New Testament Commentary - Luke 13

by Don R. Hender

Scriptural Text [& Editorial]	Commentary & Explanation	Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
CHAPTER 13 Jesus teaches: Repent or perish—He gives the parable of the barren fig tree; heals a woman on the Sabbath; and likens the kingdom of God to a mustard seed—He discusses whether few or many are saved, and laments over Jerusalem.
1 THERE were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices^a. 2 And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were ^asinners above all the Galilaeans^a, because they suffered such things? 3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye ^arepent, ye shall all likewise ^bperish.	1^a Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices From the position of pride, the Jews of Judaea did look down upon the rest of the world. And this not only included the Gentiles and the Samarians, but also those who were removed from Jerusalem, as they supposed themselves to be favored of God above all those who did not and were not so 'called' to live in the land of Jerusalem. And in particular, the Galilaeans, many of whom proclaimed themselves to be Jews, and even the Jews did 'officially' recognized them as Jews, but yet since they were of those of Israel of the north similar to the Samarians of Samaria, the Jews of Judaea has a particular discrimination against them also, even as they had against the much hated Samaritans. They presumed the Galilaeans to be inferior to them of Jersalem and of more questionable 'Jewish' origin and not much and any better than Sararitans at that. And thus they would naturally have supposed that any suffering which the Galilaeans had incurred, they did so justifiably because of their wickedness. 2^a Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans As stated, the Galilaeans were already dispised by the Jews of Jerusalem. And thus this statement doubly puts down the Galilaeans. The Jews of Jerusalem would have already considered the Galilaeans as sinners, they were clearly mixing in with the Gentiles more so than Jerusalem and had also perhaps kept alive many of the Israelite traditions of the north which the Jews of Jerusalem despised. Thus to be a 'sinner above all the Galilaeans' was to say that those particular Galilaeans were worse than sinners, for all Galilaeans were sinners already. That is they had subscribed upon those who had so suffered by the hand of Pilate to be sinners abover and beyond all sinners. In short, to the Jews of Jerusalem, all Galilaeans were sinners in comparison to the Jews of Jerusalem and they despised them.	1^a D&C 128:20; 2^a Mark 9:2 (2-13); Luke 9:29 (28-36); John 1:14; 2 Pet. 1:16 (16-19); TG Jesus Christ, Glory of;
4 Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.		1^a D&C 128:20; 2^a Mark 9:2 (2-13); Luke 9:29 (28-36); John 1:14; 2 Pet. 1:16 (16-19); TG Jesus Christ, Glory of;
6 ¶ He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his ^avineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. 7 Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: ^acut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?		1^a D&C 128:20; 2^a Mark 9:2 (2-13); Luke 9:29 (28-36); John 1:14; 2 Pet. 1:16 (16-19); TG Jesus Christ, Glory of;
8 And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: 9 And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down. 10 And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath.		1^a D&C 128:20; 2^a Mark 9:2 (2-13); Luke 9:29 (28-36); John 1:14; 2 Pet. 1:16 (16-19); TG Jesus Christ, Glory of;
11 ¶ And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself. 12 And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity. 13 And he ^alaid his ^bhands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.
14 And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to ^awork: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day. 15 The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering? 16 And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the ^asabbath day? 17 And when he had said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed: and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him.
18 ¶ Then said he, Unto what is the kingdom of God like? and whereunto shall I ^aresemble it? 19 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and cast into his garden; and it grew, and ^awaxed a great tree; and the fowls of the air lodged in the branches of it.
20 And again he said, Whereunto shall I liken the kingdom of God? 21 It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened. 22 And he went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem.
23 Then said one unto him, Lord, are there ^afew that be saved? And he said unto them, 24 ¶ Strive to enter in at the ^astrait ^bgate: for many, I say unto you, will ^cseek to enter in, and shall not be able.
25 When 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, ^aLord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are: 26 Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. 27 But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; ^adepart from me, all ye workers of iniquity.
28 There shall be ^aweeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the ^bkingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out. 29 And ^athey 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. 30 And, behold, there are last which shall be first, and there are ^afirst which shall be last.
31 ¶ The same day there came certain of the Pharisees, saying unto him, Get thee out, and depart hence: for ^aHerod will kill thee. 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 ^aperfected. 33 Nevertheless I must walk to day, and to morrow, and the day following: for it cannot be that a ^aprophet perish out of Jerusalem.
34 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which ^akillest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a ^ahen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not! 35 Behold, your house is left unto you ^adesolate: and verily I say unto you, ^bYe shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, ^cBlessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.