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Luke chapter 13

English Standard Version

1There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2And he answered them, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? 3No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. 4Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? 5No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish."
6And he told this parable: "A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. 7And he said to the vinedresser, ‘Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?’ 8And he answered him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure. 9Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’"
10Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. 11And behold, there was a woman who had had a disabling spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not fully straighten herself. 12When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said to her, "Woman, you are freed from your disability." 13And he laid his hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and she glorified God. 14But the ruler of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the people, "There are six days in which work ought to be done. Come on those days and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day." 15Then the Lord answered him, "You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger and lead it away to water it? 16And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?" 17As he said these things, all his adversaries were put to shame, and all the people rejoiced at all the glorious things that were done by him.
18He said therefore, "What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? 19It is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden, and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches."
20And again he said, "To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? 21It is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, until it was all leavened."
22He went on his way through towns and villages, teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem. 23And someone said to him, "Lord, will those who are saved be few?" And he said to them, 24"Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. 25When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us,’ then he will answer you, ‘I do not know where you come from.’ 26Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ 27But he will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil!’ 28In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but you yourselves cast out. 29And people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at table in the kingdom of God. 30And behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last."
31At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, "Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you." 32And he said to them, "Go and tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I finish my course. 33Nevertheless, I must go on my way today and tomorrow and the day following, for it cannot be that a prophet should perish away from Jerusalem.’ 34O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! 35Behold, your house is forsaken. And I tell you, you will not see me until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’"
New International Version

1Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. 2Jesus answered, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? 3I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. 4Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? 5I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish."
6Then he told this parable: "A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. 7So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’
8" ‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. 9If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’ "
10On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, 11and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. 12When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, "Woman, you are set free from your infirmity." 13Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God.
14Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue leader said to the people, "There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath."
15The Lord answered him, "You hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you on the Sabbath untie your ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water? 16Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?"
17When he said this, all his opponents were humiliated, but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing.
18Then Jesus asked, "What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it to? 19It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds perched in its branches."
20Again he asked, "What shall I compare the kingdom of God to? 21It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough."
22Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem.
23Someone asked him, "Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?" He said to them, 24"Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to.
25Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’ "But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’
26"Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’
27"But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’
28"There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out. 29People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. 30Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last."
31At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said to him, "Leave this place and go somewhere else. Herod wants to kill you."
32He replied, "Go tell that fox, ‘I will keep on driving out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.’ 33In any case, I must press on today and tomorrow and the next day—for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem!
34"Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. 35Look, your house is left to you desolate. I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’ "
New American Standard Bible

1Now on that very occasion there were some present who reported to Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. 2And Jesus responded and said to them, 'Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans just because they have suffered this fate? 3No, I tell you, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. 4Or do you think that those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them were worse offenders than all the other people who live in Jerusalem? 5No, I tell you, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.'
6And He began telling this parable: 'A man had a fig tree which had been planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and did not find any. 7And he said to the vineyard-keeper, ‘Look! For three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree without finding any. Cut it down! Why does it even use up the ground?’ 8But he answered and said to him, ‘Sir, leave it alone for this year too, until I dig around it and put in fertilizer; 9and if it bears fruit next year, fine; but if not, cut it down.’?'
10Now Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. 11And there was a woman who for eighteen years had had a sickness caused by a spirit; and she was bent over double, and could not straighten up at all. 12When Jesus saw her, He called her over and said to her, 'Woman, you are freed from your sickness.' 13And He laid His hands on her; and immediately she stood up straight again, and began glorifying God. 14But the synagogue leader, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, began saying to the crowd in response, 'There are six days during which work should be done; so come during them and get healed, and not on the Sabbath day.' 15But the Lord answered him and said, 'You hypocrites, does each of you on the Sabbath not untie his ox or donkey from the stall and lead it away to water it? 16And this woman, a daughter of Abraham as she is, whom Satan has bound for eighteen long years, should she not have been released from this restraint on the Sabbath day?' 17And as He said this, all His opponents were being humiliated; and the entire crowd was rejoicing over all the glorious things being done by Him.
18So He was saying, 'What is the kingdom of God like, and to what shall I compare it? 19It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and threw into his own garden; and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the sky nested in its branches.'
20And again He said, 'To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? 21It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three sata of flour until it was all leavened.'
22And He was passing through one city and village after another, teaching, and proceeding on His way to Jerusalem. 23And someone said to Him, 'Lord, are there just a few who are being saved?' And He said to them, 24Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. 25Once the head of the house gets up and shuts the door, and you begin standing outside and knocking on the door, saying, ‘Lord, open up to us!’ and He then will answer and say to you, ‘I do not know where you are from.’ 26Then you will begin saying, ‘We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets!’ 27And yet He will say, ‘I do not know where you are from; LEAVE ME, ALL YOU EVILDOERS.’ 28In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but yourselves being thrown out. 29And they will come from east and west, and from north and south, and will recline at the table in the kingdom of God. 30And behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.'
31At that very time some Pharisees approached, saying to Him, 'Go away and leave this place, because Herod wants to kill You.' 32And He said to them, 'Go and tell that fox, ‘Behold, I am casting out demons and performing healings today and tomorrow, and on the third day I reach My goal.’ 33Nevertheless I must go on My journey today and tomorrow and the next day; for it cannot be that a prophet would perish outside Jerusalem. 34Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who have been sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, just as a hen gathers her young under her wings, and you were unwilling! 35Behold, your house is left to you desolate; and I say to you, you will not see Me until you say, ‘BLESSED IS THE ONE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE Lord!’?'
Christian Standard Bible

