Stories from the Bible - Ep 26 Who will be Saved? (Luke 13)

Episode Date: April 25, 2023

We recap Jesus' teaching from chapter 12 about hypocrisy, materialism, fear and foolishness, and hear the stories from Luke 13. The Scriptures quoted are from the NET Bible® http://netbible.com copyright ©1996, 2019 used with permission from Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

Beauty, perfection, desire, deception, rebellion, judgment, hope. You're listening to Stories from the Bible. Bible stories told in order, using the words of the Bible, with introductions to give a recap and provide context. At the end of each story, you might want to pause and take a moment to reflect on what you noticed in the story. Things you liked or didn't like. Something the story showed you about God or about people. Don't worry if not everything makes sense. Keep listening to each episode and sit with the journey. I'm stoked to have you on the ride. Hello and welcome to episode 26.

Today, we'll be hearing stories from Luke chapter 13, which is the beginning of the second half of Luke's narrative about the life of Jesus. Before we get there, let's have a recap of chapter 12. In the stories from this chapter, Jesus spends most of the time teaching his followers and exposing for them the symptoms of a life that puts people and the world at the centre, rather than God and eternity. Those symptoms are hypocrisy, materialism, fear of not having enough, and the foolishness of not remaining alert and ready for Jesus' return. In the first part of chapter 12, Jesus warns his disciples to be on their guard

against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. Yeast itself is kind of invisible. It is something hidden to the human eye. But if you've ever made bread, you know that its impact will always become evident over time. Hypocrisy is when an evil heart is concealed by outward appearances. At first, like yeast, the evil heart is hidden from others, but with time its fruit, such as violent words or deeds that lead to conflict and division, become very obvious, particularly to those who live with the person. As for the hypocrite themselves, they usually remain blinded by their own good outward appearance and are unable to see the evil that others can see so plainly.

What drives hypocrisy is a heart that doesn't know and love the unseen God. It's a heart that lives for what is visible, that is, the approval of other people, especially other religious people. The heart of a hypocrite finds its value in what others think of it, so it focuses relentlessly on external appearance to the total neglect of what is going on in private. Jesus knows his disciples will constantly face a strong pull to fear and please man. So he points them towards God who sees all, cares for his children, and will one day judge all that was previously hidden. Hiding an evil heart from others in order to look good might seem like it gets us places in the here and now, but ultimately it will result in being cast into hell. So, hypocrisy is the first symptom of the people-centred life Jesus talks about in this chapter.

In a nutshell, Jesus tells his disciples to be careful that they don't live to please man who is seen, but instead live to please God who is unseen. The second symptom of a life that puts man rather than God at the centre is materialism. This comes up when Jesus gets asked to sort out a sibling inheritance battle. Instead of getting involved, Jesus goes straight to the real problem, which is a heart that puts more value on material things for comfort and security than on God. He says, watch out and guard yourself from all types of greed, because one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions. And he tells a parable to the crowd about a successful man who feels very happy and satisfied about his future because of all the property he owns. But God's verdict on the rich man is devastating. God says to him, you fool. This

very night your life will be demanded back from you, but who will get what you have prepared for yourself? And so Jesus warns his disciples about the danger of materialism, seeking security in wealth and possessions rather than in God. So what are his disciples meant to find security in? As humans with physical bodies, we need material things in order to live. Food, clothing, shelter. But Jesus teaches his followers that they shouldn't let their hearts focus on gaining material things. This results in either fear and anxiety when we feel we don't have enough, or, as in the parable above, a dangerous false sense of security.

Jesus shows his disciples how to be free from both worry and false comfort, by lifting their eyes to see the goodness of God their creator. He tells them to consider how well God is able to provide for the birds and flowers and urges them not to doubt that God cares for them who are much more precious to him than plants or ravens. The creator looks after his creatures. The father tenderly provides for his dear children. It's when we forget our identity as dependent creatures and wrongly view ourselves as self-sufficient, autonomous beings that we get caught up in worry about not having enough for the future.

