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Luke 13:1. At this time some came and told Him about the Galileans, whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. Judas the Galilean, whom the same evangelist mentions in Acts (Acts 5:37), being himself versed in the Law, convinced many other Galileans to adhere to his teaching. He taught that no one, not even the king himself, should be called Lord, either in the literal sense or in the sense of respect and favor. Hence, many of them were severely punished for not calling Caesar lord. They also taught that no sacrifices should be made except those commanded by Moses; why they forbade sacrifices for Caesar and for the Roman people. Probably indignant at this, Pilate ordered these Galileans to be slaughtered during the very sacrifices for the Roman people that they had prohibited. Therefore, their blood mixed with the blood of the victims. Some reported this to the Savior as something that happened out of piety, wanting to know His opinion on this subject. For some thought that they suffered very justly as sinners, since they were the originators of the indignation and aroused in Pilate hatred of the Jews, for their resistance to calling Caesar lord was extended to the entire Jewish people. 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? Luke 13:3. No, I tell you, but if you do not repent, you will all perish in the same way. The Savior does not deny that they are sinners, but does not say that they suffered this way because they were more sinful than others who did not suffer. But if you do not repent, if you do not stop stirring up internal strife and do not rush to appease God with your deeds, then you will suffer an even worse fate. For one should not, under the pretext of piety, gain glory for oneself, and at the same time stir up internal rebellions. 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. The tower that fell at Siloam was a foreshadowing of what would later happen to these people. By the example of the few who then perished, she taught many that they too would suffer great evil. For the tower served as a pre-image of the whole city, and those eighteen people who died - of the whole people. Indeed, when the city fell from Titus, then all the people, stubborn in unbelief, perished along with him. This should be a lesson to us on all daily occasions. If some fall, while we remain without temptations, then this should not serve as a reason for us to be completely carefree, as if we remain without temptations because we are righteous, but on the contrary, we must be more admonished, therefore they are punished so that we improve; If we do not correct ourselves, then our grief will be greater. 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; In accordance with the flow of speech, he cites this parable. Before this, He said: “unless you repent... you will perish.” Now, by the way, he adds this parable. The fig tree is a Jewish people that produces only bitter leaves and bears no fruit. He stood in the vineyard of God, that is, in the Jewish church. The Lord of the House - Christ - came and looked (in the Jews) for the fruit of faith and good deeds, but did not find it. 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? He came in three periods: once through Moses, another time through the prophets, and the third time Himself. 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. Finally, since, despite all this, the Jews did not repent, Christ cut them off from the love of God. For they are no longer called the people of the Lord and holy people, but instead of them, pagans have been brought in who can bear fruit (Matthew 21:43). By the fig tree one can understand all of humanity: by the lord of the house - God the Father; under the vinedresser - the Son of God, who appeared in the flesh in order to take care and cleanse our vineyard. Christ does not allow this fig tree to be cut down as barren, saying to the Father: “Leave it for this year too.” If (people) have not improved through the Law and the Prophets and have not brought forth the fruit of repentance, then I will also feed them with My teaching and suffering, and perhaps they will bear the fruit of obedience. If the fig tree does not bear fruit, then you will cut it down, rejecting them from the fate of the righteous. Three times God sought fruit in our (human) race, and (three times) it did not give: the first time, when we transgressed the commandment in paradise (Gen. 3:12-13); in another, when during the legislation they merged the calf (Ex. 32:2-4) and exchanged the glory of God “for the image of an ox eating grass” (Ps. 105:20); in the third, when they asked (for crucifixion) the Savior and Lord, saying: “We have no king except Caesar” (John 19:15). And each of us in particular is a fig tree planted in the vineyard of God, that is, in the Church or, simply put, in this world. God comes to look for fruit, and if he finds you barren, he commands you to be plucked from this life. But the vinedresser can spare. Who is this winegrower? Either everyone’s guardian angel, or the person himself. For everyone is a vinedresser for himself. Often, when exposed to mortal illness or other dangers, we say: Lord! Leave it for this year too, and we will repent. For this means to dig in and cover with manure. The soul digs in when it shakes off the dust of everyday worries and becomes light. It is taxed with manure, that is, with the warmth of a life that is inglorious and despised by everyone. For when someone leaves glory for the salvation of the soul and decides to live an inglorious life, then this is called covering the soul with dung so that it bears fruit. If we bear fruit, then good; and if not, then the Lord will no longer leave us in His vineyard, but will pluck us from this world so that we do not take up space in vain. And whoever sees a sinner living for a long time, he himself becomes spoiled and becomes worse, and thus it turns out that the sinner himself does not bear fruit, but hinders another who could bear fruit. If he is torn out of