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The Gospel of Luke 13

13 At that time, some people who were there in the crowd told Jesus about what had recently happened to some Galileans. Pilate, the Roman governor, had ordered soldiers to kill the Galileans while they were offering sacrifices in the temple in Jerusalem. 2 Jesus replied to them, “Do you think that this happened to those people from Galilee because they were more sinful than all the other Galileans? 3 I assure you, that was not the reason! Instead, God will similarly punish all of you if you do not turn from your sinful behavior. 4 Or what about those 18 people who died when the tower in the neighborhood of Siloam fell on them? Do you think that this happened to them because they were worse sinners than everyone else in Jerusalem? 5 I assure you, that was not the reason! But instead, you need to realize that God will similarly punish all of you if you do not turn from your sinful behavior!”

6 Then Jesus told them this story: “A man planted a fig tree in his garden. Each year he came to pick the figs, but there were always none on it. 7 Then he said to the gardener, ‘Look at this tree! I have been looking for fruit on it every year for the past three years, but there have been no figs. Cut it down! It is just using up the nutrients in the soil for nothing!’ 8 But the gardener replied, ‘Sir, leave it here for another year. I will dig around it and fertilize it. 9 If it has figs on it next year, we can allow it to keep growing! But if it does not bear any fruit by then, you can cut it down.’ ”

10 On one Jewish day of rest, Jesus was teaching people in one of the synagogues. 11 There was a woman there whom an evil spirit had crippled for 18 years. She was always bent over. She could not stand up straight. 12 When Jesus saw her, he called her over to him. He said to her, “Woman, I have healed you of this illness!” 13 He put his hands on her. Immediately she stood up straight and began praising God! 14 But the leader of the synagogue was angry because Jesus had healed her on the Jewish rest day. So he said to the people, “There are six days each week on which our laws permit people to work. If you need healing, those are the days to come to the synagogue for someone to heal you. Do not come on our day of rest!” 15 Then Jesus replied to him, “You and your fellow religious leaders are hypocrites! Each of you also works on the day of rest sometimes! For example, you untie your ox or donkey to lead it from the stall to a place where it can drink water. 16 This woman is a Jew, descended from Abraham! But Satan has kept her crippled for 18 years, as though he had tied her up! Certainly you would agree that it is right that I free her from this disabling disease, even if I do it on a day of rest!” 17 After he said that, his enemies were ashamed of themselves. But all the other people were happy about all the wonderful things he was doing.

18 Then he said, “I want to explain what it is like when God rules as king. I will give you a picture to help you understand. 19 It is like a tiny mustard seed that a man planted in his field. It grew until it became big, like a tree. It was so big that birds built nests in its branches.”

20 Then again he said, “I will tell you in another (way what) it is like when God rules. 21 It is like a little bit of yeast that a woman mixed with about 25 kilograms of flour. That small amount of yeast made the whole batch of dough swell up.”

22 Jesus continued traveling toward Jerusalem. He stopped in all the towns and villages along the way and taught the people. 23 Someone asked him, “Lord, will God only save a few people?” Jesus replied so that everyone there could hear, 24 “You need to try hard to enter, because it is very difficult. I tell you that many people will try to get in, but they will not be able to. 25 After the owner of the house gets up and locks the door, you will stand outside and you will knock on the door. And you will beg the owner and say to him, ‘Lord, open the door for us!’ But he will reply, ‘No, I will not open it, because I do not know you, and I do not know where you are from!’ 26 Then you will say, ‘You must have forgotten that we ate meals with you, and you taught us in the streets of our towns!’ 27 But he will say, ‘I tell you again, I do not know where you are from. You are all wicked people! Get away from here!’ ” 28 Then Jesus continued by saying, “You will see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the distance. All the prophets who lived long ago will also be there where God rules everything as king. But you will be outside, crying and grinding your teeth in sorrow! 29 But inside there will be people from every part of the world, including many non-Jewish people. They will all celebrate together where God rules everything as king. 30 Think about this: Some people who seem the least important now will be the most important then, and others who seem important now will be the least important then.”

31 That same day, some Pharisees came and said to Jesus, “Leave this area, because the ruler Herod Antipas wants to kill you!” 32 He replied to them, “Go and tell that cunning man, who thinks he can hurt me but who really cannot, this message from me: ‘Listen! I am expelling demons and performing miracles now, and I will continue doing so for a short time. After that, I will finish my work.’ 33 But I must also continue my trip to Jerusalem during the coming days, since the Jewish leaders have always acted as if it is not appropriate to kill a prophet in a place other than Jerusalem.

34 Oh, people of Jerusalem! You killed the prophets who lived long ago. Then you killed others whom God sent to you. You killed them by throwing stones at them. Many times I have wanted to gather you together to protect you, as a hen gathers her young chicks under her wings. But you did not want me to do that. 35 Now look! God will no longer protect you, people of Jerusalem. I will also tell you this: I will enter your city only once more. After that, you will not see me until the time when I return, and then you will say about me, ‘May God bless this man who comes with God’s authority!’ ”

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