Глава 13

1–9. Exhortations to repentance. – 10–17. Healing on Saturday. – 18–21. Two parables about the Kingdom of God. – 22–30. Many may not get into the Kingdom of God. – 31–35. Word of Christ regarding the plans against Him on the part of Herod. Luke 13:1. At this time some came and told Him about the Galileans, whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. The exhortations to repentance that follow are found only in one evangelist, Luke. In the same way, he alone reports about the incident that gave the Lord the opportunity to turn with such admonitions to those around Him. “At this time”, i.e. When the Lord spoke the previous speech to the people, some of the newly approached listeners informed Christ about important news. Some Galileans (their fate seems known to readers, because the word Γαλιλαίων is preceded by the article τῶν) were killed by order of Pilate while they were making a sacrifice, and the blood of those killed even sprinkled the sacrificial animals. It is not known why Pilate allowed such cruel arbitrariness in Jerusalem over the subjects of King Herod, but in that rather troubled time, the Roman procurator could indeed resort to the most drastic measures without serious investigations, especially in relation to the inhabitants of Galilee, who, in general, were known for their obstinate character and tendency to rebel against the Romans. Luke 13:2. Jesus said to them: Do you think that these Galileans were more sinners than all the Galileans, that they suffered so much? The Lord’s question was probably caused by the fact that those who brought Him the news of the death of the Galileans were inclined to see in this terrible death God’s punishment for any special sins committed by the lost. “Were” is more correct: they became, became (ἐγένοντο) or punished themselves precisely through their destruction. Luke 13:3. No, I tell you, but if you do not repent, you will all perish in the same way. Christ takes this opportunity to address His listeners with an exhortation. The death of the Galileans, according to His prediction, foreshadows the death of the entire Jewish people, if the people remain unrepentant, of course, in their opposition to God, Who now demands that the people accept Christ. Luke 13:4. Or do you think that those eighteen people on whom the tower of Siloam fell and killed them were more guilty than all those living in Jerusalem? Luke 13:5. No, I tell you, but if you do not repent, you will all perish in the same way. More than just the incident with the Galileans can strike the mind and heart. The Lord also indicates, obviously, a very recent event, namely, the fall of the Tower of Siloam, which crushed eighteen people under its ruins. Were these lost more sinners before God than all the other inhabitants of Jerusalem 16? What kind of tower it was is unknown. It can only be seen that it stood in close proximity to the Spring of Siloam (ἐν τῷ Σιλωάμ), which flowed at the base of Mount Zion, on the southern side of Jerusalem. “Everything” is again a hint at the possibility of the death of the entire people. Luke 13:6. And he spoke this parable: A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came looking for fruit on it, and found none; Luke 13:7. and he said to the vinedresser, “Behold, I have come for the third year looking for fruit on this fig tree, and have not found it; cut it down: why does it occupy the land? Luke 13:8. But he answered him: Master! leave it for this year too, while I dig it up and cover it with manure, - Luke 13:9. will it bear fruit? if not, then next year you will cut it down. To show how necessary repentance is now for the Jewish people, the Lord tells a parable about a barren fig tree, from which the owner of the vineyard is still waiting for fruit, but - such a conclusion should be drawn from what has been said - soon his patience may be exhausted, and he will cut it down. “And he said,” he said, addressing the crowds of people standing around Him (Luke 12:44). “In the vineyard... a fig tree.” In Palestine, in grain fields and vineyards, wherever the soil allows, fig trees and apple trees grow (Trench, p. 295). “I have been coming for the third year...” More precisely: “three years have already passed since I began to come” (τρία ἔτη, ἀφ´ οὗ). “Why does she occupy the land?” Land in Palestine is very expensive, since it provides the opportunity to plant fruit trees on it. “Occupies” – more precisely: it takes out power from the earth – moisture (καταργεῖ). “I’ll dig it up and cover it with manure” - these are already extreme measures in order to make the fig tree fertile (this is what they do now with orange trees in the south of Italy - Trench, p. 300). “Will it bear fruit; if not, then next year you will cut it down.” This translation is not entirely clear. Why does a fig tree that turns out to be barren need to be cut down only “next year”? After all, the owner told the winegrower that it was needlessly depleting the soil, which means that it must be gotten rid of immediately after the last and final attempt to make it fertile. There is no reason to wait another year. It is therefore better to accept here the reading established by Tischendorf: “Perhaps it will bear fruit next year? "If not, cut it down." You have to wait until next year because the fig tree will only be fertilized this year. With the parable of the barren fig tree, the Lord wanted to show the Jews that His appearance as the Messiah is the last attempt that God makes to call the Jewish people to repentance, and after the