this life, then those who saw his beating may come to their senses, change and bear fruit. It is said that the householder came to the fig tree for three years, perhaps because we have been given three Laws through which the Lord comes to us, namely: natural, Mosaic and spiritual. We should bear fruit under the guidance of natural law, for nature itself teaches what is proper. But since the Lord found the natural law ineffective in us, He gave the Mosaic Law to help the natural. When this too turned out to be useless due to our negligence, He gave the spiritual Law. So, whose soul is not improved by these three laws, who cannot improve, despite longevity and love of mankind, is no longer left for further time, since God cannot be deceived by delays. Understand, perhaps, by three years there are three states of age: adolescence, or youth, which is considered up to eighteen years of age, courage and the state of those who are already beginning to turn grey. Therefore, if in our old age, in this third year, we do not bear fruit, and if we are still allowed to live in order to cover ourselves with manure, through the perception of an inglorious life for the sake of Christ, and we lie again, then the Lord will no longer spare us, but will cut us down, so that we do not occupy the land in vain and, moreover, with harm to others. And this explanation seems to me closer to the present goal. Luke 13:10. He taught in one of the synagogues on Saturday. Luke 13:11. There was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity for eighteen years; she was hunched over and could not straighten up. This illness with the mentioned woman happened due to the violence of the devil, just as the Lord says: “whom Satan has bound for eighteen years now” (Luke 13:16). Perhaps Satan tormented her because she was abandoned by God for some crimes, for when he is allowed from above by God, he causes all sorts of troubles to the bodies of people (Job 2:6-7). In the beginning, He was the cause of the fact that we have lost the incorruptibility in which we were created (Wis. 2:23), and that we are now united with a body that is sick and capable of illnesses. For we mean this by leather garments (Gen. 3:21). 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. The Lord, with the most divine and sovereign command, drives away the illness of this woman and lays hands on her, so that we may know that the power and effect of the Word was carried by this holy flesh. For she was His own flesh, and not someone else, existing separately from Him and in person, as the wicked Nestorius seems to think. Such is the goodness of the Lord, and so He had mercy on His creation! 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? And Satan, who first bound the woman, is annoyed at her release, since he wanted to do her even more evil, binds the leader of the synagogue with envy and through his mouth blasphemes the miracle. So he opposes good everywhere! This man is indignant that the healing took place on Saturday, but the Lord reproaches him with a wonderful example of foolish animals. 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. Therefore, not only he, but also all the others who “resisted Jesus were ashamed” at such words of Him. For it was very unreasonable to forbid the healing of a person on the Sabbath because it was supposedly prescribed to remain inactive on the Sabbath. So, those who opposed Jesus were ashamed of these words of His, and “the people rejoiced in... His works.” While they did not rejoice over the deeds, but melted with envy at the miracles of Christ, the people, benefiting from the signs and taking advantage of the healings, rejoiced. Understand, perhaps, that these miracles also apply to the inner man. For the soul becomes crooked when it is inclined to care only about worldly things and does not think about anything heavenly or divine. That's why it is said that she has been sick for eighteen years. For whoever sins in keeping the commandments of the Law of God, which are “ten,” and is weak in trusting in the “eighth” age (Book 2, Chapter 1) is crippled for eighteen years. Isn’t he really crouched who, being tied to the earth and constantly sinning, violates the commandments and does not accept the future age? But the Lord heals such a soul on Saturday and in the synagogue. For when someone gathers in himself the thoughts of confession (for Jude means confession) and keeps (the Sabbath), that is, inaction in evil, then Jesus heals him not only with a word, saying to him: you are freed from your illness, but also by the laying on of hands. 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. The Kingdom of God is likened to a “mustard seed.” And the Kingdom of God is teaching and preaching, for through preaching it reigned in the souls of men. Just as mustard looks small, but has a lot of strength, so many despise the teaching of the Gospel and consider it stupid, but if a person accepts it and plants it “in his garden,” that is, in his soul, then it produces a large and branchy tree, and the “birds of the air,” that is, people who want to soar to things above, “take refuge in its branches.” For those who rise above the earthly rest in the branches of the sermon, that is, in extensive thoughts. For example, Paul accepted a grain, a small catechumen from Ananias, but, having planted this grain in his fertilized garden, he produced branches, that is, abundant and good teaching (Acts 9:17-22) and epistles, in which the highest in intelligence and wisdom were hidden not only in that time, such as the Corinthians, Dionysius, Hierotheus and very many others, but also who lived at all times. The mustard seed can also be understood as the Lord Himself. Apparently, He was not great as the Son of a carpenter and very poor. But when He fell into the heart of the earth, through death and burial in the tomb (John 12:24), then He sprang up beautiful branches - the apostles, under which all those who were previously shaken by every wind of error rest, for example, the pagans, like birds because of the complacency of their mind in any direction, the ability to deceive and because of great frivolity. For all such erring people are like birds of the air, that is, of the air. 