Big Idea: The kingdom of God brings many surprises: not all who think they belong to it really do.

Understanding the Text

In 13:22 we are reminded that this whole section of the Gospel (beginning in 9:51) is set on the journey to Jerusalem, and that destination comes into clearer focus in 13:33–35: as Jesus looks ahead to the way Jerusalem will treat its “prophet,” we are prepared in advance for his eventual arrival there and his weeping over the unrepentant city in 19:41–44. Both Jesus (4:43; 8:1) and his disciples (9:2, 60; 10:9) have proclaimed the coming of the kingdom of God, and that proclamation now takes on a growing note of urgency, demanding a response.

Historical and Cultural Background

The Jewish expectation of an eschatological messianic banquet, derived ultimately from Isaiah 25:6–9, was much elaborated in later prophetic and apocalyptic texts (cf. also Ps. 23:5). In Isaiah’s vision it was to be a banquet for all nations, but by the first century it was generally assumed that it was the Jews, as the chosen people of God, who were guaranteed a place there, with the exception of those few who had specifically forfeited their place through rebellion and unbelief. The idea of only a few finding the way to salvation (13:22–27) and of Gentiles coming in to replace Jews (13:28–29) was therefore by now a quite subversive notion.

The geographical sequence of Luke’s journey narrative is unclear, but Jesus’s eventual approach to Jerusalem by way of Jericho indicates that he, like most Galilean pilgrims, traveled down the east side of the Jordan to avoid going through Samaritan territory (see on 17:11). Most of his route would then have been through Galilee and Perea, the two areas under the political control of Herod Antipas, whose hostility toward Jesus, as a second John the Baptist, has already been noted (9:7–9, with 3:19–20). But Jesus is bound for Jerusalem, which is not under Antipas’s jurisdiction.

Interpretive Insights

13:18–19 the kingdom of God . . . is like a mustard seed. For the meaning of “the kingdom (rule) of God,” see on 4:43. “The kingdom of God is like . . .” therefore means, “This is how God’s rule is being established.” A mustard seed is proverbially tiny (see 17:6), but it produces a large plant: Brassica nigra can grow to more than two meters in height. “Tree” is a bit of an exaggeration, but the term is probably used to recall the great “tree” of Daniel 4:10–12, 20–21, whose branches provided shelter for animals and birds, representing the nations coming under the protection of Nebuchadnezzar’s empire. So the kingdom of God, which as yet seemed quite inconspicuous, would one day grow to embrace all nations. Luke will record this expansion in the book of Acts.

13:20–21 the kingdom of God . . . is like yeast. The “yeast” is actually the small quantity of sour dough (leavened bread) that is inserted into the new dough and causes it to rise. The kingdom of God may be hidden at present, but its power is all-pervasive. Again the impact of the imagery is increased by exaggeration: sixty pounds of flour is far more than any household baker would use in one baking—enough to feed a small village!

13:23 are only a few people going to be saved? It is not clear what prompted this question, but Luke has used “salvation” language to describe the coming of God’s kingdom (1:69, 77; 2:30; 3:6; 19:9–10), and this questioner wants to know whether there is a limit to its scope.

13:24 Make every effort to enter through the narrow door. The question is not directly answered, but Jesus turns a speculative inquiry into a personal challenge. An answer is clearly implied, however: both the small size of the door (compare the fuller imagery in Matt. 7:13–14) and the effort (lit., “struggle”) required to get through it indicate that only a minority will make it. You cannot simply drift into the kingdom of God.

13:25–27 Away from me, all you evildoers! Not only is the door narrow and difficult, but also it will not remain open forever. This little parable of the householder and his would-be guests adds a note of urgency to the exhortation of 13:24, and the repeated use of “you” enhances its challenge. But it also spells out the reason why some will be unable to enter. The repeated charge “I don’t know you or where you come from” tells us that the key to salvation is not simply a matter of lifestyle or of keeping the rules, but of relationship. We are not told whom the householder represents, but the parallel in Matthew 7:21–23 and the reference here to sharing meals with him and to his “teaching in our streets” indicate that it is Jesus himself who stands behind the door. The claim to have moved in the same social setting and even to have been in his audience carries no weight with him. All that matters for their salvation is that he knows them. Without that, they are simply “evildoers” (quoting Ps. 6:8). They may have heard his teaching, but they have not responded to it (cf. 6:47–49).