1At that time, some people came and reported to him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. 2And he responded to them, "Do you think that these Galileans were more sinful than all the other Galileans because they suffered these things? 3No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as well. 4Or those eighteen that the tower in Siloam fell on and killed—do you think they were more sinful than all the other people who live in Jerusalem? 5No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as well."
6And he told this parable: "A man had a fig tree that was planted in his vineyard. He came looking for fruit on it and found none. 7He told the vineyard worker, ‘Listen, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it even waste the soil?’
8"But he replied to him, ‘Sir, leave it this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. 9Perhaps it will produce fruit next year, but if not, you can cut it down.’"
10As he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath, 11a woman was there who had been disabled by a spirit for over eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. 12When Jesus saw her, he called out to her, "Woman, you are free of your disability." 13Then he laid his hands on her, and instantly she was restored and began to glorify God.
14But the leader of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, responded by telling the crowd, "There are six days when work should be done; therefore come on those days and be healed and not on the Sabbath day."
15But the Lord answered him and said, "Hypocrites! Doesn’t each one of you untie his ox or donkey from the feeding trough on the Sabbath and lead it to water? 16Satan has bound this woman, a daughter of Abraham, for eighteen years—shouldn’t she be untied from this bondage on the Sabbath day?"
17When he had said these things, all his adversaries were humiliated, but the whole crowd was rejoicing over all the glorious things he was doing.
18He said, therefore, "What is the kingdom of God like, and what can I compare it to? 19It’s like a mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds of the sky nested in its branches."
20Again he said, "What can I compare the kingdom of God to? 21It’s like leaven that a woman took and mixed into fifty pounds of flour until all of it was leavened."
22He went through one town and village after another, teaching and making his way to Jerusalem.
23"Lord," someone asked him, "are only a few people going to be saved?" He said to them, 24"Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because I tell you, many will try to enter and won’t be able 25once the homeowner gets up and shuts the door. Then you will stand outside and knock on the door, saying, ‘Lord, open up for us!’ He will answer you, ‘I don’t know you or where you’re from.’ 26Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ 27But he will say, ‘I tell you, I don’t know you or where you’re from. Get away from me, all you evildoers!’ 28There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth in that place, when you see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but yourselves thrown out. 29They will come from east and west, from north and south, to share the banquet in the kingdom of God. 30Note this: Some who are last will be first, and some who are first will be last."
31At that time some Pharisees came and told him, "Go, get out of here. Herod wants to kill you."
32He said to them, "Go tell that fox, ‘Look, I’m driving out demons and performing healings today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will complete my work.’ 33Yet it is necessary that I travel today, tomorrow, and the next day, because it is not possible for a prophet to perish outside of Jerusalem.
34"Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her. How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! 35See, your house is abandoned to you. I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say,’ Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord’!"
New Living Translation