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. Divine teaching “is like leaven, which... a woman”, that is, human nature, “took and put into three measures of flour,” that is, into the body, soul and spirit, so that everything was sanctified, as Blessed Paul says (1 Tim. 4:5), and became one test through communion with the Holy Spirit. By a woman you can understand the soul, by three measures - its three powers: mind, heart and will. Whoever hides the word of God in these powers will make them completely spiritual, so that neither the mind will doubt the teaching, nor the heart and will will strive for the unreasonable, but will become fermented and become like the Word of God. Luke 13:22. And he passed through cities and villages, teaching and directing the way to Jerusalem. Jesus “went teaching through the cities and villages.” He did not walk through one small village, carelessly about the cities, as those who want to deceive the simplest do, He did not walk through one city, with carelessness about small villages, as those who want to show themselves and achieve glory do, but walked around everywhere, as a common Lord, or, better, as a Father who provides for everyone. Did He not walk through certain outer cities, where there were not so many skilled in the Law, and avoided Jerusalem, as if fearing reproof from the lawyers or fearing death from them? This cannot be said. “And directing the way,” it is said, “towards Jerusalem.” For where there are more sick people, there the doctor should be more present (Matthew 9:12). Luke 13:23. Someone said to Him: Lord! Are there really few people being saved? He told them: 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. Those who are saved are few, because the narrow gate cannot accommodate many. 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. The “master of the house” is the Lord. He calls all people to satiation and enjoyment of inexhaustible benefits. Those who are thrifty try to enter before dinner time. And for those who are lazy and come after lunch, the doors are closed. Is lunch hour anything other than real life? It is truly the best time to prepare for spiritual saturation. When the Master of the house “stands up,” that is, resurrects at the trial, and “closes the doors,” that is, the path of virtue, which cannot be followed after leaving this life (for we can walk the path of virtue only in this life), then although those who lived here carelessly begin to “knock on doors,” for then only with useless repentance will they seek the path of virtue, calling for it with bare words, idle, as if with some blows and knocks; but the Master of the house, having rightfully locked the doors, will pretend that he does not know where they come from. He will do so justly. Because they are of the devil, but the Lord knows those who are His (2 Tim. 2:19). Luke 13:26. Then you will begin to say: we ate and drank before You, and You taught in our streets. This is generally said to the Israelis. For Christ is of them according to the flesh (Rom. 9:5), and ate and drank with them. However, the words: “we ate and drank before You” can be understood in a higher sense. While performing legal worship and making bloody sacrifices to God, (the Israelites) ate and had fun: they listened to the reading of Divine books in the synagogues. And through the prophets, without a doubt, the Lord taught. For the prophets did not offer their own teaching, but proclaimed the word of God, which is why they said: “Thus says the Lord” (Isa. 56:1; Jer. 2:1, 5; Ezek. 3:27). So, for the Jews, if they did not accept the faith that justifies the wicked (Rom. 4:5), bloody worship was not enough for justification. And in my opinion, this can also apply to Christians in name, but careless in life. And are we not eating the Divine Body? And don’t we drink the Blood of God before Him as we approach the Divine Table every day? And doesn’t the Lord teach in the streets – in our souls? But (we will have) no benefit if we are (only) listeners of the Divine Law, and not doers (Rom. 2:13). On the contrary, listening will cause us great torment, just as the communion of the Divine Mysteries will be condemned. Note that those whom the Lord teaches are rejected in the streets. But if we have Him as a Teacher not in wide, but in narrow, contrite and sorrow-torn hearts, then we will not be rejected. 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. Luke 13:28. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob These words are appropriate both for the Jews, to whom the Lord spoke them, and for the unbelievers of recent times. and all the prophets in the Kingdom of God, but themselves 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. For it was especially unpleasant for the Jews to hear that some of the pagans would rest with Abraham and (their) ancestors, and they would be cast out. Luke 13:30. And behold, there are last who will be first, and there are first who will be last. These words come to us when we do things that are inconsistent with faith. For we too boast in the Law of Christ, but then we trample on it when we transgress it, and therefore, although we seem to be “first”, as those who accepted Christ and His teaching from the very cradle, we will be “last”, because the pagans, who believed at the end of their lives and lived godly the rest of the time, will be placed higher. 