failure of this attempt, the people have no choice but to expect a speedy end. But besides this, the direct meaning of the parable, it also has a mysterious one. It is the barren fig tree that means “every” people and “every” state and church that do not fulfill their purpose given to them by God and which therefore must be removed from their place (cf. Rev. 2:5 appeal to the Angel of the Church of Ephesus: “I will remove your lamp from its place unless you repent”). Then, in the intercession of the vinedresser for the fig tree, the Fathers of the Church saw the intercession of Christ for sinners, or the intercession of the Church for the world, or the intercession of righteous members of the Church for the unrighteous. As for the “three years” mentioned in the parable, some interpreters saw here a designation of three periods of the Divine economy - the law, the prophets and Christ, others - an indication of the three-year ministry of Christ. But all these interpretations have no basis in the parable itself, the details of which, like any parable in general, do not need explanation: it is only important to highlight the main idea of ​​the parable, and this idea is quite clear to everyone. Luke 13:10. He taught in one of the synagogues on Saturday. Luke 13:11. There was a woman who had had a spirit of weakness for eighteen years: she was bent over and could not straighten up. Luke 13:12. Jesus, seeing her, called her and said to her: woman! you are freed from your illness. Luke 13:13. And he laid his hands on her, and she immediately straightened up and began to praise God. Luke 13:14. At the same time, the ruler of the synagogue, indignant that Jesus healed on the Sabbath, said to the people: there are six days on which it must be done; come on those days to be healed, and not on the Sabbath day. Luke 13:15. The Lord answered him: hypocrite! Doesn't each of you untie his ox or donkey from the manger on the Sabbath and lead him to water? Luke 13:16. Should not this daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound for eighteen years now, be freed from these bonds on the Sabbath day? Luke 13:17. And when He said this, all those who opposed Him were ashamed; and all the people rejoiced over all His glorious deeds. Only Evangelist Luke speaks about Christ’s healing of a crumpled woman on Saturday. In the synagogue on the Sabbath, the Lord healed a crumpled woman, although indirectly, in his address to the people, and the leader of the synagogue blamed Him for this action, since Christ violated the Sabbath rest. Then Christ denounced the hypocritical zealot of the law and others like him, pointing out that even on Saturdays the Jews go out to water their cattle, violating the peace prescribed for them by such an action. This exposure put Christ’s opponents to shame, and the people began to express joy at the miracles performed by Christ. “The spirit of weakness” (verse 11), i.e. a demon that weakened her muscles (see verse 16). “You are set free” (verse 12) - more precisely: “you are set free” (ἀπολέλυσαι), the upcoming event is presented in this expression as already accomplished. “The ruler of the synagogue” (verse 14; see Matt. 4:23). “I was indignant because Jesus healed on the Sabbath” (verse 14; see Mark 3:2). “He told the people” (verse 14). He was afraid to turn directly to Christ due to the fact that the people were obviously on the side of Christ (cf. verse 17). “Hypocrite” (verse 15) – according to a more accurate reading: “hypocrites.” This is what the Lord calls the leader of the synagogue and other representatives of the spiritual authorities who stood on the side of this leader (Euphemius Zigaben) because, under the guise of strictly observing the law on the Sabbath, they wanted to disgrace Christ. “Does it not lead...” (verse 15). According to the Talmud, it was allowed to water animals on the Sabbath. “This daughter of Abraham...” (verse 16). The Lord draws a conclusion to the thought expressed in verse 15. If for animals the strictness of the law on the Sabbath is violated, then for a woman descended from the great Abraham, it is possible to break the Sabbath - to free this sufferer from the illness that Satan brought on her (Satan seems to have bound her through one of his servants - demons). “About all glorious deeds” (verse 17) – missing: happening or happening (τοῖς γενομένοις). By this the works of Christ are designated as ongoing. Luke 13:18. He said: What is the Kingdom of God like? and to what shall I compare it? Luke 13:19. It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden; and it grew and became a great tree, and the birds of the air took refuge in its branches. Luke 13:20. He also said: What will I liken the Kingdom of God to? Luke 13:21. It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of flour until it was all leavened. Explanation of the parables of the mustard seed and the leaven (see Matthew 13:31–32; cf. Mark 4:30–32; Matthew 13:33). Thus, according to the Gospel of Luke, these two parables were told in the synagogue, and here they are completely in place, since in verse 10 it is said that the Lord “taught” in the synagogue, but what His teaching consisted of - the evangelist did not say this there, now he makes up for this omission. “In your garden”, i.e. kept him under his closest supervision and constantly took care of him (Matthew 13:31: “in his field”). Luke 13:22. And he passed through cities and villages, teaching and directing the way to Jerusalem. The evangelist again (cf. Luke 9:51-53) reminds his readers