Bear fruit and lead people to repent (Sharing of Luke 13:1-30)
Let us read V.1 to V. 5. Please take note of “Now…at that time”. Do you know when that was? The background of this chapter was in Luke 12: 54-59. Jesus was speaking to the crowd that included the Pharisees, “When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, ‘It’s going to rain’”. Since the Mediterranean is in the west of Palestine, the west wind usually brings rain. “And when the south wind blows, you say, ‘It’s going to be hot’”. On the south of Palestine was the desert. Therefore, the south wind from the desert was always dry and hot. Jesus said, “Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don’t know how to interpret this present time?” By this Jesus meant to tell them the Messiah had come, salvation had come! Why didn’t they have a sense to judge for themselves what was right? How about us? What is right to do when salvation has come to us? We should repent and believe in God’s salvation! Repent and pay the last penny. Let us repent for whatever we have sinned against God and men. Pay back the last debt of sin! Do it at once! Repent willingly and humbly. We will receive forgiveness and freedom from bondage. Free from the jail of sin, no more slaves of sins!
At that time people came to tell Jesus about what the cruel Pilate had done. Do you know who Pilate was? He was a governor, sent by the Roman Empire to rule over the Jews. He had power to kill anyone. It was him who gave order to crucify Jesus.
At that time he killed some Galileans and mixed their blood with the sacrifices of the Jews. How he had blasphemed our God! What a great sin it was! The Jews were so shocked that they came to tell Jesus about it. How did Jesus answer them? He said that did you think the dead ones were worse sinners than the rest? No! “Unless you repent, you too will all perish.” Jesus said. Thank God. For His viewpoint differs from men’s—if we don’t repent, we will all perish. Jesus continued to say, “Or 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? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.” What Jesus meant was everyone comes and repents, lest anyone perish in the sin. Our Lord wants everyone to repent and be saved, not one to perish.
Now let’s continue to read V. 6-9. Here Jesus told us a parable of a fig tree that did not bear fruit. Those who truly repent will bear fruit. They will bear sweet fruit that is pleasing to God. The Lord expects us to bear fruit. So did the owner of that fig tree. What a shame that it had not born any fruit for three years. So he said, “Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?” Can you tell me why the owner wanted to cut it down? Why? Surely it is because it did not bear fruit. It matches the justice judgment of God. One will not get out from perishing unless one has paid the last penny. But brothers and sisters listen who was pleading for the tree? The Gardner was. He represents the Lord Jesus. What a price He has paid for us. He dug and fertilized it. The Holy Spirit has moaned and prayed for us. The Holy Spirit prays to God to soften our heart by His words. Then our lives are changed. Finally, we start to bear fruit! Let’s give thanks to the Lord for His patience and endurance. It is the grace of God that He gives us chance to repent.
Let’s sum up some lessons from these verses: 1) bear fruit: First, it means to win people’s souls to Jesus. Secondly, it means good behaviors to honor God. 2) Repent: turn our hearts to God. 3) Sins: whoever has sins will perish. The Bible tells us, “Unless you repent, you too will all perish.” 4) The pleading of the Gardner represents the heart of the Lord. How earnestly He prayed and labored for our behalf so that we can know our sins and turn to God.
V.10-17: Here we see how Jesus healed a woman bent over by an evil spirit. How He delivered her from the power of sin and evil. Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (Luke 5:31-32) Praise the Lord! That woman was blessed and healed. She had been sick for 18 years. It was impossible for her to straighten up. How miserable she had been! Day and night she was occupied with the things of this world. Jesus had mercy on her. He knew she was weary and burdened. Her heart was drawn to the world. Jesus called her forward and said to her. The word “said” means take faith. Jesus said, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” “Set free from” means you are released. You are not bonded or controlled by the sins. Hallelujah! Jesus put his hands on her, and at once she straightened up. She gave praise to God. But the ruler of the synagogue was offended. He thought it was not right for Jesus to heal the sick on Sabbath. Jesus rebuked him that would he allow his ox or donkey to die of thirst because it was the Sabbath day. Should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, be set free from bondage on the Sabbath day? It pleases God to do the good and save people. Keep it in mind that Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath!
V.18-21: When Jesus healed and did the good to save people on the Sabbath day, His enemies were ashamed. But the people were joyful to see all these wonderful things He had done. Then, Jesus wanted to tell them the secret of God’s kingdom. It is also the secret of heavenly kingdom. For that He gave them the parable of the mustard seed and the yeast. Jesus told them that he kingdom of God was like a mustard seed. It was greatly produced in the land of Judah. It is the smallest among the seeds. But it is full of power of life. The Lord Jesus has laid down His life for us. When we believe in Jesus, this seed of life is planted in our hearts. He died for us, and rose from death for us. He has given us His life. This seed carries a tremendous power of life in it. People look down on it because it is too small. Though it is small in the beginning; it turns out to be a big tree. Let’s pray to the Lord that we are willing to follow Jesus. Though we sow in tears, we will reap in joy. Then, Jesus talked about the parable of yeast. Yeast is powerful in changing and expanding. If you put yeast into three satas flour today, your dough will rise and be ready for baking. How the yeast works all through the dough is invisible to us. But the effect is obvious. It represents a work of life, and of praying by faith that is behind the scene.
Praise the Lord! We all need a faith and the life of a mustard seed. In addition to it, we need to pray behind the scene just like the work of the yeast. We will see how this kind of praying plays a role in advancing the kingdom of God. We will sure to see lots of people coming to Jesus Christ when we pray in the inner room. How Jesus wants everyone to enter the kingdom of God. He expects us to bring others to His kingdom.
V. 22-30: The Lord Jesus made His way to Jerusalem for our salvation. He set his face to go to Jerusalem. The Lord Jesus told people around Him, “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door”. The narrow door is the door of salvation, the door of eternal life, and the door of faith. Now can you answer me what does “make every effort” mean? It means—we must repent. The meaning of “door” is in John 10:7-10. Praise the Lord! The Lord Jesus is the gate of the sheep. He is the only gate to eternal life. There is no other way to go to God but through Jesus. Narrow door leads us to the way of cross. It leads us to the kingdom of heaven. The Lord is the good shepherd taking care of the sheep. He comes that: 1) the sheep may have life; 2) they may have abundant life; 3) He goes on ahead of the sheep; 4) He brings two groups of sheep into one flock; 5) no one can take them from the Lord; 6) He lays down His life for them.
Therefore, we must enter the narrow door. That is to repent, pay back the last penny and stop doing the evil. How pity it is that many people have gone to the wrong door. They have taken the wrong way. When the Lord comes back, He will tell them He has never known them. When the door is shut, it will be too late to repent. Let us take the lead to repent, and make effort to bear fruit for the Lord. And then, we will bring others to repent and to bear fruit. God will show His love among us when we do that.
Take heart to the Lord’s warning, “Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last.”(V.30) Let us make our best to press on toward what is ahead. We are His sheep. We know the Lord’s voice and follow Him. He also knows his own sheep.
Ruth Feng