A Final Warning

1. And there were present at the same time some that reported to Him about the Galileans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.

2. And Jesus answering said to them, “Do you think that these Galileans were sinners above all the Galileans because they have suffered such things?

3. I say to you, no; but unless you repent, you shall all likewise perish.

4. Or those ten and eight, on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were debtors above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem?

5. I say to you, no; but unless you repent, you shall all likewise perish.”

18. And He said, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I liken it?

19. It 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 nested in its branches.”

20. And again He said, “To what shall I liken the kingdom of God?

21. It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three satas of meal, till the whole was leavened.”

30. And behold, there are last who shall be first, and there are first who shall be last.’”

31. In the same day, certain Pharisees came, saying to Him, “Come out and go hence, for Herod wills to kill Thee.”

32. And He said to them, “Go, say to that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons, and perform healings today and tomorrow; and on the third [day] I shall be perfected.’

33. Nevertheless I must go [forth] today and tomorrow, and the [day] following, because it is not fitting that a prophet should perish outside of Jerusalem.

34. Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who killest the prophets, and stonest those that were sent to thee, how often I willed to gather thy children together, as a hen [‘gathereth] her brood under [her] wings, and you were not willing!

35. Behold, your house is left to you deserted; but amen I say to you, that you shall not see Me until [the time] come when you shall say, ‘Blessed [is] He that comes in the name of the Lord.’”

In the preceding chapter, Jesus gives His disciples a series of warnings beginning with the warning to “beware the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.” Next, Jesus warns His disciples to “beware of covetousness.” Then, as that chapter ends, they are warned “to be reconciled quickly with their adversary.” These warnings are straightforward and serious. If not heeded quickly, the result will be an immediate downturn towards a hellish existence where they will not come out until they have paid “the very last mite.”

The murder of the Galileans

The next chapter continues the series of warnings, concluding with the briefest and most serious warning of all: “repent or perish.” The chapter begins with a discourse on the problem of suffering. The news of the day was that some Galileans had been murdered by Pilate who had “mingled their blood with the sacrifices” (Luke 13:1). Apparently, Pilate had murdered them while they were offering sacrifices at the temple, and mingled their blood with the blood of the sacrificed animals.

Rather than comment on Pilate’s brutal action, Jesus makes use of the incident to clear up a deeply seated fallacy and to teach a fundamental truth. Turning to the people who have informed Him about the murder of the Galileans, Jesus says to them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered these things?” (Luke 13:2).

It might appear that Jesus is evading the issue. Rather than comment on Pilate’s barbarous and sacrilegious act, Jesus raises a philosophical question about suffering. But the question that He raises is consistent with a major theme in this gospel: the reformation of the understanding. Jesus wants to help them understand why people suffer. At the time, the common belief was that suffering and tragedy were visited upon people because they willfully disobeyed God. This is the misunderstanding that Jesus wants to correct. Therefore, He says, quite simply, “No, these Galileans did not die because they were worse sinners than others.” In other words, Jesus wants to make it very clear that the misfortunes of the Galileans were not a punishment from God.

Jesus’ answer to this question does not stop there. Leading them away from their false conjectures, Jesus lifts their understanding to a higher level. He does this by framing the question in terms of another warning—a warning which continues the series of warnings that were given in the previous chapter. Jesus says, “Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3).

In other words, they should rid themselves of the false idea that God punishes sinners. Jesus wants them to understand that God is not the author of human suffering. Once that is clear, the next thing to understand is that repentance is essential. Whoever does not repent will suffer, not because God will punish them, or accidents will befall them, but because an unrepentant life—that is, a life contrary to the commandments—will inevitably lead to misery.

The tower in Siloam

To reinforce this teaching, along with its subsequent warning, Jesus asks them to recall an incident in which a tower in Siloam collapsed, killing eighteen men. Jesus says, “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 Jerusalem?” (Luke 13:4).

Again, the answer is, “No, that’s not why the tower fell on them. It’s not because they were sinners.” Jesus then lifts their minds to a higher understanding, reminding them, once again, that “unless you repent, you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:4). While physical calamities do occur, Jesus wants them to understand that these are not “divine punishments” for sinful behavior. Tragedies happen; ruthless tyrants murder innocent people; towers fall on harmless victims; bridges collapse, volcanoes erupt, and earthquakes induce landslides that cause thousands of people to plunge to their death. None of this is the will of God; nor is it an act of divine retribution for sinful lives.

When any calamity takes place, whether it is the slaughter of innocent people at the hands of a ruthless dictator or the loss of millions of lives through the relentless spread of a deadly plague, it is either because of the free decisions that people make or simply because of natural law. God does not stay the hand of villains, nor does He interfere with the laws of nature. When Pilate murdered the men of Galilee, and when the tower fell on the men of Jerusalem, God did not intervene. Physical suffering happens: it can happen to anyone whether that person is a believer or non-believer, a follower of Christ, or a staunch atheist. It is not a punishment from God for human sin.

But spiritual suffering is different. This is something that each of us can avoid, and for which each of us is responsible. It is therefore incumbent upon each of us to acknowledge our sins, pray to God for the power to desist from them, and start a new life. This is repentance. This is the only way we can avoid the emotional torment that accompanies a selfish, self-centered life apart from the commandments of God. In the scriptures, life without God is referred to as “spiritual death.” Therefore, Jesus says, “Unless you repent you will all likewise perish.”

Through using these timely illustrations—the deliberate murder of the innocent Galileans and the accidental death of the people who died when a tower fell on them—Jesus is teaching that God does not punish sinners. Rather, every selfish desire that we embrace leads inexorably onward and downward to frustration, hatred, revenge, and cruelty. The accumulation of selfish desires that we choose to harbor amounts to who we really are. It forms our essential spiritual identity. If we have become selfish, cruel, spiteful, resentful, malicious, and vindictive, it is because we have willingly chosen to embrace those feelings, and, when possible, act on them.