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 damned Pharisees, consumed by envy, try to frighten the Lord and threaten Him with Herod. They did not want to see Him performing miracles, lest He attract the people to Himself with many signs and turn them to Himself by the power of teaching (John 11:47-48). They put forward Herod as an excuse and pretend to be concerned about the Savior. Luke 13:32. And he said to them: go tell this fox: But He, knowing their hearts, according to His custom, answers them meekly, secretly, and says: “tell this fox.” Apparently, He calls Herod a fox, but if you look more carefully, it seems that He rather calls the Pharisees that way. For He did not say: “that” fox, but “this”, using some middle expression and with a special thought. By saying “the fox” in the singular, he gave them the idea of ​​Herod, and by saying “this one” indicatively, he hinted at their own deceit. For the Pharisees truly showed (in their morals) the cunning and carelessness of a fox. Behold, I cast out demons and perform healings today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will finish; Look, perhaps, at how He responds to their anger. Since they brought fear to Him on the part of Herod out of their envy of the healings performed by Him, He, knowing what brought them into sadness, says the following: behold, I “perform healings” and “cast out demons.” For, as was said before, for this reason they persecuted Him, so that He, taking advantage of the discovery of miracles, would not entice many to believe in Himself. The words “today and tomorrow” mean a large number of days. Just as in an ordinary conversation we usually say: today and tomorrow this and that will happen, however, we do not at all limit this matter to such a distance, but only express that it will happen soon, so Christ with the words: “today and tomorrow... I perform healings... and on the third day I will finish” did not express at all that on the third day He will certainly die, but rather expresses that His death will be soon. Luke 13:33. however, I must walk today, tomorrow and the next day, “However, I must... today and tomorrow,” that is, for a while, stay here and perform miracles, and “on the next day” go to Jerusalem, for I determined for Myself to suffer there. Since they (the Pharisees) told Him: “Come out..., for Herod wants to kill You,” and they said this in Galilee, which was ruled by Herod, He declares to them that even with Herod’s strong desire, he cannot kill Him, for He is destined to suffer not in Galilee, but in Jerusalem. In order for me to more clearly present to you the saying of the Gospel, I will say: you do not understand correctly what I must go today and tomorrow, but stop at the words “today” and “tomorrow”, and then read: “and on the next day” to go. When calculating time, we often have the custom of saying: on Sunday, the next day and the third I will go out, not because I intend to go out on Sunday and the next day, but because, counting only these two days, I can point to the third. Likewise, the Lord here, as if counting down, says: I must go to Jerusalem today and tomorrow, then on the third day, for My end is determined there. Since we said above that the Lord says this not because He concluded His life in three days, but denotes a large number of days, if not some not very long time, then He says to those who envy Him, as it were: why do you care about My death? Now, a little later, it will come. because it does not happen that a prophet perishes outside of Jerusalem. When you hear that it is impossible for a prophet to perish except in Jerusalem, then do not conclude from these words that the Jews are being forced to do this, as it were, but this is said in accordance with their murderous intention. Just as if someone, seeing a murderer - a robber in an ambush on the road, said that it was impossible for this road to be clean of blood, on which a robber ambushed strangers, he would have said it completely in accordance with the deeds of the robber, so in the case when the robbers - the Pharisees and scribes - were sitting in Jerusalem, it was impossible for the Lord of the Prophets to perish in any place other than in the place of these robbers. For they, accustomed to shedding the blood of slaves, will kill the Lord. Luke 13:34. Jerusalem! Jerusalem! you who kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you! By repeating the name, the Lord shows how much love He has for them. For He also calls out to the adulterous synagogue, as if it were a lover despised by his beloved. how many times have I wanted to gather your children together, like a bird gathering its chicks under its wings, and you did not want to! The Lord also declares His love for mankind, saying that He many times “wanted... to gather” them; also denotes their madness by saying: “and you did not want to.” Luke 13:35. Behold, your house is left to you empty. Finally I leave you. For I have so hated your wickedness that I do not call the church My house, but your house. For as long as virtue lived among you, then the church was Mine. And when you desecrated it too, you made it a place of trade and a cave of robbers, engaging in various trades in it and killing each other out of covetousness (for this is the work of robbery - to trick a brother and take away his property; this is what robbers do! They attack a traveler and then take away what he has); - so, when you made the church a cave of robbers through various trade transactions that you carried out in it - a house of prayer - then it is no longer My house, but yours. By “house” you can mean not only the church, but also the entire Jewish race. For Scripture sometimes calls a family a house, for example: “The house of Levi! bless the Lord” (Ps. 134:20). Since here, too, it can be understood this way: “the house,” that is, your family, is abandoned by Me. Just as in another place he says through the prophet: I have left My house, I have left My inheritance. This is where the Israelis call home. The Lord shows that even before this He protected them and delivered them from their enemies. 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! The words point to the second coming. For then, even against his will, they confess Him as Savior and Lord. It just won't do them any good. Well? Have they not seen Him since He said this? Exactly like that. When He says that “you will not see Me” from now on, He does not immediately designate, but the time after the cross. He seemed to say this: from the time you crucify Me, you will no longer see Me until I come a second time.