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Luke Chapter
Thirteen
I.
Content of the Chapter
The Teachings and Warnings of the Son of Man
the Savior
I. Concerning the repentance:
A.
Unless you repent you will all likewise perish (v.1-5).
B. The
reason of being left alone is to repent and bear fruits (v.6-9).
II. Concerning the rest:
A. One
will have rest after he has been healed (v.10-13).
B. The
bond should be loosed on the Sabbath (v.14-17).
III. Concerning the
A. The
appearance of the
B. It
is also like leaven which makes it be all leavened (v.20).
C. If
one does not strive to enter through the narrow gate, he will not be able to
sit down in the
IV. He lamented over
II.
Verse by Verse commentary
Luke. 13:1 “There were present at
that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had
mingled with their sacrifices.”
YLT: “And there were present
certain at that time, telling him about the Galileans, whose blood Pilate did
mingle with their sacrifices;”
Literal Meaning: “present at that
season” It was the time when the Lord Jesus persuaded men to try their best to
settle with their adversaries (See Matt. 12:58-59).
“The Galileans whose blood Pilate had
mingled with their sacrifices.” This event was not recorded in other historical
materials. Probably, when Pilate was the governor of
“Told Him” Probably their purpose to
tell the Lord Jesus was to ask Him the reason why the Galilean suffered such
things and whether they deserved the suffering that they received (See v.2).
Luke. 13:2 “And Jesus answered and
said to them, ‘Do you suppose that these
Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered
such things?”
YLT: “and Jesus answering
said to them, `Think ye that these Galileans became sinners beyond all the
Galileans, because they have suffered such things?”
The
Background: the Jews commonly
held that disasters only happened to the worst sinners (See John. 9:1-2; Job.
4:7; 22:5).
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) When men encounter misfortunes, the ordinary
men, with the wrong conception and attitude of making pleasure in others’
misfortune, think that they are greatly in sin so that they pay the penalty.
2) In the eyes of God, there is no degree of sins.
All the world may become guilty before God because all have sinned and fall
short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:19, 23).
Luke. 13:3 “I tell you, no; but
unless you repent you will all likewise perish.”
YLT: “No I say to you,
but, if ye may not reform, all ye even so shall perish.”
Meaning of Words: “repent”: the change
of thoughts and minds; “perish”: destroy fully, loose completely, ruin.
Literal Meaning: “I tell you, no.”
The Lord here showed that the misfortune is not directly determined by the
degree of sins.
“But unless you repent you will all
likewise perish.” Though the befalling of misfortune may not be related to the
degree of sins, it is related to the corporate wickedness of all men (See Gen.
6:5-6). Therefore it reminds us that unless we repent we will all likewise
perish.
“Repent” in the original means the
change of views and thoughts instead of the change of behaviors. Men’s thoughts
were originally against God and far away from God and now they should
completely change and turn to God. “Perish” does not mean that the body will
die but that the soul will suffer the everlasting pain after one’s death.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) All men are sinners and they all need to repent,
otherwise, they have to face the terrible end.
2) Repentance does not mean the change of
behaviors. Therefore it is not to forsake evil to do goodness. Repentance, the
change of thoughts, is to turn one’s thoughts to God from all the others
besides God.
3) Men’s greatest sin before God is the
disobedience to Him. That’s the “sin” we have to confess when we repent. All
sins of men originate from the disobedience to God.
4) We should repent when we only care about the
religion, doctrines, letters and services and neglect the Lord Himself.
Luke. 13:4 “Or those eighteen on whom
the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse
sinners than all other men who dwelt in
YLT: “`Or those eighteen,
on whom the tower in Siloam fell, and killed them; think ye that these became
debtors beyond all men who are dwelling in
The
Background: “the tower in
Siloam” It was built on the hillside within the city wall in the southeast of
Literal Meaning: “those eighteen on
whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them.” The disaster took place in
Luke. 13:5 “I tell you, no; but
unless you repent you will all likewise perish.’”
YLT: “No I say to you,
but, if ye may not reform, all ye in like manner shall perish.’”
Enlightenment in the Word: concerning the worldly things that had occurred,
believers should elevate it to the spiritual realm and
see the reason and countermeasure of them with the spiritual sight.
Luke. 13:6 “He also spoke this
parable: ‘A certain man had a fig
tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none.”