13:28 you yourselves thrown out. The motif of inclusion and exclusion continues from 13:24–27. The identity of “you” is not explicit, but the context, including the contrast with the many from all quarters of the world in 13:29, suggests that Jesus addresses those of his Jewish hearers who have not responded to the message of the kingdom of God. The presence of the patriarchs and the prophets shows, however, that not all Jews are excluded.

13:29 will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. Literally, they “will recline in the kingdom of God.” The posture of reclining, as at a Roman formal meal, suggests that the scene is the messianic banquet (see “Historical and Cultural Background” above). The geographical listing recalls Psalm 107:3 and Isaiah 43:5–6, which speak of Jewish exiles being gathered back to Palestine. But the contrast with “you yourselves” in the previous verse indicates that here, as in Matthew 8:11–12, Jesus is speaking of a more inclusive gathering that brings in believing Gentiles in place of unbelieving Israelites.

13:30 there are those who are last who will be first. Jesus uses this “slogan” on several occasions (Matt. 19:30; 20:16; cf. Mark 9:35) to highlight the radical effects of his mission and the “upside down” values of the kingdom of God. In this context it relates specifically to the issue of salvation; conventional ideas of who are God’s true people need to be rethought.

13:32 Go tell that fox. The warning by Pharisees may have been kindly intended (for Pharisaic interest in Jesus, see “Historical and Cultural Background” on 11:37–54) or simply designed to scare him away, but Jesus does not regard Antipas as a serious threat and plans to ignore him and carry on regardless. “Fox” is a contemptuous term for someone without honor, perhaps also with the implication of being devious.

13:33 today and tomorrow and the next day. This repeated phrase emphasizes that Jesus’s course is already set, and he will not deviate from it. Its goal is Jerusalem, beyond Antipas’s jurisdiction, where Jesus has no illusions about his fate.

13:34 you who kill the prophets. Compare 11:47–51, and of course 13:33 here.

how often I have longed to gather your children together. Here we have one of the incidental indications that the Synoptic pattern of a single journey to Jerusalem does not tell us the whole story of Jesus’s ministry. The Gospel of John records Jesus’s repeated visits to the capital and documents the resistance that the Jerusalem establishment has put up against his mission.

13:35 your house is left to you desolate.[1] This could be simply a metaphor for coming judgment on the city, but in view of Jesus’s specific prophecy in 21:6 (which in Matt. 24:2 follows on the heels of the present saying), it is more likely that the “house” referred to here is the temple (strikingly described as “your house” rather than God’s). There is thus an explicit link between Jerusalem’s rejection of Jesus and the destruction of the temple by the Romans in AD 70. If this is the correct interpretation, then the following sentence should be understood as referring not to the greeting that Jesus will receive from the disciples (not from the people of Jerusalem) in 19:37–38, but rather to the possibility of a subsequent change of mind by Jerusalem after the temple has been destroyed. But there is no assurance that such a greeting will ever be given, or therefore that Jerusalem will ever “see Jesus” again after it has rejected and killed him.

Theological Insights

The parables of the mustard seed and of the yeast draw out the tension between the “now” of the coming of God’s kingship through Jesus’s ministry and the “not yet” of its full implementation. Such tension runs throughout the New Testament’s presentation of fulfillment in Jesus.

In 13:22–30 we are provided insights into the scope of the gospel. Its universal appeal is not matched by universal response, and there are those who regard themselves as God’s people who are deceiving themselves (cf. 3:8). Complacency is a deadly enemy of salvation. The kingdom of God reverses human expectations, not least with regard to who are insiders and who are outsiders. The inclusion of Gentile believers (along with Jewish patriarchs and prophets) in the reconstituted Israel of the kingdom of God means that the whole concept of the “chosen people” must be reexamined.

Jesus’s lament over Jerusalem maintains a balance between a deep desire for its salvation and a realistic appraisal of its liability to judgment. This has significant implications for the debate about how God’s grace and sovereignty relate to human responsibility and choice.