As a result, our lives, which could have been peaceful and happy—regardless of outward circumstances—become restless and sad. Even though we may have amassed great wealth in external matters, we may still choose hatred over love, resentment over contentment, anxiety over peace, duplicity over honesty, and controlling others over respecting their freedom.

At the end of the previous chapter, Jesus warned His disciples to be reconciled quickly with the adversary—that is, to be well-minded toward everyone. This, surely, is the only way of escaping the vicious downward spiral of sin. And we should not forget that this should be done quickly. We only have a short time in this world to make such a turnaround. It is here and now that we make the decisions which will determine our eternal destiny. That is why Jesus saves His final warning in this series for last. It is the most important warning of all: “Repent or perish.” ¹

A practical application

In biblical times it was believed that people suffered misfortunes because they somehow “deserved” God’s punishment. Two thousand years later, many people still suffer from the same misunderstanding. If we have contracted a serious illness, or experienced a financial setback, or lost a loved one, we might be tempted to think, What did I do to deserve this? Did this happen because I sinned against God in some way? The truth is that God is always there to comfort us through calamity, never to punish us. In this episode, then, which occurs only in the Gospel According to Luke, Jesus teaches that God never punishes, regardless of how things might appear in the external world. Instead, God is there to bless us and comfort us through giving us the truth of His Word along with the power to live according to it. So, the next time you feel inclined to think, What did I do to deserve this? change the question to, How will God lead me through this? and What can I learn from this?

The Parable of the Fig Tree

6. And He told this parable: “A certain [man] had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came seeking fruit on it, and found none.

7. And he said to the vine-worker, ‘Behold, three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find not. Cut it down. Why [should it] also make the land useless?’

8. But he answering, said to him, ‘Lord, leave it also this year, until I dig around it and cast dung [around it],

9. And if it indeed make fruit [it is well]; and if not, in the future cut it down.’”

Repentance, in essence, is about recognizing our evils, praying for the power to overcome them, learning truth, and living according to those truths. Truth, however, without application does us no good. A person who is steeped in truth, but does not put those truths to use, is like a fruit tree that produces leaves but no fruit. In the next episode, Jesus turns the attention of His disciples to this kind of a tree, saying, “A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard and he came seeking fruit on it and found none” (Luke 13:6).

The owner of the vineyard, who is displeased with the unproductive fig tree, says to his vineyard worker, “For three years I have come seeking fruit on this tree and find none. Cut it down; why let it use up the ground?” (Luke 13:7). The comparison to each of our lives is clear. We are not here merely to consume air, food, and water without also being useful. We are here to be producers, not just consumers. We are here to “be fruitful and multiply” (Genesis 1:28) and to fill the earth with compassion, understanding, and good works. In brief, we are born for others; not for ourselves alone. To the extent that we do this, we are like trees bearing much fruit. ²

In this parable, and throughout the Word, the number “three” is significant. Jonah was “three days” in the belly of the whale; the prophet Isaiah went naked and barefoot for “three years,” and the resurrection of the Lord was accomplished in “three days.” The number “three,” then, represents and signifies the completion of a period of time. In this case, the fig tree had produced no fruit for a period of three years. By this time, even if it were just planted, it should have begun to show some signs of fruit on the branches, but there were only leaves. ³

While the leaves of a fruit tree are vitally important, the primary thing—the thing for which a fig tree is intended—is to bear fruit. If it produces only leaves, it has failed to realize its essential use.

Similarly, if our lives have not been productive, or if we have lived primarily for ourselves and not for others, no matter how many truths we may have amassed, we will spiritually “wither” and be without real life. Like a tree which is intended to produce fruit, but only produces leaves, faith without works is useless. ⁴

The vineyard worker, however, pleads with the owner, saying, “Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. And if it bears fruit, fine; if not, you can cut it down” (Luke 13:8-9). The vineyard worker’s plea to preserve the fig tree represents God’s abundant mercy. God does not want to punish us or “cut us down” for not bearing fruit. Rather, He wants us to repent, to acknowledge our evils and let that acknowledgement be fertile soil for the production of fruit. Therefore, the worker says to the owner of the fig tree, “Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it.” ⁵

Fertilizer, in the spiritual sense, is the humble acknowledgment that we have sinned, and that these sins have become odious to us. We are repelled by the things that previously might have given us pleasure, and we are determined to never do, say, or even think about such things again. It is our prayer that anything cruel or adulterous in us will rot away, serving only as fertilizer to stimulate new growth and the desire to do good. ⁶

A Daughter of Abraham

10. And He was in one of the synagogues teaching on the Sabbaths.

11. And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of sickness ten and eight years, and she was stooped over, and was not able at all to stand up.

12. And when Jesus saw her, He summoned [her] and said to her, “Woman, thou art released from thy sickness.”

13. And He laid [His] hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.

14. But the ruler of the synagogue, being indignant that Jesus cured on the Sabbath, answering said to the crowd, “There are six days in which [one] must work; in these then come to be cured, and not on the day of the Sabbath.”

15. The Lord then answered him and said, “Hypocrite, does not every one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or [his] ass from the manger, and lead [it] away to give [it] drink?

16. And ought not this [woman], being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound, behold, these ten and eight years, be loosed from this bond on the day of the Sabbath?”

17. And saying these things, all those opposing Him were ashamed; and all the crowd rejoiced at all the glorious [things] that were done by Him.

Full and honest self-examination leads to the realization that we have sinned and that without God’s continual leading we would be lost in sin and selfishness. In fact, we would be worse than a beast. This is where repentance begins, and where God can flow in. All masks, disguises and pretenses fall away. We acknowledge our sinful nature, and how much we need God. ⁷

Such determined self-examination is the very antithesis of hypocrisy. When we behave hypocritically, we strive to conceal and deny. We refuse to acknowledge the tendencies to greed and wickedness that lie concealed in our own heart. Nevertheless, it is not God’s will that we feel continually bowed down by our sins. While it is true that He allows us to come into genuine states of humility where we come face to face with our failings, it is only so that He may lift us up, relieve us from the oppression of onerous guilt, and set us free.