1About this time Jesus was informed that Pilate had murdered some people from Galilee as they were offering sacrifices at the Temple. 2Do you think those Galileans were worse sinners than all the other people from Galilee?' Jesus asked. 'Is that why they suffered? 3Not at all! And you will perish, too, unless you repent of your sins and turn to God. 4And what about the eighteen people who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them? Were they the worst sinners in Jerusalem? 5No, and I tell you again that unless you repent, you will perish, too.'
6Then Jesus told this story: 'A man planted a fig tree in his garden and came again and again to see if there was any fruit on it, but he was always disappointed. 7Finally, he said to his gardener, ‘I’ve waited three years, and there hasn’t been a single fig! Cut it down. It’s just taking up space in the garden.’
8The gardener answered, ‘Sir, give it one more chance. Leave it another year, and I’ll give it special attention and plenty of fertilizer. 9If we get figs next year, fine. If not, then you can cut it down.’'
10One Sabbath day as Jesus was teaching in a synagogue, 11he saw a woman who had been crippled by an evil spirit. She had been bent double for eighteen years and was unable to stand up straight. 12When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, 'Dear woman, you are healed of your sickness!' 13Then he touched her, and instantly she could stand straight. How she praised God!
14But the leader in charge of the synagogue was indignant that Jesus had healed her on the Sabbath day. 'There are six days of the week for working,' he said to the crowd. 'Come on those days to be healed, not on the Sabbath.'
15But the Lord replied, 'You hypocrites! Each of you works on the Sabbath day! Don’t you untie your ox or your donkey from its stall on the Sabbath and lead it out for water? 16This dear woman, a daughter of Abraham, has been held in bondage by Satan for eighteen years. Isn’t it right that she be released, even on the Sabbath?'
17This shamed his enemies, but all the people rejoiced at the wonderful things he did.
18Then Jesus said, 'What is the Kingdom of God like? How can I illustrate it? 19It is like a tiny mustard seed that a man planted in a garden; it grows and becomes a tree, and the birds make nests in its branches.'
20He also asked, 'What else is the Kingdom of God like? 21It is like the yeast a woman used in making bread. Even though she put only a little yeast in three measures of flour, it permeated every part of the dough.'
22Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he went, always pressing on toward Jerusalem.
23Someone asked him, 'Lord, will only a few be saved?' He replied, 24Work hard to enter the narrow door to God’s Kingdom, for many will try to enter but will fail. 25When the master of the house has locked the door, it will be too late. You will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Lord, open the door for us!’ But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’ 26Then you will say, ‘But we ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’ 27And he will reply, ‘I tell you, I don’t know you or where you come from. Get away from me, all you who do evil.’
28There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, for you will see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in the Kingdom of God, but you will be thrown out. 29And people will come from all over the world — from east and west, north and south — to take their places in the Kingdom of God. 30And note this: Some who seem least important now will be the greatest then, and some who are the greatest now will be least important then. '
31At that time some Pharisees said to him, 'Get away from here if you want to live! Herod Antipas wants to kill you!'
32Jesus replied, 'Go tell that fox that I will keep on casting out demons and healing people today and tomorrow; and the third day I will accomplish my purpose. 33Yes, today, tomorrow, and the next day I must proceed on my way. For it wouldn’t do for a prophet of God to be killed except in Jerusalem!
34O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me. 35And now, look, your house is abandoned. And you will never see me again until you say, ‘Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!’ '
King James Version

1There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things 3I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. 4Or 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? 5I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
6He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. 7Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? 8And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: 9And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.
10And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. 11And, 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. 12And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity. 13And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. 14And 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 work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day. 15The 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 16And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day? 17And 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.
18Then said he, Unto what is the kingdom of God like and whereunto shall I resemble it 19It is like a grain of mustard seed, 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.
20And again he said, Whereunto shall I liken the kingdom of God 21It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.
22And he went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem. 23Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them, 24Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. 25When 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: 26Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. 27But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity. 28There 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. 29And 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.
30And, behold, there are last which shall be first, and there are first which shall be last.
31The same day there came certain of the Pharisees, saying unto him, Get thee out, and depart hence: for Herod will kill thee.
32And 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 perfected. 33Nevertheless I must walk to day, and to morrow, and the day following: for it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem. 34O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not! 35Behold, your house is left unto you desolate: and verily I say unto you, Ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
New King James Version

