Repentance Luke 13

In the 13^th chapter of Luke I see my need for repentance from beginning to end. Why do I need to be repenting?

Wrong conversation, wrong thinking and wrong actions.

The people around Jesus wanted to talk about the news, and about what was happening to other people. Jesus calls them back to the real issue for each of us: Repentance.

Then Jesus tells a story about the owner of a vineyard who needs to think differently, a servant who intercedes and a fig tree that needs to behave differently. The vineyard owner speaks as though the fig tree should just bear fruit or be destroyed. How often have I heard similar comments about people who don’t produce, a useless piece of humanity? But the vinedresser intercedes and says let me dig around it and fertilize it and see if it won’t produce fruit. Give it another chance, let me see if I cannot help it.

Then Jesus sees a problem and does what he can to make it better (verses 10-17). Once again there were those there who needed to see more clearly the error of their thinking. The rulers of the synagogue were more interested in how things appeared, than in whether needs were being met. Jesus spoke words of deliverance to a woman bent down by a spirit of infirmity, then when the leaders rebuked him for working on the sabbath he showed them their hypocrisy, so they could repent.

Then Jesus tells two illustrations to show us how the kingdom grows within us. Seeds take time to grow and leaven takes time to work in bread. Do not expect the kingdom of God to be planted full grown and producing fruit. It takes time nurture and nourishment to produce fruit.

Therefore, very seriously Jesus speaks words of warning to us. Do all you can to go in by the narrow door! A lot of people will try to get in, but will not be able to. (verse 24 Contemporary English Version)

Let us each one take these words of Jesus very seriously.