Obsessive guilt can be crippling. This is illustrated in the next episode in which Jesus sees a woman who has been bowed down for eighteen years under the weight of “a spirit of infirmity.” As it is written, “Now as He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath, behold, there was a woman there who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years and was bent over and in no way could raise herself up” (Luke 13:11).

The “spirit of infirmity” suggests many things that might keep us bent over and bowed down, so much so that we cannot even straighten up. In the preceding episode, we learned that the “fertilizer” for the fig tree is the acknowledgement of our sinful nature. This acknowledgement, however, is not meant to disempower us, but rather to serve as fertile ground for our spiritual growth. While the acknowledgement of our sinful nature is essential, we should not be so “bowed down” by this recognition that we lack the power to straighten ourselves up.

This, then, is the spiritual context for understanding the condition of the woman who has been “bowed down with a spirit of infirmity for eighteen years.” It pictures the plight of any person who is so bowed down by guilt and shame that there is no ability to straighten up. This is not repentance; it is obsessive guilt and inordinate self-reproach—the kind that spiritually cripples us and makes us feel unable to do anything useful.

In spiritual matters, the “spirit of infirmity” causes us to feel weak and frail; we feel powerless to do what we know to be true. We feel as though we are bent over and unable to straighten up, like the woman who suffered from a heavy “spirit of infirmity.” But Jesus comes to us, as He comes to this woman, saying, “You are loosed from your infirmity.” After speaking these words to the woman, He lays His hands on her, filling her with His power.

The result is instantaneous: “And immediately she was made straight” (Luke 13:13). ⁸

Empowered by Jesus, this woman is now able to raise herself up for the first time in eighteen years. In her gratitude for this miracle, she responds by glorifying God. But the ruler of the synagogue has a very different response. Rather than focus on the miracle that had just occurred, the ruler of the synagogue finds fault with Jesus for healing on the Sabbath. Complaining to the crowd, the ruler says, “There are six days on which men ought to work; therefore, come and be healed on them, but not on the Sabbath day” (Luke 13:14). We have seen this pattern before: Jesus heals on the Sabbath; the religious leaders complain. It doesn’t seem to matter to them that a person is healed, even if it is for an eighteen-year affliction that has kept her so hunched over that she can’t even straighten up. The important thing for them is the law, the rigid adherence to the law, especially to the law of the Sabbath.

Unperturbed by the ruler’s response, Jesus uses the situation to teach another great truth. According to their traditions, loosing and tying knots was forbidden on the Sabbath. It was considered a form of work. However, an exception was made for animals. It was permitted to loose them on the Sabbath so that they could feed and drink. Aware of this discrepancy in their religious practice, Jesus says, “Hypocrite! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or his donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it? 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?” (Luke 13:15-16).

Jesus’ logic is irrefutable. The ruler of the synagogue, along with all others who oppose Jesus, are not able to respond. But the response is quite different among those who believed in Him. As it written. “And all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by Him” (Luke 13:17).

It is noteworthy that Jesus refers to the woman as a “daughter of Abraham.” In calling her this, He acknowledges that she is a woman with a long and honorable heritage. He does not see her as a sinner, but rather as a woman from a noble lineage. In brief, Jesus has come to raise her up, to return her to a place of dignity, to free her from spiritual oppression and release her from the burden of oppressive guilt and shame. By contrast, we read that “His adversaries were put to shame” (Luke 13:17).

One of the primary goals of self-examination is for us to first recognize our own unworthiness. But it is not God’s will to leave us in that state. Rather, He comes to raise us up, to free us from the burden of oppressive guilt, and to remind us of our noble origins and blessed destiny. As Jesus said in His inaugural address earlier in this gospel, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor … to heal the brokenhearted … to set at liberty those who are oppressed” (Luke 4:18). While the emphasis on repentance is essential, it’s also good to remember that Jesus came not to keep us bowed down with shame, but rather to straighten us up with the truth of His Word and the power to live according to it.

The Kingdom of God

18. And He said, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I liken it?

19. It 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 nested in its branches.”

20. And again He said, “To what shall I liken the kingdom of God?

21. It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.”

In the previous episode, the healing of this woman’s infirmity demonstrates an important aspect of repentance. It should be genuine, but not groveling. We need to recognize our sins; not wallow in them. We need to dig in the dirt, and fertilize the soil, not bury ourselves there. The ability to recognize our evils and hold ourselves responsible is crucial. This is what opens us to receive what flows in from God. Like a freshly turned garden, with soft and fertile soil, we are ready to humbly receive the heavenly seeds of goodness and truth. As Jesus puts it, “The kingdom of God 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” (Luke 13:19).

The idea here is growth—unlimited growth. While it is true that we are all born weak and imperfect with tendencies to evils of every kind, it is also true that we are born to become sons and daughters of God, gifted with limitless potential. Like the “daughter of Abraham” in the previous episode, we can be lifted above the spirit of infirmity and filled with the Spirit of God. We can be given power to rise to great heights.

The parable of the mustard seed

This power to rise to new heights is contained in the parable of the mustard seed. Like the mustard seed, we all have humble beginnings. We begin as a tiny seed, totally helpless but possessing enormous potential. We all start small, but we can grow like a mustard seed, becoming a large tree with branches reaching upwards to the sky. And as we continue to grow and branch out into new areas of understanding, we can be given perceptions of even greater growth: “the birds of the air” will nest in our branches.

The “birds of the air” that will nest in our branches represent the many ways in which new perceptions of truth will flow into our minds—just as the branches of a tree reach out in every direction, dividing, and then dividing again. These new perceptions of truth will carry with them the possibilities for doing all kinds of good works. All we need to do is take the first step, make the initial effort—however small it might be. It can be as simple as turning away from what we believe to be wrong and doing what we believe to be right.