1There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2And Jesus answered and said to them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? 3I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. 4Or 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 Jerusalem? 5I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.”
6He 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. 7Then 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?’ 8But he answered and said to him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. 9And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it down.’ ”
10Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. 11And 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. 12But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.” 13And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.
14But 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.”
15The 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? 16So 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?” 17And 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.
18Then He said, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? 19It 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.”
20And again He said, “To what shall I liken the kingdom of God? 21It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened.”
22And He went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem.
23Then one said to Him, “Lord, are there few who are saved?” And He said to them, 24“Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able. 25When 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,’ 26then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets.’ 27But He will say, ‘I tell you I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.’ 28There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrust out. 29They will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and sit down in the kingdom of God. 30And indeed there are last who will be first, and there are first who will be last.”
31On that very day some Pharisees came, saying to Him, “Get out and depart from here, for Herod wants to kill You.”
32And 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.’ 33Nevertheless I must journey today, tomorrow, and the day following; for it cannot be that a prophet should perish outside of Jerusalem.
34“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing! 35See! 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!’ ”

What does Luke chapter 13 mean?

Luke 13 continues what some scholars refer to as "Jesus' Travelogue to Jerusalem," describing His teaching while heading to Jerusalem, by closing out one section (Luke 12:1—13:9) and encompassing the next (Luke 13:10–35). In Luke 12, Jesus taught the disciples about proper priorities as leaders in His ministry. He also spoke to the crowd about priorities as the kingdom of God arrives. He emphasized that the crowd should reject the desire for worldly wealth (Luke 12:13–21), recognize the signs that the kingdom is coming (Luke 12:54–56), and reconcile with each other (Luke 12:57–59).

Luke 13:1–9 finishes out Jesus' teaching to the crowd. People bring news that Pilate has killed Galileans who had gone to Jerusalem to present sacrifices. Jesus brings up eighteen people who died when a tower collapsed. These events coordinate with the examples Jesus gave in the prior chapter. He points out that it is important to repent now since tragedy and violence may come upon anyone at any time (Luke 13:1–5).

Jesus ends the section with a quick parable. A fig tree, primarily representing Israel as a nation, has not produced in years. The owner—God the Father—wants to chop it down, but the vinedresser—Jesus—convinces him to wait one more year. The unspoken moral is that God may be merciful and delay judgment, but it's important that the people repent and reconcile with Him as soon as possible. As with the victims of Pilate and the tower, they don't know what tomorrow will bring (Luke 13:6–9).

Luke 13:10–35 contains the first of two sections that begin with a Sabbath miracle and go on to present truths about the kingdom of God and salvation. Jesus heals a woman plagued by a crippling demon. The ruler of the synagogue responds by scolding the people for seeking healing on the Sabbath. Jesus takes him to task, pointing out that if a man can care for animals on the Sabbath, God can certainly provide a suffering woman the rest that comes from healing. The people appreciate Jesus' care, but the chasm widens between Him and the religious leaders (Luke 13:10–17).

Jesus then gives two short parables about the kingdom of God. In the first, He compares it to a tiny mustard seed that grows into a tree fit for birds to roost. Once the kingdom begins it will inevitably grow to welcome the "birds"—believers of other nations. The second parable is about how a woman can incorporate a small amount of yeast into a large batch of flour. The kingdom will permeate the world and no part will be left unaffected (Luke 13:18–21).

While Jesus and the disciples continue their journey toward Jerusalem, a man asks if Jesus' teaching implies that few people will be saved. Jesus turns the conversation around. It doesn't matter how many will be saved. It matters what the questioner will do. Will he identify himself with Jesus and be saved or merely enjoy Jesus' teachings and miracles but keep his distance? As with the fig tree, there will come a point when it will be too late to choose; he may find himself outside the kingdom of the God he claims while Gentiles are inside in fellowship (Luke 13:22–30).

Finally, Jesus shows that no authority—religious or civil—can keep Him from following God's plan. The Pharisees warn Jesus to flee from the murderous Herod Antipas. But Antipas does not set Jesus' schedule. Jesus will complete the work the Father has given Him, and then He will face the cross. He laments that the Jewish nation, represented by Jerusalem, will not take advantage of His death and offer of salvation (Luke 13:31–35).

Luke 14—15 repeat the pattern of a Sabbath miracle and teachings on the kingdom and salvation. This is followed by a section of warnings about those who reject God's kingdom. After two more segments including a miracle and teachings, Jesus enters Jerusalem.
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