YLT: “And he spake this
simile: ‘A certain one had a fig-tree planted in his vineyard, and he came
seeking fruit in it, and he did not find;”
Spiritual Meaning: “A certain man had a
fig tree planted in his vineyard” “A certain man” typifies God the Father; “a
fig tree” is the type of the
“He came seeking fruit on it” God
cultivates the children of
There are at least following kinds of
“fruit” in the Bible: 1) the fruit of repentance, i.e. the change of behaviors
because of the heart of repentance (See 3:8); 2) the fruit of virtue, i.e. the
spiritual virtue that is naturally manifested by the work of the Holy Spirit in
the hearts of men (See Gal. 5:22-23); 3) the fruit of life, i.e. the
manifestation of the mature life (See John. 15:1-8); 4) the fruit of testimony,
i.e. the result of one’s working for the Lord (See Rom. 1:13); 5) the fruit of
lips, i.e. giving thanksgiving, praise and glory to God (See Heb. 13:15).
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Today, among believers, the condition is
probably like that among the children of
2) If we only stress on the doctrines, words and
letters and neglect the reality of the spiritual life, probably, in the eyes of
the Lord, we are Christians who have nothing but leaves.
3) The Lord gave Himself to be men’s real provision
and He is a strong contrast to the fig tree which does not have the reality but
the appearance.
Luke. 13:7 “Then he said to the
keeper of his vineyard, ‘Look, for three years I
have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does
it use up the ground?'”
YLT: “and he said unto
the vine-dresser, Lo, three years I come seeking fruit in this fig-tree, and do
not find, cut it off, why also the ground doth it render useless?”
Literal Meaning: “for three years”
someone held that it indicated that it had been three years since the Lord
Jesus began to preach when He was thirty years old (See 3:23).
“Use up the ground.” It means to consume
the nutrients of the soil, usurp the sunshine and take up the room.
Spiritual Meaning: “the keeper of his
vineyard” is the type of the Lord Jesus. God the Father sent His beloved Son to
the world to preach the word of the
“For three years.” It means that it has
been given the ample time.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) If believers do not bear the spiritual fruit, in
the eyes of God, they “use up the ground” and waste their whole life in the
world, unavoidably they will be punished by God in future.
2) The Holy Trinity keeps working in believers with
the aim that we could bear fruit to satisfy Him. Those who hold that it is
enough that one has been saved through the faith of the Lord and won’t perish
in future are the most selfish Christians because they have not considered the
satisfaction of God.
Luke. 13:8 “But he answered and said
to him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year
also, until I dig around it and fertilize it.”
YLT: “`And he answering
saith to him, Sir, suffer it also this year, till that I may dig about it, and
cast in dung;”
Meaning of Words: “fertilize”: organic
manure.
Spiritual Meaning: “he” is the type of
the Lord Jesus who intercedes for us before God (See Heb. 7:25).
“Let it alone this year also” “This
year” does not indicate the year in the calendar but the time limit of God’s
forbearance and grace. To all the people of
“Until I dig around it” It typifies that
the Lord removes our hardened hearts so that the root of life will have room to
extend.
“Fertilize it” “Manure” is detested by
men and on one hand it symbolizes the offense of the cross (See Gal. 5:11). On
the other, it symbolizes the nutrients of life.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) God is full of mercy in righteousness and His
goodness leads us to repentance (See
2) Nobody could be sure whether the days of one’s
life fall within “this year” or “using up the ground” (See v.7) before the Lord
for the chance has passed. May all believers take the chance at present and
bear the fruit of life.
3) Today is the chance that the Lord has kept for
us for the further and deeper work of the cross in us so that we could bear the
fruit of the Holy Spirit (See Gal. 5:22-24).
Luke. 13:9 “And if it bears fruit,
well. But if not, after that you can cut it down.’”
YLT: “and if indeed it may
bear fruit ; and if not so, thereafter thou shalt cut it off.’”
Spiritual Meaning: “you can cut it
down” It predicts that the children of Israel will be rejected by God for a
while and the failing Christians will be punished by God in future and they do
not partake in the enjoyment of the kingdom.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) If believers do not bear fruit, we will be taken
away, cast out and withered (John. 15:2, 6).
2) The value of the existence of all is to let the
Lord of all have enjoyment and satisfaction, otherwise, their existence is
meaningless.
3) The fruit that we could give the Lord is the
measurement of Christ in us. We should pray the Lord to work in us to increase
“Christ” in us, lest we may be abandoned.
Luke. 13:10 “Now He was teaching in
one of the synagogues on the Sabbath.”