This may seem to be a small step in our spiritual development, no bigger than a mustard seed, but it is a powerful one. Beginnings are important. Whenever we take the first step on the right path, it opens the way for God to enter and quicken all that is good in us. But it is not easy. Changing old patterns, breaking up entrenched habits, and establishing new ways of thinking and responding can be difficult. In some cases, it feels like a spiritual battle. That’s why small steps—mustard seed steps—are so important. ⁹

It is this process of making small efforts that Jesus compares to the growth of the mustard seed. We are not automatons. God does not simply act into and through us without our cooperation. It is therefore incumbent upon us to recognize evils as they arise within us, and strive to shun them. Of course, we cannot do this without God’s power, but we must strive to do so anyway. This striving helps to make us spiritual. It is how God builds His kingdom within us, one effort at a time, one seed at a time, one shoot at a time, bud by bud, leaf by leaf, until the birds of the air come and nest in our branches.

The parable of the leavened bread

Jesus also compares the kingdom of God to “leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened” (Luke 13:20). We have already discussed the “leaven of the Pharisees” which is hypocrisy. We spoke about how the yeast fungus rises gradually in bread until its gases fill the whole loaf, just as deceit can gradually permeate one’s whole character. But there is another way of looking at this process. Leaven, or yeast, also has a way of initiating a chemical process that both separates things that are discordant and unites things that are concordant.

This process of unifying what is concordant and separating what is discordant pertains especially to the process of our regeneration. No one begins life completely pure. But to the extent that we recognize evils within ourselves, pray to God for the power to dispel them, and strive to do so, as if we are making that effort from our own power, the truths that we know and the good works that we do are gradually purified.

As the leavening process continues, we begin to see spiritual reality more clearly, and we begin to acknowledge more fully that without God we can do nothing. Gradually we begin to separate our good deeds from the evil taint of self-merit so that they can become truly good. We see that they are inspired by and done through the power of God.

This is the leavening process. It is a process that happens within us as we go through successive combats of temptation, which are here compared to the leavening process of bread. ¹⁰

Towards a new understanding and a new will

In the parable of the mustard seed, Jesus is speaking about how our understanding can grow. He compares it to a tree that starts with a small seed—just one, tiny truth from the Lord’s Word. And yet, this tiny seed can grow into something so tall that the birds of the air can find a place there. The imagery of seeds, trees, branches, and birds, relates to the cognitive, rational, understanding side of human nature—especially our capacity to understand higher truth. These higher truths are called “the birds of heaven.” ¹¹

Next, Jesus speaks about the leavening process that goes on in a loaf of bread. In sacred scripture, bread refers to the emotional, affectional side of our nature, especially our will. Through the process of spiritual combat, when truth is applied to life, we begin to separate all that is selfish within us from all that is good and comes from the Lord. Gradually, that which is filthy and related to self-love is separated from all that is clear and pure. This is how a new will is developed within us. ¹²

We can see, then, that in these two brief parables, Jesus describes the story of our spiritual development. To start, all we need to do is take one small step forward, even if we begin by thinking we are doing it all by ourselves. While this is only an apparent truth, it is necessary at the beginning of our spiritual development. Gradually, we begin to realize that every step in our spiritual development and every battle that is won is because God has been doing all the fighting for us all along the way. Nevertheless, God still encourages us to fight our inner evils as if from ourselves. The small efforts that we make along the way are compared to the growth of a “mustard seed” as it becomes a tall tree and the “leavening process” as it rises in a loaf of bread. Whenever we make these initial efforts, we are given higher and higher perceptions of truth. This is represented by “the birds of heaven” that come to nest in our branches.

As we progress in our regeneration, fighting the inevitable combats of temptation, we gradually come to see the highest truth of all, that “the battle is the Lord’s.” We come to understand that we can claim no merit for the thoughts that come to us or the good works that are done through us. As we begin to acknowledge and understand this, the truth within us is gradually distilled of falsity, and our good intentions are gradually purified of selfish motives. This is the kingdom of God.

The Journey to Jerusalem

22. And He went through cities and villages, teaching and making His way to Jerusalem.

23. And someone said to Him, “Lord, [are] those being saved few?” And He said to them,

24. “Strive to enter in through the tight gate, for many, I say to you, shall seek to come in, and shall not be able.

25. When once the Householder has risen and has shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us, He shall answer and say to you, ‘I know you not, whence you are.’

26. Then you shall begin to say, ‘We have eaten in Thy presence, and drunk, and Thou hast taught in our streets.’

27. And He shall tell [you], ‘I say to you, I know you not, whence you are; stand back from me, all [ye] workers of injustice.

28. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth there, when you shall see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and you [yourselves] cast outside.

29. And they shall come from [the] east and west, and from [the] north and south, and shall recline in the kingdom of God.

30. And behold, there are last who shall be first, and there are first who shall be last.”

The parables about the mustard seed and the leavened bread remind us that spiritual growth is not easy and that the path of gradual purification necessarily leads through the struggles of temptation. No one can be saved through a simple declaration of faith. It is fitting, therefore, as we consider the ongoing spiritual series, that the next episode deals with the subject of “salvation” and what it means to be saved.

The episode begins with a picture of Jesus going “though the cities and villages, teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem” (Luke 13:22). As readers, we already know that the “journey toward Jerusalem” is not one that Jesus is looking forward to. He knows that He will be cruelly mocked, beaten, and crucified. But He also knows that after three days He will rise. This “rising,” of course, also relates to our own growth process. We have just seen that it is compared to the growth of a tree and the rising of bread. It does not happen easily, quickly, or without struggle. Rather it is precisely this struggle that helps us to unify all that is good and true in us, while dispelling all that is evil and false.

While Jesus is journeying through the villages, one of the people comes out to Him and asks, “Lord, are there few who are saved?” (Luke 13:24). Jesus’ answer begins with the word “Strive.” In the original Greek this word carries great force. It is much more than “try hard” or “do your best.” The actual Greek word is agōnizesthe [aγωνίζεσθε], from which we get our English word, “agonize.” It means to labor fervently, and to struggle mightily, especially against an antagonist.

