44L Hard Truths for Today's Thinkers, Luke 13:1- 9

The Importance of Repentance 13:1- 5

English Standard Version (Chapter 13)

13 There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2 And he answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? 3 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. 4 Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? 5 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”

The important part is that you are doomed without repentance. That is straight from the lips of Jesus. There are some observations that I had concerning these verses that Jesus pointed out and that the text reveals. First of all, were all Galileans believers in Jesus? No, I’m sure they were not. Were the Galileans believers, who were tortured by Pilate when their blood was mingled with sacrifices? Probably so. The ones tortured were probably tortured for their faith.

A scriptural view of a physically tough passage shows us that people who are killed this way did not necessarily do anything bad to deserve this horrible treatment. Pilate did this horrible act because of his character. According to the text, he was a sinner, an idolater, a killer, and a man without a conscience. The difference from Galilean to Galilean is whether or not they had repented. Without repentance, you will perish. This warning is not just for the listeners of Jesus day, it is also for the readers of today. Repent, or you will perish!

The next observation is that there is a news account of a happening that is not found anywhere outside of the gospels. The death of the 18 people at Siloam’s Tower is a recounting of a happening from around 33 AD. The Tower would have been a watchtower on the Jerusalem wall near the pool of Siloam. When King David lived in the Palace in Jerusalem, there was a stairway that went out of His residence and down to the pool. The King had access to the same things as other people living in the city. It is no wonder that he was able to see Bathsheba and observe her sunning herself or bathing as he had direct access to a very popular place, the pool of Siloam.

The tower mentioned may or may not have been there during David’s time. The Tower probably fell because of the age of the building during the time of Jesus and the rebuilding of structures on top of each other after the temple was destroyed by Babylon. The rebuilding of this area took place during the time of the rebuilding of the temple after the Babylonian Captivity. Nehemiah 3:15 says:

But the gate of the fountain repaired Shallun the son of Colhozeh, the ruler of part of Mizpah; He built it, and covered it, and set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof, and the wall of the pool of Siloah (Siloam) by the king’s garden, and unto the stairs that go down from the city of David.”

Archeology has preserved the pool of Siloam, but probably not the tower.

A Third observation is that the people who died in the collapse of the tower, were no worse than anybody else. The Lord once again teaches us that it was not their sins that got them killed, it is because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. All 18 were judged on their own belief, by faith. They were not any worse than anyone else who lived in Jerusalem. They perished unless they had believed.

The whole scene described in verses 1 and 2 are labeled by one commentator as an atrocity. We would agree with that. Here’s what he had to say:

The Bible Exposition Commentary (Chapter Twelve: Questions and Answers, Warren Wiersbe (Luke 13))

The atrocity mentioned in Luke 13:1 may have taken place when Pilate “appropriated” money from the temple treasury to help finance an aqueduct. A large crowd of angry Jews gathered in protest; so Pilate had soldiers in civilian clothes mingle with the mob. Using concealed weapons, the soldiers killed a number of innocent and unarmed Jews, and this only added to the Jews’ hatred for their governor.

Since Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, anything He said about Pilate was sure to get there before Him. If He ignored the issue, the crowd would accuse Him of being pro-Roman and disloyal to His people. If He defended the Jews and accused Pilate, He would be in trouble with the Romans, and the Jewish leaders would have a good excuse to get Him arrested.

The Bible is not just a narrative of truth but it is also a true narrative of current events during the time of Jesus. So, Jesus is on a roll and has a captive audience. It is now he delivers another parable:

The Parable of the Barren Fig Tree- 13:6- 9

6 And he told this parable: “A 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 vinedresser, ‘Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?’ 8 And he answered him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure. 9 Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’ ”

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Lk 13:6–9.

Despite the fact that those who fail to repent, will perish, it is also true that God’s mercy is always present. God’s swift justice is tempered by the fact that He is not willing that any should perish, but all should come to repentance. Lamentations 3:22, 23 says:

“It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.”

It is a fearful thing to consider that if a certain man was willing to cut down a fruit tree after three years of bearing no fruit, how would us Christians fare if Jesus looked at fruit bearing the same way? Three years and boom? Ouch! Be thankful and grateful for the grace that allows us some space to get re-fertilized and to grow into our intended fruit bearing! You can bank this kind of relief into a season of refreshment and revival. Jesus gives me space to grow into my intended purpose and calling. If I fail to do so, then, I’m on my own and the man can do what he must. Nonetheless, a righteous man can fall seven times but he keeps getting back up. That is the Holy Spirit’s resurrection power in our lives. God brings us up and does not let us down. Be prepared to get juiced for fruit bearing brothers!

Human trauma does not always divine punishment. Tragedy can come from a variety of sources. It is wrong for a believer to “play God” and wrongfully judge another individual. Lord knows there is enough judging going on right now. If we constantly do this then we have a hard time explaining why the Lord, his disciples and His mighty old time prophets experienced great sorrow, trial, and even death. Let’s take a moment to consider what the fig tree represents. The cross and the tomb have not yet occured, so the church is not in sight at this juncture. The Kingdom hoping (hope) Jews, or the nation of Israel as a whole are the subject of this last parable. They are the object of this grace and this warning. You must repent and I (the Lord) will be merciful for a time to my Chosen people. But look out the tree is in danger of losing it;s place in my field of harvest.

God has every right to do what He wants in His kingdom. The desired effect for this day and age is a Glorious, fruit bearing church, without spot, wrinkle or any such thing. The Lord is looking to always make sure His vineyard is up to date. His bride will accept only the best when it comes to His return for that bride. It is our desire and job to do our best to make sure that the Bride will be ready on that day when He returns.