that the Lord, passing through cities and villages (in all likelihood, the evangelist here means the cities and villages of Perea, the Trans-Jordan region, which was usually used to travel from Galilee to Jerusalem), was heading towards Jerusalem. He considered it necessary here to recall this purpose of the Lord’s journey in view of the fact that he further outlined the Lord’s predictions about the nearness of His death and the judgment of Israel, which, of course, was closely related to the purpose of Christ’s journey. Luke 13:23. Someone said to Him: Lord! Are there really few people being saved? He told them: “Someone” – in all likelihood, did not belong to the number of Christ’s disciples. This is evident from the fact that in answer to the question posed by this man, the Lord addresses the crowd of people in general, from the midst of which this man obviously came out. “Are there really few people being saved?” This question was not caused by the severity of Christ’s moral demands and was not a simple question of curiosity, but, as can be seen from Christ’s answer, it was based on the proud consciousness that the questioner belongs to those who will certainly be saved. Salvation here is understood as salvation from eternal destruction through acceptance into the glorious Kingdom of God (cf. 1 Cor. 1:18). Luke 13:24. strive to enter through the strait gate, for I tell you, many will seek to enter and will not be able to. Evangelist Luke strengthens Matthew’s thought, since instead of “enter,” he puts “strive to enter” (ἀγωνίζεσθε εἰσελθεῖν), which suggests the strong tension that will be required to enter the glorious Kingdom of God. “Many will seek to enter” - when the time of the dispensation of salvation has already passed. “And they will not be able” because they did not repent in due time. Luke 13:25. When the owner of the house gets up and closes the doors, then you, standing outside, will begin to knock on the doors and say: Lord! God! open to us; but He will answer you: I don’t know you, where you come from. Luke 13:26. Then you will begin to say: we ate and drank before You, and You taught in our streets. Luke 13:27. But He will say: I tell you, I don’t know you, where you come from; Depart from Me, all workers of iniquity. Announcing judgment over the entire Jewish people, Christ portrays God as the master of the house, who awaits His friends for supper. The hour comes when it is necessary to lock the doors of the house, and this is done by the Owner Himself. But as soon as He closed the door, the Jewish people (“you”), who arrived too late, began to ask for admission to the supper and knock on the door. Only the Householder, i.e. God will tell these latecomers that He does not know where they are from, i.e. from what family (cf. John 7:27); they, in any case, do not belong to His house, but to some other, unknown to Him (cf. Matt. 25:11-12). Then the Jews will point out what they ate and drank before Him, i.e. that they are His close friends, that He taught on the streets of their cities (the speech clearly turns into a depiction of Christ’s relationship to the Jewish people). But the Householder will again tell them that they are unknown to Him and therefore must leave as unrighteous workers, i.e. evil people, stubborn in their unrepentance (see Matthew 7:22–23). In Matthew these words refer to false prophets. Luke 13:28. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the Kingdom of God, and yourself being cast out. Luke 13:29. And they will come from the east and the west, and the north and the south, and will lie down in the kingdom of God. The conclusion to the previous speech depicts the sad state of the rejected Jews, who, to their great chagrin, will see how access to the Kingdom of God will be opened to other nations (cf. Matt. 8:11-12). "There", i.e. where you will be banished. Luke 13:30. And behold, there are last who will be first, and there are first who will be last. The “last” are the pagans whom the Jews did not consider worthy of admission into the Kingdom of God, and the “first” are the Jewish people who were promised the Kingdom of the Messiah (cf. Acts 10:45). Luke 13:31. That day some of the Pharisees came and said to Him: Come out and get away from here, for Herod wants to kill You. The Pharisees come to Christ with a warning regarding the plans of Herod Antipas, the tetrarch of Galilee (cf. Luke 3:1). From what follows (verse 32) the Lord calls Herod a “fox,” i.e. a cunning creature, we can say with confidence that the Pharisees came on behalf of Herod himself, who was very unpleasant that Christ had been in his domain for so long (Peraea, where Christ was at that time, also belonged to Herod’s domain). Herod was afraid to resort to any open measures against Christ because of the respect with which the people greeted Christ. Herod therefore instructed the Pharisees to instill in Christ the idea that He was in danger in Perea from the tetrarch. It seemed to the Pharisees that it was best to persuade Christ to quickly go to Jerusalem, where - as they knew, of course, - Christ would no longer have mercy. Luke 13:32. And he said to them: go, tell this fox: behold, I cast out demons and perform healings today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will finish; The Lord answers the Pharisees: “go, tell this fox” who sent you, i.e. To Herod: “Behold, I cast out demons and perform healings today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will finish.” "Today" . This expression means a certain time known to