<Luke 13:22-35>

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“The Just Shall Live By Faith”

New King James Version Written by: David Hicks

Romans 1:17 “ For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith."

Galatians 3:11 “But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for "the just shall live by faith."

Hebrews 10:38 “Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him."

“Articles of Faith"

An Orderly Account

Of The Greatest Story Ever Told

(A Study in Luke)

Chapter 13:22-35:

Previously, our lesson in this chapter came while the Lord was teaching in the synagogues on the Sabbath (13:10). He is actively engaged in His Judean ministry and traveling towards Jerusalem .

He has been again pointing out the hypocrisy of the religious leaders of the people, putting them to shame with the true wisdom of God, and causing the multitudes to rejoice (13:17).

After teaching the people through parables, one from the crowds that followed Him would ask a question; probably prompted by the parable of the mustard seed, the leaven, and the smallness of the beginning of the kingdom. This question now sponsors the Lord's teaching for the remainder of this chapter.

Text #1:

Luke 13:22-24 “And He went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem . 23 Then one said to Him, “Lord, are there few who are saved?”
And He said to them, 24 “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able.”

Similar teaching found in: Matthew 7:13-14.

Are There Few Who Are Saved: As I mentioned in the introduction, this question may have been sponsored by the previous teaching of the Lord; however, through the teaching that would follow in the text, we cannot ignore that this man, like many of the Jews, had an exclusive nature. This is to say that the Jews considered themselves chosen by God, to the exclusion of all the others, particularly Gentiles.

Strive to Enter: The response of the Lord dictates that the birthright of the children of Israel was not a stamp of entrance to the coming kingdom. This man, and all others, was going to have to strive to enter (exercise great effort).

Many Will Not Be Able: This statement concerning the fact that many of the children of Israel would trust their birthright instead of the teaching of the Son of God, shows that the masses could not enter through a narrow gate. Instead they have chosen the wrong gate of self satisfaction and indulgence (the wide gate of Matthew 7:13).

In the teaching of the Sermon on the Mount, the Lord would describe the narrow gate as not only a gate that masses cannot enter by, the very way to the gate is difficult and because of the difficulty, few will even find it (Matthew 7:14).

In the next section of this text, the Lord will teach concerning why it is so important to strive to enter the coming kingdom.

Text #2:

Luke 13:25-30 “When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open for us,' and He will answer and say to you, ‘I do not know you, where you are from,' 26 then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets.' 27 But He will say, ‘I tell you I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.' 28 There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God , and yourselves thrust out. 29 They will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and sit down in the kingdom of God . 30 And indeed there are last who will be first, and there are first who will be last.”

The Master of the House: Jesus opens this portion of the text by introducing a householder who refuses to receive guests that have shown contempt for His feast by showing up late. In this we learn that not only will entrance be granted to those who strive to overcome the difficulty but also act promptly, painstakingly, and with the intelligence of obedience in order to be received before the door is shut (an attitude of humility that will be considered by men to be least, but to God as the most).

I Do Not Know You: This corresponds with Matthew 7:21-23, and states that more than an oral acknowledgment is necessary to enter the kingdom of heaven. The will of the Father must be obeyed in every aspect of its revelation! To those who claim to serve God in word, but whose actions deny the word of God (in any way), they are storing up iniquity which will lead to great sorrow upon rejection.

When You See: The Lord now establishes the character they should have concerning the will of God and the words of His Christ, by parading those who will be in the kingdom, while they find themselves thrust out. Only those who have the same attitude of humble service to God like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the prophets would find themselves in the kingdom. While all those of the family of Jacob that reject this humble service to God would be thrust out.

The Lord then adds salt to the wound of this man's exclusive spirit by introducing the fact that all from every corner of the earth would be included in the kingdom, not based on birthright, but on faith in God through Christ.

Galatians 3:26-29 “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.”

Last –First, and First-Last: This is a familiar statement by the Lord concerning the attitudes of men verses the attitude of God (see: Matthew 19:30; 20:16). To the Jew that thought they would be the only ones allowed to enter the kingdom to the exclusion of the Gentiles, they would find their opinion to be the reverse of the real fact (and not just the exclusion of the Gentile, but even those among themselves whom they deemed unworthy – see the parable of Matthew 21:28-32).

Text #3:

Luke 13:31-33 “On that very day some Pharisees came, saying to Him, “Get out and depart from here, for Herod wants to kill You.”
32 And He said to them, “Go, tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.' 33 Nevertheless I must journey today, tomorrow, and the day following; for it cannot be that a prophet should perish outside of Jerusalem.”

Jesus is in the territory of Herod the Tetrarch (Luke 9:7), also known as the Antipater II (a Tetrarch was the ruler of a fourth of a kingdom), and this Herod was the same Herod that killed John the Baptist.

There can be little doubt that this Pharisee has told the Lord concerning Herod in order to see if it frightened Him. In the scriptures, it is declared that Herod had wanted to see Jesus and there is no mention of his wanting to kill Him (Luke 9:7; 23:8).

Imagine the surprise of the Pharisee when the Lord told him to take a response to Herod that included calling him a fox. The days mentioned by the Lord in the response are proverbial and are describing that He has come for a purpose and this purpose will be accomplished before He will see death. In addition, the place of His death has been determined and He announces that it will be Jerusalem .

There has been much speculation on the use of the term perfected used in this text by the Lord (although the word perfected here could also be translated, “resurrected” – with many of your Bibles offering that as a note in the references).

He would finish the work that God had given Him to do on earth in death.

Mark 10:45 “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

John 19:30 “So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.”

However, it would be in the resurrection that we find the Son of God declared with power.

Romans 1:4 “and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.”

Acts 13:30-33 “But God raised Him from the dead. 31 He was seen for many days by those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem , who are His witnesses to the people. 32 And we declare to you glad tidings—that promise which was made to the fathers. 33 God has fulfilled this for us their children, in that He has raised up Jesus. As it is also written in the second Psalm: ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.'”

Text #4:

Luke 13:34-35 “O Jerusalem , Jerusalem , the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing! 35 See! Your house is left to you desolate; and assuredly, I say to you, you shall not see Me until the time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!' ”