Preparing For The Kingdom Of God

Preparing for the Kingdom of God

Luke 13:1-9

Rabbi Rev. Dr. Michael H. Koplitz

Luke 13:1 Now on that very occasion there were some present who reported to

Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had 1mixed with their sacrifices. 2 And

Jesus responded and said to them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse

sinners than all the other Galileans just because they have suffered this fate? 3 “No, I

tell you, but unless you 1repent, you will all likewise perish. 4 “Or do you think that

those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them were worse

1boffenders than all the other people who live in Jerusalem? 5 “No, I tell you, but

unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”

Luke 13:6 And He began telling this parable: “A man had aa fig tree which had been

planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and did not find any. 7

“And he said to the vineyard-keeper, ‘Look! For three years I have come looking for

fruit on this fig tree 1without finding any. Cut it down! Why does it even use up the

ground?’ 8 “But he answered and said to him, ‘Sir, leave it alone for this year too,

until I dig around it and put in fertilizer; 9 and if it bears fruit next year, fine; but if

not, cut it down.’”

Luke chapter nine verses one to nine offers profound lessons on how we should

prepare ourselves for entry into God’s Kingdom. Let’s explore some of these truths

together.

The text begins with people telling Jesus about Galileans killed by Pilate. The crowd

likely expected Jesus to respond with outrage, but His reaction was surprising. You

can almost sense the anger in the people—they wanted justice, perhaps even revenge.

This is a familiar feeling today when we see acts of brutality on the news, especially

on our own soil. Our first instinct is often to retaliate.

History shows that stories of atrocities are common in wartime, sometimes

exaggerated to fuel anger and sustain conflict. During World War II, many Americans

refused to believe reports of German death camps until Allied forces liberated them.

Even decades later, anger lingered. I once knew a gentle man in his seventies who

despised the Japanese because of what he witnessed in the South Pacific. He never

spoke of those horrors, but his hatred remained—a shield against painful memories.

Jesus warns us against this kind of self-righteous anger. It can lead to sin, and sin

unrepented separates us from God. When we justify our anger, we risk never

repenting because we believe we are entitled to those feelings.

Repentance requires spiritual maturity. In Jewish tradition, age 13 marks the transition

to adulthood—a time when accountability begins. In Jesus’ day, life was shorter, so

maturity came early.

Think of children in a car. As a child with three siblings, I remember constant cries of

“Stop touching me!” Space was tight, and back then there were no seat belts. Every

trip ended with punishment, yet we never learned. Later, as a parent, I heard the same

complaints from my own kids—even with seat belts! They weren’t beaten, but they

faced time-outs. The point? Before maturity, God does not condemn childish

behavior. This connects to the parable of the fig tree: God gives time for growth

before judgment.

The passage concludes with a sobering truth—spiritual death. What is it? Can we

avoid it? Jesus speaks of it here and in Luke 16:19–31, the story of Lazarus and the

rich man. Spiritual death is the ultimate consequence of unrepented sin—a permanent

separation from God.

Jesus links the Galileans killed by Pilate and the eighteen crushed by the tower of

Siloam to the randomness of life. Innocent people suffer because of free will and a

broken world. Following God’s commandments does not guarantee immunity from

tragedy. The victims were likely innocent, simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Notice what Jesus does not do. He doesn’t condemn Pilate or incite revenge. Instead,

He uses the moment to teach. We must learn to temper our instinct for retaliation

and focus on repentance.

What about sinners who seem to escape judgment? Jesus answers: spiritual death. Sin

separates us from God. Those who refuse to repent may prosper for a time, but their

eternity will not be in Heaven. Repentance is more than saying, “I’m sorry.” It means

turning away from sin with sincere effort. Without that, remorse is empty.

Avoiding spiritual death and remaining connected to God is crucial. Keep your eyes

on Jesus. Follow His words and His example. Do all you can to resist sin, because sin

without repentance leads to spiritual death.