YLT: “And he was teaching
in one of the synagogues on the sabbath,”
The
Background: “He was teaching in
one of the synagogues” “Synagogue” came into being after the Jews were carried
away captive to
Spiritual Meaning: “synagogue”
symbolizes all religions which the Judaism represents.
Luke. 13:11 “And behold, there was a
woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could
in no way raise herself up.”
YLT: “and lo, there was a
woman having a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and she was bowed together,
and not able to bend back at all,”
Meaning of Words: “bent over”: bent
together, bent double.
Literal Meaning: “was bent over and
could in no way raise herself up.” It is different from humpback and she bent
down from the waist and her chest even overlapped her legs.
Spiritual Meaning: “who had a spirit of
infirmity eighteen years” It indicates that she “has been bound by Satan for
eighteen years” (See v.16).
“Could in no way raise herself up” It
symbolizes that those who have been bound by the devil could only look down at
the earthly things and could not look up into heaven.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) If our eyes of hearts only look at the earthly
things and do not look up into the heavenly things (See Col. 3:1-2), probably,
we may be bound by the devil.
2) It is proved that he who has been pressed by
sin, the world, life, morality, religion, the Law and other burdens and “could
in no way raise himself up” is under the power of Satan.
Luke. 13:12 “But when Jesus saw her,
He called her to Him and said to her, ‘Woman, you are loosed from
your infirmity.’”
YLT: “and Jesus having
seen her, did call [her] near, and said to her, `Woman, thou hast been loosed
from thy infirmity;’”
Enlightenment in the Word: this woman who was “bent over and could in no way
raise herself up” (v.11) was seen and healed by the Lord “in the synagogue”
(v.10). The ordinary woman, who may have the same disease with her, may blame
God and men or avoid meeting others. However, she still went to the synagogue
to worship God and learn the word of God and therefore she was granted the
grace. May we could disregard our own tribulations and still seek the word of
God with boldness and thank and praise God in the tribulations.
Luke. 13:13 “And He laid His hands on
her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.”
YLT: “and he laid on her
[his] hands, and presently she was set upright, and was glorifying God.”
Spiritual Meaning: “He laid His hands
on her” “Laying one’s hand on” symbolizes to spread the blessing (See 1Tim.
4:14, 2Tim. 1:6) and symbolizes the union of life (See 1Tim. 5:22).
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Only when one is united to Christ completely
(“laid His hands on her”) could he be delivered from the heavy burdens (“raise
herself up”) and then God the Father will be glorified by this.
2) When we are pressed by the worldly things and
could not breathe, as long as the Lord comes and touches us, we will be released
immediately.
Luke. 13:14 “But the ruler of the
synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath;
and he said to the crowd, ‘There are six days on which
men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath
day.’”
YLT: “And the chief of
the synagogue answering much displeased that on the sabbath Jesus healed said
to the multitude, `Six days there are in which it behoveth [us] to be working;
in these, then, coming, be healed, and not on the sabbath-day.’”
The
Background: according to the
teachings of the Jewish rabbis, unless men were dying, men could not “heal men
on the Sabbath day” because they thought that healing was against the
regulation that one could not work on the Sabbath.
Spiritual Meaning: “the ruler of the
synagogue” is the type of the religious leader.
“Jesus had healed on the Sabbath” The
Sabbath was set up for men to have rest. Men were sick on the Sabbath and it
symbolizes that men in the religion only have the appearance of the Sabbath and
lack the reality of the Sabbath. Only the Lord Jesus could bring men the true
rest.
“With indignation” symbolizes that
religion is utilized by the devil to reject the Lord Jesus.
Luke. 13:15 “The Lord then answered
him and said, ‘Hypocrite! Does not each
one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it
away to water it?”
YLT: “Then the Lord
answered him and said, `Hypocrite, doth not each of you on the sabbath loose
his ox or ass from the stall, and having led away, doth water [it]?”
Literal Meaning: “Hypocrite!”
indicates that they pretended to be zealous in the Law and actually they did
not care the general principle of the Law that “you shall love your neighbor as
yourself” (See Matt. 22:39-40).
“Does not each one of you on the
Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it?” It shows that they care about animals more
than those who are in need. They care about their livestock and do not care
about others’ illness, showing that they love themselves and do not love
others------they have not loved their neighbor as themselves.
Luke. 13:16 “So ought not this woman,
being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound--think of it--for eighteen
years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?’”
