be saved? And he said unto them,
k Mat.20.16; 22.14; 19.25; 7.14.
9 As to the number of the saved, whether few or many, our Lord, because it was a question of mere curiosity, gives no reply. To say that they were many might have encouraged a false hope; to say that they were few might have begotten despondency or despair. But at once he reveals the fearful truth that many are lost—a revelation calculated to awaken salutary fear, and warn thoughtless sinners to 'flee from the wrath to come'—while he turns away the mind of the questioner from profitless speculation about others, and fixes his attention upon the salvation of his own soul.—C.
24 lStrive1 to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, nwill seek to enter in, and shall not be able.
l Mat.7.13,14; 11.12. Jn.3.3,5. 2 Co.6.1,2. He.2.3.
1 Gr. Strive as in agony.
25 Wheno once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are:
o Is.55.6. Mat.25.10,12; 7.21-23. ch.6.46. Ps.32.6.
26 Then shall ye begin to say, pWe have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets.
27 Butq he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity.
28 Therer shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out.
29 Ands they shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God.
31 The same day there came certain of the Pharisees, saying unto him, uGet thee out, and depart hence: for Herod will kill thee.
32 And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that vfox, Behold, xI cast out devils, and I do cures to-day and to-morrow, and the third day I shall be yperfected.
33 Nevertheless, zI must walk to-day, and to-morrow, and the day following: afor it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem.
34 Ob Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; chow often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and dye would not!
b Ne.9.26. Mat.23.37-39. ch.19.42; 21.35,36; 22.6. 2 Ch.36.15,16; 24.21,22. Ac.7.59.
c De.4.29; 32.29. Ps.81.10; 50.7, with De.32.11,12. Ps.17.8; 91.4.
d Ps.69.26. Is.1.7. Mi.3.12. Ps.81.11. Ho.11.2,7. Pr.1.24,25. Ac.3.14,15.
35 Behold,e your house is left unto you desolate: and verily I say unto you, gYe shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, hBlessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
A.M. cir. 4036. A.D. cir. 32.
e ch.21.5,6,24; 19.44. Le.26.31,32. Ps.69.25. Da.9.27. Mi.3.12. Is.1.7; 5.5,6.
g Pr.1.26-30. Jn.8.21,24; 7.34. Ho.3.4,5.
Notes
Ver. 1-9. The ruin of the Jewish nation, about forty years after Christ, was, like that of the Galileans and the Jews crushed by the tower of Siloam, most sudden and dreadful, chiefly occasioned by their attendance on their ceremonial services, and near to the temple.—The parable of the fig-tree imports, that notwithstanding their long-continued barrenness of good tempers and works, yet, by means of the intercession of Christ and his ministers, they should, for about forty years, enjoy a gospel dispensation, and afterwards be fearfully destroyed on account of their unfruitfulness and wickedness.
Ver. 24. And shall not be able. The reasons of this inability are:—(1) They 'seek' when they ought to 'strive.' (2) They seek at the wrong time—not when the Master (Christ) was sitting in intercession, but when he had risen up to judgment, He. 7. 25; 10. 12, 13. (3) They 'seek' in the wrong place, for they 'stand without,' Jn. 15. 2, 6—that is, not in Christ's faith, name, and righteousness. (4) They seek upon the wrong plea—not that they had submitted to him and trusted in him, Ep. 1. 12; He. 5. 9—but merely that they had followed him in eating and drinking—that is, professed his gospel as far as it was pleasant and profitable, and belonged to a Christian land where he had taught in their streets; but affording, by their ignorance and presumption, a melancholy evidence that the Spirit of truth and holiness had not taught in their hearts, Jn. 14. 26. C.
Ver. 32. That fox. According to modern ideas, the fox is the emblem of cunning, hypocrisy, and robbery; and, consequently, its application to Herod has been considered as a condemnatory allusion to his crooked and unrighteous policy. For this interpretation, however, the Scriptures furnish no foundation. The fox is mentioned in Scripture, (1) As employed by Samson, Ju. 15. 4, to burn the corn of the Philistines. (2) As destroying the vines, Ca. 2. 15. (3) As inhabiting desolate ruins, La. 5. 18. (4) As burrowing in holes, Mat. 8. 20. Out of these facts, therefore, and not from any modern ideas, must the meaning of the title be collected. A political firebrand to his kingdom; the destroyer of her agriculture and commerce: the desolater of her cities, and a houseless exile (all which things were literally true of this Herod), is, most probably, the scriptural interpretation of the message of our Lord—a message at once descriptive of the past, and prophetic of the future. C.
Reflections.—With great care should we guard against uncharitable censures of those whom God hath sorely afflicted, remembering that his strokes on them are warnings to us, and that nothing short of evangelical repentance can prevent our eternal ruin. Severe censures of others but prepare ourselves for unmixed wrath from God. He takes the most exact notice of every season and means of grace we enjoy, and of our unprofitableness under the same. The opportunities of his mercy and patience are often unexpectedly lengthened out through the mediation of his Son and the prayers of his ministers. And if he spare, ministers ought to be diligent. The most unfruitful sinners may be renewed and turned to God by the gospel: but the obstinate abuse of this will at last issue in men's just and inexpressible ruin. Cries for mercy will then become vain, hopes and pleas from external privileges will be defeated, and there will be none to intercede for the sinner. Let not therefore curious inquiries about the number of the saved, but earnest care about my own believing in Jesus Christ, be the labour of my soul. And to quicken my diligence, let me remember that few comparatively are saved: and to raise my admiration, and encourage my faith, let me think how often the most improbable in appearance are converted, while others choose to perish in their sins. And let me behold how ready Jesus was to instruct the ignorant, alarm the careless, and heal the diseased. Indefatigable was he in his labours. Highly he regarded his Father's ordinances, and contemned the terrors of wicked men; and was even ready to die for his people. Carefully was he preserved by Providence till his hour came. And the most tremendous ruin has or will overtake his obstinate opposers. Yea, the greater our privileges abused, the greater the miseries we shall incur.