And so another symptom of man-centeredness is fear of the future based on the wrong belief that my life is dependent on me doing what I can to make myself safe. Jesus says, consider the ravens. They lived their lives doing what they were made to do, living in carefree dependence on their Creator to meet their needs. If ravens are made to fly around and be birds, what are we made to do? If we are not made for the purpose of gaining material wealth, what are we made for? Jesus tells his disciples to build their lives around the pursuit of God's kingdom.

A life that is centred on God and his eternal purposes is infinitely more secure than a life dedicated to material wealth, which can easily be lost or destroyed. And if having possessions is a barrier to a heart of dependence on God, then it's better to give away one's wealth to the needy. Jesus wants to set his disciples' hearts free to pursue the heavenly treasure of enjoying God's fatherly love and provision, because enjoying the friendship of God is the life that humans are made for. And then Jesus tells two parables about servants waiting for their master to return home. It's how he illustrates the foolishness of not single-mindedly pursuing the kingdom of God. The master in the parables is Jesus, whom he calls the Son of Man in the first story.

The point is for the servants in the stories to remain alert and continue doing what the master wants, even when it might seem like the master is delayed in coming back to them. There's two reasons why staying ready and alert is wise. One, the master will return suddenly, without warning, and if the servants are not already prepared and waiting for him, it will be too late. The second reason is that severe punishment will come upon those servants who knew the will of the master and yet m, materialism, fear of not having enough, and the foolishness of not remaining alert and ready for Jesus' return.

The stories from chapter 13 start here. Now, there was some present on that occasion who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. He answered them, Do you think these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered these things? No, I tell you. But unless you repent, you will all perish as well. Or those 18 who were killed when the tower in Siloam fell on them.

Do you think they were worse offenders than all the others who live in Jerusalem? No, I tell you, but unless you repent, you will all perish as well. Then Jesus told this parable. Come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and each time I inspect it, I find none. Cut it down. Why should it continue to deplete the soil? But the worker answered him, Sir, leave it alone this year too, until I dig around it and put fertiliser on it. Then if it bears fruit next year, very well. But if not, you can cut it down.

Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath, and a woman was there who had been disabled by a spirit for 18 years. She was bent over and could not straighten herself up completely. When Jesus saw her, he called her to him and said, Woman, you are freed from your infirmity. When Jesus saw her, he called her to him and said, Then he placed his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God. But the president of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the crowd, There are six days on which work should be done,

so come and be healed on those days and not on the Sabbath day. Then the Lord answered him, You hypocrites, does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from its stall and lead it to water? Then shouldn't this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for 18 long years, be released from this imprisonment on the Sabbath day? When he said this, all his adversaries were humiliated, but the entire crowd was rejoicing at all the wonderful things he was doing. Thus Jesus asked,

What is the kingdom of God like? To what should I compare it? It is like a mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the wild birds nested in its branches. Again he said, Then Jesus travelled throughout towns and villages, teaching and making his way toward Jerusalem. Someone asked him, Lord, will only a few be saved? So he said to them, exert every effort to enter through the narrow door because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. Once the head of the house gets up and shuts the door, then you will stand outside and start to knock on the door and beg him, Lord, let us in. But he will answer you,

I don't know where you come from. Then you will begin to say, we ate and drank in your presence and you taught in our streets. But he will reply, I don't know where you come from. Go away from me, all you evildoers. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets of the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out.

Then people will come from east and west and from the north and south and take their places at the banquet table in the kingdom of God. But indeed, some who are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last. At that time, some Pharisees came up and said to Jesus, Get away from here because Herod wants to kill you. But he said to them, go and tell that fox, look, I am casting out demons and performing healings today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will complete my work. Nevertheless, I must go on my

way today and tomorrow and the next day, because it is impossible that a prophet should be killed outside Jerusalem. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you. How often have I longed to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you would have none of it. The story ends here. Thanks for joining us for today's stories. You might like to take a moment to pause and think about what you noticed. Things you liked.

Things you didn't like. Something the story showed you about Jesus. To read it for yourself, it's in the book of Luke, chapter 13. If you can find someone willing to read it and talk about it with you, even better. You've been listening to Stories from the Bible. I'm Jen, and I look forward to sharing more stories with you.