YLT: “and this one, being
a daughter of Abraham, whom the Adversary bound, lo, eighteen years, did it not
behove to be loosed from this bond on the sabbath-day?’”
Literal Meaning: “being a daughter of
Abraham” It means that she was one of God’s elect.
Spiritual Meaning: “be loosed from this
bond on the Sabbath?” It indicates that the Sabbath is to make men have rest
(See Gen. 2:3) and it is not to keep men under the control.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) “Whom Satan has bound for eighteen years.” Many times, Satan makes men fall ill and
become unclean (See 1Cor. 5:5, 2Cor. 12:7).
2) Helping others to be released from suffering is
to make men rest and it is the true rest.
3) The legal tradition (“a daughter of Abraham”)
and the best system (“the Sabbath”) still could not help men be delivered from
the binding and pressing. Only the full Christ could release men and bring them
into the true rest.
Luke. 13:17 “And when He said these
things, all His adversaries were put to shame; and all the multitude rejoiced
for all the glorious things that were done by Him.”
YLT: “And he saying these
things, all who were opposed to him were being ashamed, and all the multitude
were rejoicing over all the glorious things that are being done by him.”
Literal Meaning: “all His adversaries
were put to shame” “His adversaries” indicate those who hold the rigid attitude
towards the Law and regulations and reject the Lord Jesus; “were put to shame”
indicates that their hearts felt shameful.
Enlightenment in the Word: the word of the Lord has two-sided effects:
1. The negative aspect: it is like the
two-edged sword (Heb. 4:12) that makes listeners feel that they are picked in
their hearts (Acts. 2:37) and “shameful”.
2. The positive aspect: it is like the dropping
of the honeycomb (Ps. 19:10) that makes listeners feel refreshing, sweet (Ps.
119:103), satisfied, “joyful” and encourage them.
Luke. 13:18 “Then He said, ‘What is the
YLT: “And he said, `To what
is the reign of God like? and to what shall I liken it?”
Meaning of Words: “like”: similar,
alike; “compare”: to become similar, resemble.
Spiritual Meaning: these parables
concerning the
Luke. 13:19 “It is like a mustard
seed, which a man took and put in his garden; and it grew and became a large
tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches.’”
YLT: “It is like to a
grain of mustard, which a man having taken, did cast into his garden, and it
increased, and came to a great tree, and the fowls of the heavens did rest in
its branches.’”
Meaning of Words: “like”: similar, alike.
The
Background: there
is a kind of mustard tree in the
Literal Meaning: “It is like a
mustard seed.” The Lord does not mean that the kingdom of heaven is like “a
mustard seed”, but like the whole parable of v.19.
Spiritual Meaning: the word of the Lord here implies that:
1) The nature of the
2) The
3) The word of the
4) The
“A man took and put it in his garden”, the beginning of the
“It grew and became a large tree” It is
not the will of the Lord but the result of the enemy’s destruction. Here it
shows the accidental development of the
1) The
2) It roots deeply into the land, unties with the
world closely and plans to stay on earth long.
3) It can never be taken as food like herbs and has
lost its function of the spiritual provision.
“The
birds of the air nested in its branches.”------“The birds of the air” indicate Satan (See
Mark. 4:4, 15) and its angels (Eph. 6:12). “Branches” refer to the
organizations of Christianity. It shows that the excessive development of the
appearance of the
Controversial Clarification: Some Bible exegetes explained “it grew and became a
large tree” as that the
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) It is not a good thing of the excessive
development of the appearance of the assembly, for it may easily bring in the
hide of the enemy (“the birds of the air”). The assembly should keep its
identity of “little flock” on the earth (See 12:32).
2) The secret of overcoming is to take fast hold of
our position that is given by the Lord and be humble willingly. God used Saul
when he thought himself as the smallest. God found David when Saul was proud
later (1Sam. 9:21, 16:1).
3) If we puff up and pretend to be great and to be
spiritual though we are not so in fact, we just consequently give room to
Satan.
Luke. 13:20 “And again He said, ‘To what shall I liken the
YLT: “And again he said,
`To what shall I liken the reign of God?”
Meaning of Words: “liken”: become
similar, resemble (it is the same word in the original with “compare” in v.18).
Luke. 13:21 “It is like leaven, which
a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened.’”
YLT: “It is like leaven,
which a woman, having taken, did hide in three measures of meal, till that all
was leavened.’”
Meaning of Words: “like”: similar,
alike (in the original it is the same with “like” in v.18 and v.19); “hid”:
conceal; “was leaven”: be risen with yeast.