Spiritually speaking, this is what we are called to do in the struggle against our negative tendencies. We are to identify something within us that is inherently evil and struggle against it mightily, calling upon God for His aid in the battle. As we mentioned in the parable of the mustard seed, these efforts—however tiny—are what make us grow. This is the way the kingdom of God is formed in us. This is what it means to strive.

This is the narrow way. We would prefer it to be broader and easier; but it is not. We would prefer to enter the kingdom of God by some other means, or through some wider gate, but there is no other. Therefore, Jesus says, “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able” (Luke 13:24).

The only way we can “enter” the kingdom of God is through the process of spiritual temptation. Words cannot save us; declaring our faith cannot save us. Even prayers uttered in desperation and as a last resort will be of no avail. While this may sound cruel, it is in fact, the ultimate mercy. God gives to each of us exactly what we desire, and it is our lives—not our words—that manifest the desires of our hearts. We cannot lead an evil life and beg for mercy and salvation on our death bed. That is because our lives themselves have become an expression of our deepest desires. ¹³

“I do not know you”

Death-bed repentance, then, is too late. Our essential character is shaped by the choices we make on a daily basis—choices that either build a new heavenly nature in us or reinforce our old hellish nature. There is no other way. Therefore, when Jesus exhorts His followers to “strive to enter through the narrow gate,” He is referring to the daily combat in which we must choose between being generous or selfish, forgiving or vindictive, compassionate or cruel. If we have spent our lives being self-centered, unforgiving, and heartless, a last-minute plea for divine mercy cannot change the character we have already formed. This is what Jesus means when He adds these words: “When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you stand outside and knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open for us,’ He will answer and say to you, ‘I do not know you’” (Luke 13:25).

The “Master” in this parable is God. Jesus is reminding us to beware of the state of mind in which we believe that it is our faith and not our life that deserves admittance to heaven. While we are in this state, we believe we merit heaven. We are standing outside the door, knocking, and saying, “We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets” (Luke 13:26). It may well be that we have spent much time absorbing the loving emotions that flow in from God (“We ate in Your presence”); and we may have devoted ourselves to learning the truths of His Word (“We drank in Your presence”). Moreover, we may have spent considerable time putting together a system of doctrine based on Jesus’ teachings (“You taught in our streets”). But if we have gone no further, and have not actually applied these things to our own lives, we have never really been in a relationship with God. It is to this state in us that God says, “I do not know you.”

But what if we have done good things? Even then, if we have done good things, believing that the power to do so was from ourselves, we did them in our own name and not in the name of God. While we may have given credit to God with our lips, our hearts were far from Him. We still believed that our noblest thoughts and most benevolent deeds were from ourselves.

This is the way we all start off, attributing truth and goodness to ourselves rather than to God. Eventually, however, we must move beyond this state; we must recognize that without God we can think nothing that is true and do nothing that is good. Until we take this important step in our spiritual development, we do not really know God. Therefore, when Jesus says, “I do not know you,” the deeper truth is that we do not know God until we acknowledge, from the heart, that every true thought we think and every good deed we do is from God. In fact, we do not really know God until we acknowledge from the heart that we owe our very life to Him. ¹⁴

“I do not know where you are from”

Jesus not only says, “I do not know you,” but also adds “I do not know where you are from.” Even if we do good things, we need to ask ourselves where we are coming from. Are we coming from the idea that the good we do is from ourselves? Are we coming from the hope that others will think well of us and attribute goodness to us? Are we coming from the idea that people will be impressed by our knowledge and understanding of spiritual realities? These questions take us into the realm of motivation. Why do we do what we do and say what we say. In other words, where are we coming from? If we are coming from self-love and self-glory, Jesus is not familiar with these places. He does not dwell there. It makes sense, then, that Jesus would say to these states in us, “I tell you, I do not know you, or where you are from.” In other words, God cannot identify with our selfish motivations. Instead, He says, “Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity” (Luke 13:27).

In brief, we should never become complacent, trusting that our insights about spiritual reality or even our meritorious good works are sufficient to save us. Ultimately, the kingdom of God is not about what we know; it’s not even about but what we do with what we know. It’s about why we do it. This is the narrow way. And it determines whether we will be “first” or “last” in the kingdom of heaven.

Those who know a lot, and have placed merit in what they have done, will think of themselves as “first,” while in fact they may be last. And those who have placed no merit in what they know or what they have done, attributing everything to God, will think of themselves as “last,” but may indeed be “first.” As Jesus puts it, “They will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and sit down in the kingdom of God. And, indeed, there are [those who are] last who will be first, and there are [those who are] first who will be last” (Luke 13:30).

All this is what Jesus told His disciples as He journeyed towards Jerusalem. He Himself was about to face His own agonizing struggle—the struggle that we all must go through. It is the struggle to place the love of God above the love of self, and to place the love of others above the love of worldly possessions, honor, or fame. This is what it means for Jesus, and for each of us, to “journey towards Jerusalem.” ¹⁵

Herod the Fox

31. In the same day, certain Pharisees came, saying to Him, “Come out and go hence, for Herod wills to kill Thee.”

32. And He said to them, “Go, say to that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons, and perform healings today and tomorrow; and on the third [day] I shall be perfected.’

33. Nevertheless I must go [forth] today and tomorrow, and the [day] following, because it is not fitting that a prophet should perish outside of Jerusalem.

34. Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who killest the prophets, and stonest those that were sent to thee, how often I willed to gather thy children together, as a hen [‘gathereth] her brood under [her] wings, and you were not willing!

35. Behold, your house is left to you deserted; but amen I say to you, that you shall not see Me until [the time] come when you shall say, ‘Blessed [is] He that comes in the name of the Lord.’”

