Luke 13

Chap. XIII. Ver. 1—9. The death of certain Galileans, and other national calamities, improved by the parable of the fig-tree.—To understand the propriety of our Lord’s discourse, we must first briefly state the melancholy facts now alluded to. The Galileans here mentioned, were the followers of Judas Galilænis, a factious leader, and the same, probably, which is alluded to (Acts 5:37). He contended, that God being the only rightful sovereign of the Jews, they ought by no means to pay tribute to Cæsar, or acknowledge the power of the Romans. Josephus, in addition to the above principles of this sect, mentions their incredible fortitude, and contending sufferings; but does not mention the particular fact of being slain in the temple, as the words of Luke seem to imply; but Lardner thinks the reason was, the popularity of their notions among the Jews, and the abhorrence in which they were held by the Romans, rendered it impossible for him to record such facts without offending one party or the other.

The fall of the tower of Siloam, which was probably sudden, and accidental, is neither recorded by Josephus, nor by any contemporary historian. For in those days there were no public journals, and those of the government were nearly confined to their own transactions. There is no reason, however, to question either of the facts, and both had doubtless occurred very recently, since they were brought to Jesus by some person who visited the temple. We may see, however, by the remark of our Lord, the proper way in which such events should be improved. We should not vent our feelings in execrations on the sufferers; but consider that we also are sinners, and liable to the same calamities. Indeed these events portrayed, in a very lively manner, the subsequent sufferings of the nation, great numbers of whom were slain by the Romans in the temple, during the celebration of one of their great public festivals, while many thousand others were buried under the ruins of the temple itself, when taken by the Romans.

In this discourse our Lord also sets a very excellent example to his ministers in every age. While he carefully avoids political discussion, he improves all public events to the best moral and religious ends; showing the uncertainty of life, the perpetual danger of death, and the great importance of being prepared for all circumstances, by a timely and sincere repentance; for death often strikes with little or no warning. In order to fix these things upon the memory of his hearers, our Lord introduces the parable of a barren fig-tree, which having repeatedly disappointed the reasonable expectations of its owner, is ordered to be cut down, as “‘a cumberer of the ground;” and is spared only through the intercession of the keeper of the vineyard, under which character our Lord himself is represented as pleading on their behalf, and labouring to rouse them to national and personal repentance by every proper means.

This parable very forcibly depicts, not only the moral barrenness of the Jews, but of other nations also, which being favoured with peculiar privileges, like our own, still do not bring forth “fruits meet for repentance.” Nor is the emblem less applicable to the case of individuals, who, favoured with all the culture of Christian education, and with all the advantages of evangelical [religion], still remain barren and unfruitful, even in God’s vineyard. “Still may this barren fig-tree stand And, cultivated by thy hand, Verdure, and bloom, and fruit afford, Meet tribute to its bounteous Lord!”

Ver. 10—17. An aged and bowed woman cured of her infirmity on the sabbath day.—It was doubtless by design that our Lord wrought so many miracles on the sabbath day: not that he meant to lessen their reverence for the day; but to correct their superstitious notions, who, because they were forbidden secular labour on that day, converted it, in a great measure, into a day of idleness and indulgence; whereas, to a good man, especially in this age of Christian activity, between [acts] of [piety] and benevolence, it affords equal employment to any day of the week.

Such it did to our Lord himself. On that day we always find him in either the temple or the synagogue; either instructing the minds or healing the diseases of the poor; and thereby marking it out as a proper season, not only for devotion, but for the religious instruction of all classes: and though the healing of the sick is necessarily confined to those only, who are professionally qualified; yet the visiting of the sick, and carrying to them the instructions and consolations of the gospel, is a holy work, eminently suited to this holy day. In the case before us, here is a woman long bent double, either through disorder in the spine, or extreme nervous weakness, so that she was unable to lift, or raise herself upright, till our Lord had spoken the strengthening word.