Literal
Meaning: “like leaven” The
Lord meant that the kingdom of heaven is like the whole parable in this verse.
Spiritual Meaning: “like leaven”
“leaven” indicates evil teaching (Matt. 16:12) and evil things (1Cor. 5:7-8).
“A woman took and hid in three measures of meal.”
“A woman” is the backslidden assembly (Rev. 2:20); “three measures of meal” is
the originally unleavened fine flour and the unleavened fine flour is the type
that Christ is the pure food for men and God (See Lev. 2:1); therefore “three
measures of meal” symbolize the original nature of kingdom of God as the
Blessed Trinity in Christ is pure and could fill men in spirit.
A woman took leaven and hid it in three measures of
meal, showing that the backslidden assembly privily brought in damnable
heresies (2Pet. 2:1) and mixed it with pure teachings. She also received evil
things and mixed them with pure spiritual things.
“Till it was all leavened” “It” is the
whole Christianity. The enemy’s work of corruption becomes more and more
serious day by day and even corrupts the whole Christianity.
Controversial Clarification: Some Bible exegetes held that “leaven” may not
present the bad things and therefore God asked men to sacrifice two breads with
leaven as food-offering in the day of Pentecost (Lev. 23:17). Actually, these
two breads with leaven are the type of the Jewish and the Gentile assembly that
were generated in the day of Pentecost. Though they were saved for they have
been born from above, their flesh of the old men still exists and therefore
“leaven” is not good. Some Bible exegetes explained “leaven” as the inner
working power of the Holy Spirit which was able to expand in individual life, human
beings and ultimately the whole. However this explanation was opposed to the
Lord’s view that the leaven was not good (See 12:1; Matt. 16:11-12; Mark. 8:15)
and therefore it was unacceptable.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The artifice of the enemy is to transform the
appearance of the assembly (a mustard seed grew and became a tree) or
deteriorate the inner part of the assembly (it was all leavened).
2) What Christians should care mostly is not to be
cheated by teachings of heresy. Today in the world of Christianity, teachings
of heresy are very prosperous because the Lord had already foreknown this.
3) Leaven is able to make breads delicious. The
teachings of heresy please men’s appetite and therefore they are welcome to
common people.
Luke. 13:22 “And He went through the
cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward
YLT: “And he was going
through cities and villages, teaching, and making progress toward
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The attitude of the Lord Jesus teaches us that:
we shouldn’t stop doing anything or sit down to wait for the coming of the
2) If the cross really works deeply in us, many
things could help us to experience Him more deeply and abundantly.
Luke. 13:23 “Then one said to Him, ‘Lord, are there few who are saved?’ And He said to them,”
YLT: “and a certain one
said to him, `Sir, are those saved few?’ and he said unto them,”
Literal Meaning: “Lord, are there few
who are saved?” The one who asked the Lord the question may become aware that
though the multitudes came to listen to the preaching of Jesus and were healed,
few of the followers were faithful.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Many believers take notice of the quantity of
those who have been saved and therefore they have the burden of evangel. It is
good to preach the gospel and make men be saved, however, it is not the only
good thing.
2) It is not the will of the Lord to make men be
saved and not seek Him diligently. The Lord is unwilling to see that those who
have been saved are neither cold nor hot (See Rev. 3:15-16).
Luke. 13:24 “‘Strive
to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter
and will not be able.”
YLT: “`Be striving to go
in through the straight gate, because many, I say to you, will seek to go in,
and shall not be able;”
Meaning of Words: “strive”: fight,
labor fervently, struggle; “not be able”: not have strength.
The
Background: there were rivers
around the city of the Jews. There was a narrow bridge in the place to enter
into the city. There was a small gate in the middle of the great gate.
Literal Meaning: “strive to enter
through the narrow gate” Here the gate is the pass to another way. Only by
entering through “the narrow gate” could one find the right way.
Citizens of the
Spiritual Meaning: the “narrow gate”
here does not stress on one’s being saved and entering the eternal life (See
Matt. 7:13-14) but emphasize one’s overcoming and entering into the reality of
the
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Men care about whether “there are few who are
saved” (See v.23) and the Lord cares that men should enter in the
2) Men stress on the outward prosperity------the
quantity of people, full cooperation, good fame and magnificent
buildings------“are there few who are saved?” (v.23) The Lord emphasizes the
actual spiritual state that whether one walks on the way of the
cross------“strive to enter through the narrow gate”.
