*Luke 13:1-21
Jesus uses two tragedies as springboards to call for repentance and teaches about the nature of the Kingdom of God using parables of the mustard seed and leaven.
- Warning to Repent:
- Jesus responds to news about Galileans killed by Pilate and the victims of a tower collapse.
- He dismisses the notion that these tragedies were due to particular sins.
- Instead, He warns that unless all repent, they will face similar destruction, emphasizing universal need for repentance.
- Parable of the Fig Tree:
- Jesus shares a parable about a barren fig tree.
- The vineyard owner, frustrated by its lack of fruit, wishes to cut it down.
- The gardener, however, convinces him to wait another year, during which the tree will receive extra care, illustrating God’s patience and willingness to give people time to change.
- Healing on the Sabbath:
- In a synagogue, Jesus heals a woman who had been crippled for 18 years.
- The synagogue leader criticizes Jesus for healing on the Sabbath, arguing that work should be done on other days.
- Jesus rebukes him for hypocrisy, highlighting that even animals are taken care of on the Sabbath, thus prioritizing human welfare over rigid rules.
- Parables of the Mustard Seed and Yeast:
- Jesus compares the Kingdom of God to a mustard seed, the smallest of seeds that grows into a large tree.
- He also likens it to yeast that, though small, permeates and transforms an entire batch of dough.
- Both parables illustrate the surprising and transformative growth of God’s Kingdom from humble beginnings.
Luke 13:1-21 teaches us that instead of judging others when bad things happen, we should focus on our own hearts and turn to God. Jesus reminds us that life is short, and we need to live in a way that honors God. The parable of the fig tree shows that God is patient, giving us time to change and grow. Like yeast that spreads through dough, even small acts of faith can make a big difference. This passage encourages us to live with purpose, seek God daily, and trust that He is working in our lives.
Luke 13:1-21 (WEB)
13:1 Now there were some present at the same time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. 2 Jesus answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered such things? 3 I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all perish in the same way. 4 Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them—do you think that they were worse offenders than all the men who dwell in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, no, but, unless you repent, you will all perish in the same way.”6 He spoke this parable. “A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. 7 He said to the vine dresser, ‘Behold, these three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and found none. Cut it down! Why does it waste the soil?’ 8 He answered, ‘Lord, leave it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. 9 If it bears fruit, fine; but if not, after that, you can cut it down.’ ”10 He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath day. 11 Behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years. She was bent over and could in no way straighten herself up. 12 When Jesus saw her, he called her and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your infirmity.” 13 He laid his hands on her, and immediately she stood up straight and glorified God.14 The ruler of the synagogue, being indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the multitude, “There are six days in which men ought to work. Therefore come on those days and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day!”15 Therefore the Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Doesn’t each one of you free his ox or his donkey from the stall on the Sabbath and lead him away to water? 16 Ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham whom Satan had bound eighteen long years, be freed from this bondage on the Sabbath day?”17 As he said these things, all his adversaries were disappointed; and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him.18 He said, “What is God’s Kingdom like? To what shall I compare it? 19 It is like a grain of mustard seed which a man took and put in his own garden. It grew and became a large tree, and the birds of the sky live in its branches.”20 Again he said, “To what shall I compare God’s Kingdom? 21 It is like yeast, which a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, until it was all leavened.”