As Jesus continues to make His way towards Jerusalem, some of the Pharisees approach Him and say, “Get out and depart from here, for Herod wants to kill you” (Luke 13:31). The Pharisees, as we know, are not interested in helping Jesus. In fact, they want to destroy Him. So why would they warn Him about Herod, saying that Herod is planning to kill Him? The answer lies in understanding what the Pharisees represent in each of us, especially in the context of the preceding series. Jesus has been teaching about salvation and what it means to be saved. It cannot happen through declarations of faith or the recitation of long prayers. It can only come about through acknowledging our evils and fighting to overcome them while relying on God to do so. Symbolically, this is the journey that we all must make. It is the journey to Jerusalem.

The Pharisees who approach Jesus, then, warning Him to turn back and avoid Herod are those states in each of us that preach the avoidance of temptation; they encourage us to take the easy way out, the short-cut, the path of least resistance. Above all, these states encourage us to avoid struggling against our lower nature. The battle is too much for you, they say. You can’t win. Run for your life.

The states within us are cunning and sly—like a fox. They prey on our fears and appeal to our selfish ambitions. But Jesus knows their scheming ways. Therefore, He tells the Pharisees who have warned Him about Herod, “Go, tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I shall be perfected” (Luke 13:32). Jesus is talking about the inevitable journey to Jerusalem where He will be crucified and raised up—that is “perfected”—on the third day.

But, on a deeper level, Jesus is also talking about our spiritual development which begins with repentance. This is the initial period in which the demons of self-love and self-interest are cast out. It’s a time when evils are shunned as sins against God. As Jesus puts it, “I cast out demons.” This leads to the second stage in our spiritual development. It is a time during which the understanding is reformed, and the process of healing has begun. This is reformation. As Jesus puts it, “I perform cures.” Finally, on the “third day,” when we begin to develop a new will based on a new understanding, we are “raised up” above our lower nature. This is regeneration. As Jesus puts it, “The third day I shall be perfected.”

As for now, though, Jesus’ task is merely to put one foot ahead of the other, doing everything He is called to do, day after day as He moves onward to Jerusalem. As Jesus puts it, “Nevertheless I must journey today, tomorrow and the day following.” It should be noted here that Jesus refers to Himself as a “prophet” who predicts His death in Jerusalem. As He says, “It cannot be that a prophet should perish outside of Jerusalem” (Luke 13:33).

It will be recalled that Jesus refers to Herod as a “fox,” suggesting that Herod is a predator who takes advantage of innocent creatures, just as a fox attacks and devours the helpless chicks in a farmyard. Aware of this tendency, Jesus now describes Himself as a mother hen who would do anything to protect her chicks from the certain destruction of a marauding fox: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem,” He says, “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” (Luke 13:34).

In this picture, Jesus shows the mercy of God, always and at all times willing to gather us into His heavenly kingdom. The problem is not that He wants to exclude anyone, but rather that we freely reject His protection and love: “You were not willing,” says Jesus. Even though Jesus yearns to fill us with every delight and every blessing, we can only receive those delights and blessings to the extent that we are willing to fight against selfish tendencies in ourselves.

That willingness to fight against our hereditary inclinations to evil is represented by Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem, including His refusal to run away from Herod. Even as Jesus set His face towards Jerusalem, displaying His willingness to face Herod, we too must take our own journey to Jerusalem; in other words, we must be willing to face our own Herod within: we must be willing to engage in the struggles of temptation. ¹⁶

But if we are not willing to do this, our minds can receive nothing from God. They will be empty, desolate places. As Jesus puts it, “See! Your house is left to you desolate” (Luke 13:35).

Nevertheless, God is always present, urging and pressing to be received. He never leaves us. Again and again, He encourages us to take refuge within the shelter of His wings. Despite our waywardness, despite our unwillingness to take comfort in the truth He provides, God never loses hope. In spite of our faithlessness to Him, God continues in His faithfulness to us. And He always retains the ardent hope that we will one day recognize Him and say, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord” (Luke 13:35). ¹⁷

A practical application

This chapter closes with the words, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.” This is a reference to Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, which is about to take place. However, it can also be read as an exhortation to each of us; it can serve as a reminder that whatever we do and wherever we go, it should be done not in our own name, but rather “in the name of the Lord.” We can do this by attributing to the Lord every true thought we think, every good desire we feel, and every useful deed we do. Whenever we make this acknowledgement, the words, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord,” become a living reality in each of our lives. We, too, can make our triumphal entry into Jerusalem, confident that God will sustain us in the battles of temptation—that is, as long as we “come in the name of the Lord.”

Footnotes:

275. Verse 6. And in sight of the throne a glassy sea like crystal, signifies the appearance of [Divine] truth in ultimates where its generals are, and its pellucidity by virtue of the influx of Divine truth united to Divine good in firsts. This is evident from the signification of "in sight of the throne," as being appearance; also from the signification of "glassy," as being pellucid. It is also said "like crystal," that pellucidity from the influx of Divine truth united to Divine good in firsts may be described; this is signified by "the seven lamps of fire burning before the throne" (as shown just above, n. 274. In this and what precedes, the state of the whole heaven arranged in order for judgment is described, and its ultimate is meant by "the glassy sea like crystal." The truth of the ultimate heaven is signified by "a glassy sea" because "sea" signifies the generals of truth, such truth as exists in the ultimates of heaven, and with man in the natural man, which truth is called knowledge [scientificum]. The "sea" signifies such truths because in the sea is the gathering together of waters, and "waters" signify truths (See above, n. 71).

[2] That this is the signification of "sea" is evident from many passages in the Word, a number of which I will cite here. In Isaiah:

I will shut up the Egyptians into the land of a hard lord; and a fierce king shall rule over them. Then the waters shall fail from the sea, and the river shall dry up and become dry (Isaiah 19:4, 6).

By "the Egyptians" knowledges [scientiae] that are of the natural man are meant; "the hard lord into whose hands they should be shut up" signifies the evil of self-love; "a fierce king" signifies falsity therefrom; "the waters shall fail from the sea" signifies that with all the abundance of knowledges [scientiarum] there still are no truths; and "the river shall dry up and become dry" signifies that there is no doctrine of truth and no intelligence therefrom.