Christ, during which He will stay in Perea, despite all the plans and threats of Herod. “I will finish” - I will finish (τελειοῦμαι, which is used everywhere in the New Testament as a passive form), or - I will reach the end. But what “end” does Christ mean here? Is it not His death? Some teachers of the Church and church writers (Blessed Theophylact, Euthymius Zigaben) and many Western scientists understood this expression in precisely this sense. But the context of the speech clearly goes against such an understanding: the Lord is undoubtedly saying that His real activity will end, which consists of casting out demons and healing diseases and takes place here in Perea. Then another activity will begin - in Jerusalem. Luke 13:33. However, I must walk today, tomorrow and the next day, because it does not happen that a prophet perishes outside of Jerusalem. This verse is very difficult to understand, because it is unclear, firstly, what kind of “walk” the Lord has in mind, and, secondly, it is unclear what connection this “walk” has with the fact that the prophets usually died in Jerusalem. Therefore, some of the newest interpreters consider this verse to be faulty in structure and offer the following reading: “I need to walk (that is, perform healings here) today and tomorrow, but the next day I must go on a journey further, because it does not happen that a prophet perishes outside of Jerusalem” (Jog. Weiss). But there is no reason in this text to find the thought of Christ’s decision to leave Perea: there is neither the expression “from here” nor a hint of a change in Christ’s activity. Therefore, B. Weiss interprets this passage better: “Of course, however, Christ needs to continue His path further, as Herod wants. But this does not depend in the least on Herod’s insidious plans: Christ needs, as before, to move from one place to another (verse 22) for a fixed time. At the same time, He does not have the goal of avoiding danger; on the contrary, the goal of His journey is Jerusalem, because He knows that, as a prophet, He can and must die only there.” As for the remark about the death of all the prophets in Jerusalem, this is, of course, hyperbole, because not all the prophets found their death in Jerusalem (for example, John the Baptist was executed in Macherus). The Lord expressed these words with sorrow over this attitude of the Davidic capital towards the messengers of God 17. Luke 13:34. Jerusalem! Jerusalem! you who kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you! how many times have I wanted to gather your children together like a bird gathers its chicks under its wings, and you did not want to! Luke 13:35. Behold, your house is left to you empty. I tell you that you will not see Me until the time comes when you say: Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! (See comments on Matthew 23:37–39). In the Evangelist Matthew, this saying about Jerusalem represents the conclusion to a diatribe against the Pharisees, but here it has more connection with the previous speech of Christ than in the Gospel of Matthew. However, in the Gospel of Luke, Christ addresses Jerusalem from afar. He probably turned his face toward Jerusalem as he uttered the last words of verse 33 and delivered this mournful address to the center of the theocracy. “I’m telling you...” . From the Evangelist Matthew: “for I say to you.” The difference between one and the other expression is this: in Matthew the Lord predicts devastation for Jerusalem as a consequence of the fact that He is moving away from it, and in Luke the Lord says that in the state of rejection in which Jerusalem finds itself, He will not come to its aid, as the inhabitants of Jerusalem may have expected: no matter how sad your situation may be, I will not come to your defense until... etc. – i.e. until all the people repent of their unbelief in Christ and turn to Him, which will happen before His second coming (cf. Rom. 11:25 et seq.). It cannot be concluded from this that Christ rejects any connection between sin and punishment, “as a vulgar Jewish concept,” as Strauss puts it (Life of Jesus). No, Christ recognized the connection between human suffering and sin (see Matt. 9:2), but He did not recognize only the power of people to establish this connection according to their own considerations in each individual case. He wanted to teach people that, seeing the suffering of others, they would strive to delve into the state of their own souls and see in the punishment that befell their neighbor a warning that God was sending them. Yes, the Lord here warns people against that cold complacency that often manifests itself among Christians who see the suffering of their neighbor and pass by indifferently, with the words “serves him right...”. I. Weiss finds in this expression of Christ an acknowledgment that He considered Himself only a prophet, like others who came before Him, and not the Messiah. But such a narrow understanding of the expression in question contradicts all other statements of Christ, where He spoke of Himself as a very special Anointed of God (see, for example, the speech of Christ in the Nazareth synagogue - Luke 4:18 et seq.). Moreover, Christ here speaks from the point of view of Herod, who did not recognize Him as the Messiah, but only perhaps as a prophet. Then Weiss’s remark that Christ here speaks of His death “only by guess” is also unsuccessful: it does not happen that... This is not a guess, but evidence that explains the reason for Christ’s removal to Jerusalem. You might be interested in: