Luke 13:28 - Printer Friendly

ESV: In 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.

NIV: "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.

NASB: In 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.

CSB: There 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.

NLT: There 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.

KJV: There 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.

NKJV: 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, and yourselves thrust out.

Again, Jesus frames salvation in terms of separation. All people are the same in that they can die at a moment's notice (Luke 13:1–5). Those who refuse to repent are different. They knock on the door, but too late. They are separated from Jesus, the owner of the house. They are even separated from the patriarchs of their own people. Genetic heritage does not ensure spiritual heritage. If Jews don't repent and identify with Jesus, they are not from the patriarchs (Luke 13:23–27; Luke 3:8).

The Jews are God's chosen people—as a group, as a nation. The Abrahamic covenant is promised to the descendants of Isaac and Jacob as a nation. The covenant will be fulfilled in the millennial kingdom. That doesn't mean that every individual Jew will be saved just because they are descended from Jacob. They must pass through the "narrow door:" repentance and faith in Jesus (Luke 13:5).

On another occasion, Jesus says, "the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Matthew 8:12). The "sons of the kingdom" represent Jews, not Jesus-followers in God's kingdom. "Weeping and gnashing of teeth" describe sorrow and despair that results in both emotional and physical distress. "Outer darkness" doesn't mean that unbelievers will literally be outside the city of God, but they will be outside of God's kingdom, in hell.

Jesus ties in the patriarchs with the prophets. One of the reasons the religious leaders reject Jesus is because although they claim to revere the prophets in the Jewish Scriptures, they refuse to compare their descriptions of the Messiah with Jesus and His ministry. In the Old Testament, many prophets were killed because the Jewish leadership didn't want to hear their condemning warnings. Jesus tells the lawyers of the Pharisees that when they dismiss the prophets—especially when they refuse to teach the truth about Jesus as written in the prophets—they are heirs of the prophets' murderers (Luke 11:47–52). Stephen will revisit this charge right before his own murder (Acts 7:51–53).

Luke 13:22–30 records another of Jesus' teachings about the kingdom and salvation. In the previous pericope, He explained that the kingdom of God is close, easily accessible, and inevitable (Luke 13:18–21). Here, He explains that, although close, the way into the kingdom is very narrow. Many will think they have entered when they haven't. In the final story of this group, Jesus will mourn the Jews who should know to pass through the narrow door but refuse. Matthew includes similar lessons in several distinct teachings (Matthew 7:13–14, 22–23; 8:11–12; 19:30; 20:16; 25:10–12, 41).

Jesus uses real-world examples to show that tragedy and death can come to anyone, even the righteous. No one should delay in reconciling to God; time is running out. Jesus heals a woman in the synagogue, on the Sabbath, triggering an angry response. Jesus scolds the synagogue leader, then preaches about the inevitable spread of the gospel around the entire world. However, He also notes that most people will reject this message, including the people of Israel.

Luke 9:51—19:27 is sometimes called "Jesus' Travelogue to Jerusalem." The segment describes how Jesus prepared the disciples for their future as He approached His own death and resurrection. Interspersed are a few altercations with religious leaders. There are calls for the crowd to repent of their sins and reconcile with God before it's too late. In Luke 13, two stories in particular reveal Jesus' heart. In one, He heals a long-suffering woman on the Sabbath; healing is a type of rest. In the last, He mourns the fact that, for now, the Jews as a nation will reject their Messiah.

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.