[3] In the same:

Jehovah will visit with His sword, hard, great, and strong, upon leviathan the stretched out serpent, and leviathan the crooked serpent, and will slay the whales that are in the sea (Isaiah 27:1).

This is also said of "Egypt," by which knowledges [scientiae] that are of the natural man are signified; "leviathan the stretched out serpent" signifies those who reject all things which they do not see with the eyes, thus the merely sensual, who are without faith, because they do not comprehend. "Leviathan the crooked serpent" signifies those who, for the same reason, do not believe, and yet say that they believe. "The sword, hard, and great, and strong, with which they shall be visited," signifies the extinction of all truth, for "sword" signifies falsity destroying truth. "The whales in the sea," that shall be slain, signify knowledges [scientifica] in general. (That these are signified by "whales," see Arcana Coelestia 7293.)

[4] In the same:

Let the inhabitants of the isle be still; thou merchant of Zidon passing over the sea, they have filled thee. Blush, O Zidon, for the sea hath said, the stronghold of the sea, saying, I have not travailed, and I have not brought forth, and I have not brought up young men, and have not raised up virgins; when the report comes to Egypt they shall be seized with grief, as by the report respecting Tyre (Isaiah 23:2-5).

"Zidon" and "Tyre" signify the knowledges of good and truth; therefore it is said "the merchant of Zidon passing over the sea," "merchant" meaning one who acquires these knowledges for himself and communicates them. That they acquired for themselves thereby nothing of good and truth is signified by "the sea said, I have not travailed and I have not brought forth, I have not brought up young men, and have not raised up virgins;" "to travail and bring forth" is to produce something from knowledges; "young men" mean truths, and "virgins" goods. That the use of cognitions and knowledges (cognitionum et scientiarum) would therefore perish, is signified by "when the report comes to Egypt they shall be seized with grief, as by the report respecting Tyre."

[5] In Ezekiel:

All the princes of the sea shall come down from their thrones, and cast away their robes, and strip off their broidered garments, they shall be clothed with terrors. They shall take up a lamentation over thee, and shall say, How hast thou perished, thou that dwelt by the seas, the renowned city which was strong in the sea; therefore the islands in the sea shall be dismayed at thy outcome (Ezekiel 26:15-18).

These things are said of "Tyre," which signifies the cognitions of truth, the neglect and loss of which are thus described; the "princes of the sea that shall come down from their thrones" signify primary cognitions; that these together with knowledges [scientificis] shall be abandoned is signified by "they shall cast away their robes, and strip off their broidered garments;" "broidered work," is knowledges [scientificum]; "the city that dwelt by the seas and was strong in the sea" signifies the power of knowing in all abundance ("seas" signify collections); "the islands in the sea" signify nations more remote from truths that long for cognitions, of which it is said "therefore the islands in the sea shall be dismayed at thy outcome."

[6] In Isaiah:

They shall not do evil nor corrupt themselves in all the mountain of My holiness; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge [scientifia] of Jehovah, as the waters cover the sea (Isaiah 11:9).

This treats of a new heaven and a new church, which are meant by "mountain of holiness," in which "they shall not do evil nor corrupt themselves;" their understanding of truth from the Lord is described by "the earth shall be full of the knowledge [scientia] of Jehovah; "and as waters" signify truths, and the "sea" the fullness of them, it is said, "as the waters cover the sea."

[7] In the same:

By My rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a wilderness; their fish shall become putrid because there is no water, and shall die of thirst (Isaiah 50:2).

"To dry up the sea" signifies an entire lack of the general knowledges of truth; "to make the rivers a wilderness" signifies the deprivation of all truth and of intelligence therefrom; "the fish shall become putrid" signifies that the knowledges [scientifica] pertaining to the natural man shall be without any spiritual life; this takes place when they are applied to confirm falsities in opposition to the truths of the church; "by cause there is no water" signifies because there is no truth; "to die of thirst" signifies the extinction of truth. (That "rivers" signify the things of intelligence, see Arcana Coelestia 108, 2702[1-17], Arcana Coelestia 2702[1-17], 3051; that "wilderness" signifies where there is no good because there is no truth, n. 2708, 4736, 7055; that "fish" signifies the knowledge [scientificum] pertaining to the natural man, n. 40, 991; that "water" signifies truth, n. 2702, 3058, 3424, 5668, 8568; and that "to die of thirst" signifies the absence of spiritual life from lack of truth, n. Arcana Coelestia 8568[1-10].

[8] In David:

O Jehovah, Thou rulest in the uprising of the sea; when it raiseth up its waves (Psalms 89:9).

The "sea" here signifies the natural man, because in the natural man are the generals of truth; "the uprising of the sea" signifies its exalting itself against the Divine, denying the things that are of the church; the "waves" which it raiseth up signify falsities.

[9] In the same:

Jehovah hath founded the world upon the seas, and established it upon the rivers (Psalms 24:2).

The "world" signifies the church; the "seas" knowledges in general which are in the natural man; and "rivers" the truths of faith; upon these two the church has its foundation.

[10] In Amos:

Jehovah, who buildeth His steps in the heavens, and calleth the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the faces of the earth (Amos 9:6).

"The steps that Jehovah buildeth in the heavens" signify interior truths which are called spiritual; "the waters of the sea" signify exterior truths, which are natural because they are in the natural man; "to pour them out upon the faces of the earth" signifies upon the men of the church, for the "earth" is the church.

[11] In David:

By the word of Jehovah were the heavens made; and all the hosts of them by the breath of His mouth. He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap; He giveth the deeps in treasuries (Psalms 33:6-7).

"The word of Jehovah by which the heavens were made," and "the breath of His mouth by which all the hosts of them were made," signify Divine truth proceeding from the Lord; "the hosts of the heavens" are all things of love and faith; "the waters of the sea that He gathereth together as an heap" signify the knowledges of truth, and truths in general, which are together in the natural man; "the deeps that He gives in treasuries" signify sensual knowledges [scientifica sensualia], which are the most general and ultimate things of the natural man, and in which at the same time are interior or higher truths, therefore they are called "treasures."

