Luke 13
13
Change Your Hearts
1Some people there with Jesus at that time told him about what had happened to some worshipers from Galilee. Pilate had them killed. Their blood was mixed with the blood of the animals they had brought for sacrificing. 2Jesus answered, “Do you think this happened to those people because they were more sinful than all other people from Galilee? 3No, they were not. But if you don’t decide now to change your lives, you will all be destroyed like those people! 4And what about those 18 people who died when the tower of Siloam fell on them? Do you think they were more sinful than everyone else in Jerusalem? 5They were not. But I tell you if you don’t decide now to change your lives, you will all be destroyed too!”
The Useless Tree
6Jesus told this story: “A man had a fig tree. He planted it in his garden. He came looking for some fruit on it, but he found none. 7He had a servant who took care of his garden. So he said to his servant, ‘I have been looking for fruit on this tree for three years, but I never find any. Cut it down! Why should it waste the ground?’ 8But the servant answered, ‘Master, let the tree have one more year to produce fruit. Let me dig up the dirt around it and fertilize it. 9Maybe the tree will have fruit on it next year. If it still does not produce, then you can cut it down.’”
Jesus Heals a Woman on the Sabbath
10Jesus taught in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath day. 11A woman was there who had an evil spirit inside her. It had made the woman crippled for 18 years. Her back was always bent; she could not stand up straight. 12When Jesus saw her, he called to her, “Woman, you have been made free from your sickness!” 13He laid his hands on her, and immediately she was able to stand up straight. She began praising God.
14The synagogue leader was angry because Jesus healed on the Sabbath day. He said to the people, “There are six days for work. So come to be healed on one of those days. Don’t come for healing on the Sabbath day.”
15The Lord answered, “You people are hypocrites! All of you untie your work animals and lead them to drink water every day—even on the Sabbath day. 16This woman that I healed is a true descendant of Abraham.#13:16 true descendant of Abraham Literally, “daughter of Abraham.” But Satan has held her for 18 years. Surely it is not wrong for her to be made free from her sickness on a Sabbath day!” 17When Jesus said this, all those who were criticizing him felt ashamed of themselves. And all the people were happy for the wonderful things he was doing.
What Is God’s Kingdom Like?
(Mt. 13:31–33; Mk. 4:30–32)
18Then Jesus said, “What is God’s kingdom like? What can I compare it to? 19God’s kingdom is like the seed of the mustard plant. Someone plants this seed in their garden. The seed grows and becomes a tree, and the birds build nests on its branches.”
20Jesus said again, “What can I compare God’s kingdom with? 21It is like yeast that a woman mixes into a big bowl of flour to make bread. The yeast makes all the dough rise.”
The Narrow Door
(Mt. 7:13–14, 21–23)
22Jesus was teaching in every town and village. He continued to travel toward Jerusalem. 23Someone said to him, “Lord, how many people will be saved? Only a few?”
Jesus said, 24“The door to heaven is narrow. Try hard to enter it. Many people will want to enter there, but they will not be able to go in. 25If a man locks the door of his house, you can stand outside and knock on the door, but he won’t open it. You can say, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’ But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you. Where did you come from?’ 26Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you. You taught in the streets of our town.’ 27Then he will say to you, ‘I don’t know you. Where did you come from? Get away from me! You are all people who do wrong!’
28“You will see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in God’s kingdom. But you will be left outside. There you will cry and grind your teeth with pain. 29People will come from the east, west, north, and south. They will sit down at the table in God’s kingdom. 30People who have the lowest place in life now will have the highest place in God’s kingdom. And people who have the highest place now will have the lowest place in God’s kingdom.”
Jesus Will Die in Jerusalem
(Mt. 23:37–39)
31Just then some Pharisees came to Jesus and said, “Go away from here and hide. Herod wants to kill you!”
32Jesus said to them, “Go tell that fox,#13:32 fox Jesus means that Herod is clever and sly like a fox. ‘Today and tomorrow I am forcing demons out of people and finishing my work of healing. Then, the next day, the work will be finished.’ 33After that I must go, because all prophets should die in Jerusalem.
34“Jerusalem, Jerusalem! You kill the prophets. You stone to death the people God has sent to you. How many times I wanted to help your people. I wanted to gather them together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings. But you did not let me. 35Now your home will be left completely empty. I tell you, you will not see me again until that time when you will say, ‘Welcome! God bless the one who comes in the name of the Lord.’#Quote from Ps. 118:26.”
Currently Selected:
Luke 13: ERV
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
© 1987, 2004 Bible League International
Luke 13
13
1Now at the same time there were present some who told him of the Galileans whose blood Pilate mingled with that of their sacrifices. 2And he answering said to them, Think ye that these Galileans were sinners beyond all the Galileans because they suffered such things? 3No, I say to you, but if ye repent not, ye shall all perish in the same manner. 4Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, think ye that they were debtors beyond all the men who dwell in Jerusalem? 5No, I say to you, but if ye repent not, ye shall all perish in like manner.
6And he spoke this parable: A certain man had a fig-tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit upon it and did not find any. 7And he said to the vinedresser, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig-tree and find none: cut it down; why does it also render the ground useless? 8But he answering says to him, Sir, let it alone for this year also, until I shall dig about it and put dung, 9and if it shall bear fruit — but if not, after that thou shalt cut it down.
10And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. 11And lo, there was a woman having a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and she was bent together and wholly unable to lift her head up. 12And Jesus, seeing her, called to her, and said to her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity. 13And he laid his hands upon her; and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. 14But the ruler of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus healed on the sabbath, answering said to the crowd, There are six days in which people ought to work; in these therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day. 15The Lord therefore answered him and said, Hypocrites! does not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the manger and leading it away, water it? 16And this woman, who is a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound, lo, these eighteen years, ought she not to be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day? 17And as he said these things, all who were opposed to him were ashamed; and all the crowd rejoiced at all the glorious things which were being done by him.
18And he said, To what is the kingdom of God like? and to what shall I liken it? 19It is like a grain of mustard seed which a man took and cast into his garden; and it grew and became a great tree, and the birds of heaven lodged 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 until the whole was leavened. 22And he went through one city and village after another, teaching, and journeying to Jerusalem.
23And one said to him, Sir, are such as are to be saved few in number? But he said unto them, 24Strive with earnestness to enter in through the narrow door, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter in and will not be able. 25From the time that the master of the house shall have risen up and shall have shut the door, and ye shall begin to stand without and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, open to us; and he answering shall say to you, I know you not whence ye are: 26then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten in thy presence and drunk, and thou hast taught in our streets; 27and he shall say, I tell you, I do not know you whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity. 28There shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but yourselves cast out. 29And they shall come from east and west, and from north and south, and shall lie down at table in the kingdom of God. 30And behold, there are last who shall be first, and there are first who shall be last.
31The same hour certain Pharisees came up, saying to him, Get out, and go hence, for Herod is desirous to kill thee. 32And he said to them, Go, tell that fox, Behold, I cast out demons and accomplish cures to-day and to-morrow, and the third day I am perfected; 33but I must needs walk to-day and to-morrow and the day following, for it must not be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem. 34Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those that are sent unto her, how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen her brood under her wings, and ye would not. 35Behold, your house is left unto you; and I say unto you, that ye shall not see me until it come that ye say, Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord.
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
First published in 1890. This edition is maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.