3) Believers should at first enter through the
narrow gate and then walk on the way. Entering through the narrow gate is only
a beginning and walking on the way is the lifelong procedure. Once we have
entered through the wrong gate, the way we walk on after must be wrong.
Therefore we have to be very cautious in the beginning.
4) Cross is a test for citizens of the
5) If we are willing to be restricted, receive the
deprivation of the cross and get rid of everything that is unsuited to the
heavenly nature, we could walk on the way of everlasting (Ps. 139:24).
Unfortunately, there are few who are willing to pay this price.
6) In the heavenly realm, everything should be
originated from Christ the gate and all our life, service and experience should
be done in Christ.
7) The narrow gate is the way of cross. Only
through cross can we find God and receive the eternal life. This is the
unchangeable truth.
8) There is the limitation of the period of
validity for one to enter through the narrow gate. If one does not enter
through the gate right now, he will not be able to enter through it though he
seeks to enter in future.
Luke. 13:25 “When once the Master of
the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and
knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open for us,'
and He will answer and say to you, ‘I do not know you, where
you are from,'”
YLT: “from the time the
master of the house may have risen up, and may have shut the door, and ye may
begin without to stand, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, lord, open to
us, and he answering shall say to you, I have not known you whence ye are,”
Literal Meaning: “I do not know you,
where you are from.” In the original know (oida) means to “praise, approve, like,
recognize”. Therefore this sentence does not mean that the Lord does not know
them at all. It means that the Lord does not appreciate them (See Matt. 7:23).
Spiritual Meaning: “once the Master of
the house has risen up and shut the door.” “The Master of the house” indicates
the Lord Jesus Christ; “the door” does not indicate the door of salvation and
the eternal life but the door to enter the kingdom and gain the reward.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) After believers have been saved and have entered
the door of the eternal life, they still need to strive to enter the door of
overcoming.
2) As long as it is called today (See Heb. 3:13),
believers should enter the door in time, lest we should be shut out of the door
in future.
Luke. 13:26 “then you will begin to
say, ‘We ate and drank in Your
presence, and You taught in our streets.'”
YLT: “then ye may begin
to say, We did eat before thee, and did drink, and in our broad places thou
didst teach;”
Literal Meaning: this verse means
that we have been with you and have received your provisions and teachings.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Though the ordinary Christians have entered the
church and studied at the Sunday school and in the Bible study, however, they
probably only have the nodding acquaintance with the Lord and do not truly know
His intention.
2) We should not keep a casual acquaintanceship
with the Lord and we should build up the deep relationship with the Lord that
we could share weal and woe.
Luke. 13:27 “But He will say, ‘I tell you I do not know you, where you are from. Depart
from Me, all you workers of iniquity.'”
YLT: “and he shall say, I
say to you, I have not known you whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers
of the unrighteousness.”
Meaning of Words: “knew”: praise,
acknowledge; “lawlessness”: illegality, a violation of law, wickedness.
Literal Meaning: those who do the
work of the Lord by their own will are the workers of lawlessness (the original
of “workers of iniquity”). This kind of people will not be praised (the original
meaning of “know”) and will be punished by the Lord before the judgment-seat of
Christ in future.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) God’s will is the test for our work. God cares
about whether our work is of God or of us instead of the greatness or prosperity
of our work.
2) “Workers of iniquity” are “workers of
lawlessness” who walk not according to the principle of God. The principle of
God is none other but the cross of Christ. Everything that is done not
according to the principle of cross will not be acknowledged by the Lord.
3) Those who have not been dealt with by the cross
only pay attention to the effect of work and praise of men instead of the
acknowledgement of the Lord. And certainly their work is of no spiritual value.
Luke. 13:28 “There will be weeping and
gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the
prophets in the
YLT: “`There shall be
there the weeping and the gnashing of the teeth, when ye may see Abraham, and Isaac,
and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the reign of God, and yourselves being cast
out without;”
Literal Meaning: “Abraham and Isaac
and Jacob and all the prophets” They were the ancestors of the children of
“In the
“Thrust out” indicates outside of the
kingdom, i.e. outside of God’s presence.
“There will be weeping and gnashing of
teeth.” “Weeping” indicates the repentance in the heart; “gnashing of teeth”
indicates the deep self-reproach.
Luke. 13:29 “They will come from the
east and the west, from the north and the south, and sit down in the
YLT: “and they shall come
from east and west, and from north and south, and shall recline in the reign of
God,”
Literal Meaning: “They will come from
the east and the west, from the north and the south.” These people indicate the
Gentile believers who come from every corner of the world (See Ps. 107:3) to
God.