[12] In the same:

Jehovah hath founded the earth upon its bases, that it be not removed for ever and ever. Thou hast covered it with the deep as with a vesture (Psalms 104:5-6).

The "earth" signifies the church; "the bases on which Jehovah hath founded it for ever" are the knowledges of truth and good; "the deep with which He hath covered it as with a vesture" signifies sensual knowledge [scientificum sensuale], which is the ultimate of the natural man, and being the ultimate, it is said that "He covered it as with a vesture."

[13] In the same:

Jehovah, Thy way is in the sea, and Thy path in many waters, yet Thy footsteps have not been known (Psalms 77:19).

In Isaiah:

Thus saith Jehovah, I who have given a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters (Isaiah 43:16).

That "sea" here does not mean the sea, nor "waters" the waters, is clear, since it is said that therein "are the way and the path of Jehovah;" therefore by "sea" and by "waters" are meant such things as Jehovah or the Lord is in, which are the knowledges of truth in general from the Word, and the truths therein; "the sea" being such knowledges, and "waters" truths. Knowledges and truths differ in this, that knowledges are of the natural man, and truths of the spiritual man.

[14] In Jeremiah:

Behold, I will plead thy cause, and will revenge thy revenging; that I may dry up the sea of Babylon, and make dry her fountain. The sea shall come up upon Babylon, she shall be covered with the multitude of its waves (Jeremiah 51:36, 42).

By "Babylon" those who profane goods are meant; "the sea of Babylon" means their traditions, which are the adulterations of good from the Word; "the waves" are the falsities from these; their destruction at the Last Judgment is hereby described.

[15] In the same:

A people coming from the north, and a great nation and many kings shall be stirred up from the sides of the earth. Their voice maketh a tumult like the sea, and they ride upon horses (Jeremiah 50:41, 42).

"A people coming from the north" are those who are in falsities from evil; "the great nation" means evils; and "many kings" falsities; "the sides of the earth" are the things outside of the church, and those that are not of the church, for the "earth" means the church; "their voice maketh a tumult like the sea" means falsity from the natural man exalting itself against the truth of the church; "the horses upon which they ride" are reasonings from the fallacies of the senses.

[16] In the same:

Jehovah giveth the sun for light by day, the statutes of the moon and stars for light by night, stirring up the sea so that the waves thereof roar (Jeremiah 31:35).

"The sun from which is the light of day" signifies the good of celestial love, from which is the perception of truth; "the statutes of the moon and stars, from which is the light of night," signify truths from spiritual good and from knowledges, by which there is intelligence; "the sea that is stirred up, and the waves that roar," signify the generals of truth in the natural man, and knowledges [scientifica].

[17] In Isaiah:

The wicked are like the troubled sea when it cannot be quiet, but its waters cast up filth and mire (Isaiah 57:20).

"The troubled sea which is like the wicked," signifies reasonings from falsities; "the waters that cast up filth and mire," signify the falsities themselves, from which come evils of life and falsities of doctrine.

[18] In Ezekiel:

I will stretch out Mine hand upon the Philistines, and I will cut off the Cherethites, and destroy the remnant of the sea coast (Ezekiel 25:16).

"The Philistines" signify those who are in the doctrine of faith alone, and "the remnant of the sea coast that shall be destroyed," signifies all things of truth.

[19] In Hosea:

I will not return to destroy Ephraim. They shall go after Jehovah; and the sons from the sea shall draw near with honor, with honor shall they come as a bird out of Egypt, and as a dove out of the land of Assyria (Hosea 11:9-11).

"Ephraim" signifies the church in respect to the understanding of truth; "the sons from the sea, who shall draw near," signify truths from a common fountain, which is the Word; "a bird out of Egypt" signifies knowledge [scientificum] agreeing; and "a dove out of the land of Assyria" signifies the rational.

[20] In Zechariah:

In that day living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; part of them to the eastern sea, and part of them to the hinder sea (Zechariah 14:8).

"Living waters from Jerusalem" signify truths from a spiritual origin in the church, which are the truths that are received by man when he is illustrated by the Lord while he is reading the Word. "Jerusalem" is the church in respect to doctrine, the "sea" signifies the natural man, into which those things that are in the spiritual man descend; the "eastern sea" signifies the natural man in respect to good; and the "hinder sea" the natural man in respect to truth; and as the natural man is in the generals of truth, "sea" also signifies the general of truth.

[21] He who knows nothing about the spiritual man, and the truths and goods that are therein, may suppose that the truths that are in the natural man, and are called cognitions and knowledges [scientifica] are not merely the generals of truth, but are all there is of truth with man. But let him know that the truths in the spiritual man, from which those are that are in the natural, are incomparably more numerous; but these truths in the spiritual man do not come to the perception of the natural man until he enters the spiritual world, which is after death; for then man puts off the natural and puts on the spiritual. That this is so can be seen from this fact alone, that angels are in intelligence and wisdom ineffable as compared with man, and yet they are from the human race. (That angels are from the human race, see in the small work onThe Last Judgment 14-22 and 23-27)

[22] As the "sea" signifies the generals of truth, therefore the great vessel, which was for general washing, was called "the brazen sea" (1 Kings 7:23-26); for the "washings" represented purifications from falsities and evils, and "waters" signify truths, by which purifications are effected; and as all truths are from good, the containing vessel was made of brass, and was therefore called "the barren sea," for brass signifies good. Spiritual purification, which is called purification from falsities and evils, is there fully described by the measurements of that vessel, and by the bases thereof, understood in a spiritual sense. From what has been brought forward it can be seen that "sea" signifies the generals of truth or the knowledges of truth together and collectively. But what further is signified by "sea" will be shown in the explanation of what follows, for "sea" is used in various senses (as in Revelation 5:13; 7:1-3; 8:8, 9; 10:2, 8; 12:12; 13:1; 14:7; 15:2; 16:3; 18:17, 19, 21; 20:13; 21:1).