This disorder is attributed to Satan, as Job’s was, ((Job 2:7),) for this evil spirit loses no opportunity of doing mischief when permitted; but as here is no mention either of a demon or his being ejected, we doubt her being properly a demoniac. The ruler of the synagogue, fired with indignation, and probably seeing other miserable objects applying for mercy, flies at the people, telling them that they ought not to come to be healed on the sabbath day. At this our Lord is evidently incensed, and in the severest terms reproves him, as no better than a hypocrite, using the same argument as he had formerly used, when he cured the man with a withered hand: if they [do] not (as it appears was the case) water their cattle on the sabbath day, that they might not suffer a temporary thirst, surely they ought not to be angry that a daughter of Abraham had on this day been delivered from so terrible a complaint.

Upon this the ruler and his companions were all struck dumb with shame, while “the people rejoiced for all the glorious things” that the Lord had done.

Ver. 22—30. The necessity of striving for salvation.—An impertinent question here produces a very interesting reply. The question is, “Are there few that be saved?” The answer is, “‘Strive to enter in at the strait gate,” that you may be one of them. The number rests with God, and we have no business with it: but the secret purpose of God offers no impediment to our salvation. The fewer there are, the more necessary it is for us to strive, to struggle, literally to agonize that we may be found among the number. This doctrine has been laid down in the sermon on the mount, but is here enforced by an additional argument.

Not only is the entrance difficult, but the time is limited. “When once the door is shut,” it will be in vain to knock, or “strive to enter.” Then many shall strive to enter in, and shall not be able. What are the arguments likely to be made use of? Some will plead, “We have eaten and drank in thy presence.” Yes, Judas may say this; for he was a daily guest at his master’s table. Others will say, “Thou hast taught in our streets,” and we have listened to thy preaching with delight: so Herod heard John gladly, and did many things at his suggestion, and afterwards cut off his head. Others, mentioned at the sermon on the mount, went still farther: they even prophesied and wrought miracles, ((Matthew 7:22);) yet Jesus never knew, that is, never acknowledged them for his children, or disciples; and will never receive them to his glory, because they never departed from iniquity. On the contrary, they shall be banished into “outer darkness.” Thus, those who were first in respect of privilege, were last in respect of salvation, or were utterly excluded from it.

To revert again to the question with which we set out—“Are there few that be saved?” Yes: few indeed, compared with those who profess to be so. From those who profess the Christian name, which are yet altogether vastly inferior to those who do not, we must subtract the ignorant and self-deceived, the fearful and unbelieving, the hypocritical and false professors, whose object is any thing but the salvation of their souls, and alas! how few remain! And yet when these few are collected from every age, from Adam to the end of the world; from every country of Asia, Africa, Europe, and America; from every denomination of those who profess the Christian name, then shall they truly form “a great multitude, which no man can number.” (Revelation 7:9).

Ver. 31—35. Herod threatens the life of Jesus. Jesus laments over Jerusalem.—The Herod here mentioned was the tetrarch of Galilee, in whose territories Jesus now was sojourning; but the Pharisees bore so little kindness to our Lord, that we are compelled to refer to some other motive, to account for this communication. Doddridge suspects that

Notes on the verses

Ver. 11. A spirit of infirmity.—It is generally supposed that this woman was a demoniac, but we see no proof of this. A spirit of infirmity or weakness no more implies it than “a spirit of fear,” (2 Timothy 1:7), “of slumber,” (Romans 11:8), or “of jealousy,” (Numbers 5:14). Thus it appears to mean no more, than some great weakness which had long bent her double.

Ver. 15. Thou hypocrite! doth not each one, &c.—See (Matthew 12:11).

Ver. 24. Strive to enter, &c.—Literally, Go before because the time is near when the master of the house shall shut to the door; when probation having closed, agonizing will be in vain. The force of this passage is lost by a wrong punctuation. It should be punctuated so as to read thus: “for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able, when once the master,” &c. So gives great emphasis to the direction to strive now, for it may soon be too late.

Ver. 32. Tell that for.—{This was probably Herod Antipas, tetrarch of Galilee, who is described by Josephus as a crafty and incestuous prince, with which the character given him by our Lord, and the narratives of the Evangelists, exactly coincide.}—Bagster.