“And sit down in the
This verse indicates that there will be
many Gentiles partake in the
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Thank God! We who once were not a people but are
now the people of God and who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained
mercy (2Pet. 2:10).
2) At all times and in all countries, there are
many people risen by God in various regions to partake in the
Luke. 13:30 “And indeed there are last
who will be first, and there are first who will be last.’”
YLT: “and lo, there are
last who shall be first, and there are first who shall be last.’”
Literal Meaning: “indeed there are
last who will be first” It is the word of encouragement. Though men may be last
in the beginning, everything has not been fixed and therefore they could still
become first.
“There are first who will be last.” It
is the word of warning. If men are complacent about the present state, probably
they may become “last”.
Spiritual Meaning: “last” indicate the
Gentile believers and those who have been save later; “first” indicate the Jews
and those who have been in the Lord earlier.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) What determines our end in future is our
“present” state instead of our “previous” state.
2)
Many who are first will be last (Matt. 19:30). We should not hold that it is
enough for one to love the Lord formerly, lest it will be too late for us to
regret.
3) To those who ran well (See Gal. 5:7), even if
they do not have the spirit of pride, if they slack off and do not try their
best to run (See Pill. 3:13-14, Heb. 12:1), they will fall behind.
4) For the reward of the kingdom we should try our
best to run (1Cor. 9:24) and finish the race (2Tim. 4:7), then we may be
“first”.
5) Our duty is to run and the Lord is the one who
judges who is first or last.
Luke. 13:31 “On that very day some
Pharisees came, saying to Him, ‘Get out and depart from
here, for Herod wants to kill You.’”
YLT: “On that day there
came near certain Pharisees, saying to him, `Go forth, and be going on hence,
for Herod doth wish to kill thee;’”
Literal Meaning: “Herod wants to kill
You.” “Herod” was Herod Antipas who killed John the Baptist (See 9:7-9). There
are two possibilities for the Pharisees to say so: 1) the Pharisees did not
like that the Lord Jesus preached in the neighborhood and they wanted to force
Him to leave that place by means of Herod; 2) Herod feared the arising of
another prophet who had the same influence with John the Baptist and therefore
he wanted to frighten Him away from that place.
Luke. 13:32 “And He said to them, ‘Go, tell that fox, ‘Behold,
I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I
shall be perfected.'”
YLT: “and he said to
them, ‘Having gone, say to this fox, Lo, I cast forth demons, and perfect cures
to-day and to-morrow, and the third [day] I am being perfected;”
Literal Meaning: “Go, tell that fox”
“Fox” is suspicious and cunning by nature. The Lord Jesus used it to describe
that Herod was mercurial and deceitful by nature. It correctly reflects the
common view of the Jews towards Herod.
“Behold, I cast out demons and perform
cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.” It shows
that the Lord Jesus served on earth according to the appointed timetable, until
He fulfilled His ministry and achieved His aim.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The attitude of the enemy is to drive out Christ------“get
out and depart from here” and kill Him------“Herod wants to kill you” (v.31).
However, the Lord’s attitude is to advance bravely and never shrink
back------“I must journey today” (v.33) and continually supply grace------“I
cast out demons and performs cures today and tomorrow” because He has the
glorious hope of resurrection------“and the third day I shall be perfected”.
Those who follow Christ should do likewise.
2) On one hand the intention of Herod on the earth
was going to bring forth (v.31) and on the other the will of God in heaven
should be fulfilled. Do we forsake the will of God because of the earthly
countercheck? Or do we disregard the earthly countercheck because of the will
of God?
Luke. 13:33 “Nevertheless I must
journey today, tomorrow, and the day following; for it cannot be that a prophet
should perish outside of
YLT: “but it behoveth me
to-day, and to-morrow, and the [day] following, to go on, because it is not
possible for a prophet to perish out of
Literal Meaning: “nevertheless I must
journey today, tomorrow, and the day following;” “today, tomorrow and the day
following” is the Jewish grammar to show “a short period of time that is
uncertain but limited”.
“For it cannot be that a prophet should
perish outside of
In this verse the Lord Jesus means that:
there was a little while that I was on the earth, I must work as usual and then
go to
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) If the hour of the Lord has not come yet, the
enemy could not harm us (See John. 7:30; 8:20; Matt. 16:21).