Teaching the Text

The “kingdom of God” is illustrated in the two parables of 13:18–21 and is the focus also of 13:28–29. This provides an opportunity to teach what the phrase means, and to explore the wider implications of this dynamic term. In particular, discuss whether the kingdom is a “realm” or a “reign” (or both) and how far the “now and not yet” aspect of the two parables still applies to God’s kingship today. Note that the kingdom of God is already present in the seed and the leaven but then expands and is transformed as the seed grows into a plant and the leaven permeates the dough.

“Are only a few people going to be saved?” (13:23) is a question still demanding an answer. What answers to it are suggested by Jesus’s teaching in 13:24–30, 34–35? And what do these answers reveal to us about the basis of salvation? Are there people in our church communities today who could be surprised at the final verdict? (Comparison with Matt. 7:21–23 may be helpful.) What are the implications of this teaching for our own assurance of salvation, and for our pastoral and evangelistic approach to others?

In 13:28–30 Gentile members are envisaged as taking the place of members of the “chosen people” in a reconstituted Israel. This theme provides the teacher with a good opportunity to discuss the expansion of the church in Acts, Luke’s second volume, where the gospel will be rejected by many in Israel and will be received with joy by many Gentiles. What are the implications of this for our understanding of the true people of God? Both these verses and Jesus’s lament over Jerusalem (13:34–35) raise the issue of the place of Israel in God’s plan of salvation. You might use this opportunity to discuss the difficult theological question of whether, and in what sense, Israel is still God’s special people. Is there any hope for Israel’s future in 13:35? A good cross-reference for this theme is Romans 9–11.

Illustrating the Text

The kingdom of God, at first inconspicuous, will grow to reach all nations.

Popular Culture: The fast-food restaurant chain McDonald’s is an example of enormous growth from a small start. Ray Kroc, who worked as a salesman for various products, including multimixers, decided to visit a small but lively business run by the McDonald brothers, because they had bought several of his mixers. Seeing something unusual in their restaurant, he developed a vision for a nationwide chain bearing the brothers’ name. The corporation started in 1955 in California, and one hundred million hamburgers had sold by 1958. Now, besides the over thirteen thousand restaurants in the United States, there are some thirty thousand locations in 120 countries abroad. One other notable example of spectacular growth is Facebook, which was started by a few college students but has expanded into a nearly universal enterprise.

The entrance into the kingdom is accomplished with purpose and rigor.

Literature: Pilgrim’s Progress, by John Bunyan. Few writers explain the straight and narrow way more powerfully than does Bunyan (1628–88), or the dangers of laxness and straying from the path. In one passage from the classic book (1678) Christian is admonished by Evangelist to stay true to the appointed way and to refuse to listen to Worldly Wiseman. Evangelist says,

Now there are three things in this man’s counsel thou must utterly abhor:

1. His turning thee out of the way.
2. His labouring to render the Cross odious to thee.
3. And his setting thy feet in that way that leadeth unto the administration of Death. . . .

“The Lord says, Strive to enter in at the strait gate [Luke 13:24], the gate to which I sent thee; for strait is the gate that which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it [Matt. 7:14]. From this little wicket-gate, and from the way thereto hath this wicked man turned thee, to the bringing of thee almost to destruction; hate, therefore, his turning thee out of the way, and abhor thy self for hearkening to him.2

In Christ’s lament one can see his suffering from loving those who rejected him.

Poetry: “The Incarnation and Passion,” by Henry Vaughan. Vaughan (1621–95), a Welsh physician and metaphysical poet, was greatly influenced by George Herbert, to whom he attributed his conversion to Christ. A few verses from this poem are as follows:

Lord! When thou didst thy self undress

Laying by thy robes of glory,

To make us more, thou wouldst be less,

And becam’st a woeful story.

Ah, my dear Lord! What couldst thou spy

In this impure, rebellious clay,

That made thee thus resolve to die

For those that kill thee every day?

O what strange wonders could thee move

To slight thy precious blood, and breath!

Sure it was Love, my Lord; for Love

Is only stronger far than death.3