2) The key element for Christians to overcome is to
advance bravely though they are fully aware that they are going to be killed
(See Rev. 12:11).
Luke. 13:34 “‘O
Jerusalem,
YLT: “`
Literal
Meaning: “stones those who
are sent to her!” Usually the Jews stone four kinds of men to death: a) those
who serve other gods (See Deut. 17:5, 7); b) he who has a wizard (See Lev.
20:27); c) those who commit adultery (See Deut. 22:22, John. 8:5); d) the false
prophets (See John. 8:33, 11:8). Here it must indicate that the apostles who
had been sent by the Lord were misunderstood as false prophets by Judaists (See
Matt. 21:35) and therefore they were stoned to death by them.
“How often I wanted to gather your
children together.” “How often” shows that Jesus had visited
“As a hen gathers her chicks under her
wings” Most of religious believers rebel the will of God because of their
ignorance. God bears with them again and again and contrarily He, with the mood
of hens with outstretched wings (See Is. 31:5), wants to gather them to trust
under the shadow of His wings (Ps. 36:7) in order that they may obtain His
protection.
“But you were not willing!” “You”
indicates the leaders of Judaism. The Lord is “willing” many times,
unfortunately, they keep “unwilling” all the time. How hardened were their
hearts.
Spiritual Meaning: “
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Leaders of the church who lack spiritual
knowledge and experience will become those who block the fulfillment of the
will of God.
2) The great harm the leaders may bring to the will
of God is that they strangle God’s words, close God’s revelations and put the
witnesses who have been entrusted to spread God’s message to death.
3) The Lord “is willing many times” and men keep
“unwilling” all the time. How difficult it is for the heart of heaven to
receive the response of hearts on earth.
Luke. 13:35 “See! Your house is left
to you desolate; and assuredly, I say to you, you shall not see Me until the
time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in
the name of the LORD!’”
YLT: “`Lo, your house is
being left to you desolate, and verily I say to you ye may not see me, till it
may come, when ye may say, Blessed [is] he who is coming in the name of the
Lord.’”
Literal Meaning: “your house is left
to you desolate” It predicted that God would abandon the city of
“Be left to you” means that the Lord
gave them up and let them walk in their own counsels (See Ps. 81:12).
“You shall not see Me” It predicts that
Jesus will depart from this world.
“Until the time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!” Here it predicts that when Christ comes
for the second time, the Jews will admit that He is the Messiah. Here it also
implies that when the Lord comes back, the whole house of
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Our individual body or the corporate believers
(the church) is the
2) No matter the individual believer or the church,
if one does not magnify the name of the Lord (“Blessed is He who comes in the
name of the LORD”), he will lose the presence of the Lord (“shall not see Me”).
However, once one is willing to repent and turn to the Lord, he will still
receive the Lord’s blessing.
3) If men reject the Lord, they will be rejected by
the Lord. If men respect the Lord, they will be respected by the Lord.
III.
Outlines of the Spiritual Lessons
How to Enter the
I. One should not hold that he is better than others
and he should turn to God from his heart (v.1-5).
II. One should not waste the natural resources
of life and he should bear the life of fruit (v.6-9).
III. One should not stress on the letters and
doctrines and he should pay attention to the spiritual reality (v.10-17).
IV. One should not seek the beauty of the
outward appearance and he should seek the inner purity (v.18-21).
V. One should not be influenced by the quantity of
those who have been saved and he should try his best to deal with his natural
life (v.22-25).
VI. One should not mind the distance and time
and he should do his utmost to keep the principles of God (v.26-30).
VII. One should dare not sacrifice his life of
soul and he should seize the chance to receive God’s grace (v.31-35).
Men’s Conceptions
are Opposed to God’s Intention
II. Men are concerned about their status and
appearance (the fig tree)------God cares that there is not the fruit of life
(v.6-9).
III. Men only care about keeping the
regulations of Sabbath------God cares that whether men have the reality of
Sabbath (v.10-17).
IV. Men are concerned about largeness and
the good taste------God cares that whether it is abnormal (v.18-21).
V. Men are concerned about the quantity of
those who have been saved------God cares that whether men strive to enter
through the narrow gate in time (v.22-25).
VI. Men are concerned about the origin and
closeness of the flesh------God cares whether men keep His will (v.26-30).
VII. Men care about the maintenance the life
of souls------God cares about the maintenance of His testimony (v.31-35).
──
Caleb Huang《Christian Digest Bible
Commentary Series》
Translated by Sharon Ren