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Luke

About this book
Chapter 13

1 Now there were some present on that occasion who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. 2 He answered them, “Do you think these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered these things? 3 No, I tell you! But unless you repent, you will all perish as well! 4 Or those eighteen 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? 5 No, I tell you! But unless you repent you will all perish as well!” 6 Then Jesus told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came looking for fruit on it and found none. 7 So he said to the worker who tended the vineyard, ‘For three years now, I have 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?’ 8 But the worker answered him, ‘Sir, leave it alone this year too, until I dig around it and put fertilizer on it.⁠ 9 Then if it bears fruit next year, very well, but if not, you can cut it down.’” 10 Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath, 11 and a woman was there who had been disabled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten herself up completely. 12 When Jesus saw her, he called her to him and said, “Woman, you are freed from your infirmity.” 13 Then he placed his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God. 14 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.” 15 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? 16 Then shouldn’t this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen long years, be released from this imprisonment on the Sabbath day?” 17 When he said this, all his adversaries were humiliated, but the entire crowd was rejoicing at all the wonderful things he was doing. 18 Thus Jesus asked, “What is the kingdom of God like? To what should I compare it?⁠ 19 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.” 20 Again he said, “To what should I compare the kingdom of God? 21 It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with three measures of flour⁠ until all the dough had risen.” 22 Then Jesus traveled throughout towns and villages, teaching and making his way toward Jerusalem. 23 Someone asked him, “Lord, will only a few be saved?” So he said to them, 24 “Exert every effort to enter through the narrow door because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. 25 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.’ 26 Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ 27 But he will reply, ‘I don’t know where you come from! Go away from me, all you evildoers!’⁠ 28 There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but you yourselves thrown out. 29 Then people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and take their places at the banquet table in the kingdom of God.⁠ 30 But indeed, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.” 31 At that time, some Pharisees came up and said to Jesus, “Get away from here because Herod wants to kill you.” 32 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. 33 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.’ 34 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you! How often I have longed to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you would have none of it!⁠ 35 Look, your house is forsaken! And I tell you, you will not see me until you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!’”

Texts in conversation

Compare Psalm 91:4 and Luke 13:34

Hebrew Bible · New Testament

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Summary

Psalm 91 describes God as a protective figure who shelters people under his wings, using an image of a mother bird protecting her babies. In Luke, Jesus uses similar language when lamenting over Jerusalem, wishing to gather its people like a mother bird.

Passages

Psalm 91:4

Hebrew Bible
1 As for you, the one who lives in the shelter of the Most High, and resides in the protective shadow of the Sovereign One— 2 I say this about the Lord, my shelter and my stronghold, my God in whom I trust— 3 he will certainly rescue you from the snare of the hunter and from the destructive plague. 4 He will shelter you with his wings; you will find safety under his wings. His faithfulness is like a shield or a protective wall. 5 You need not fear the terrors of the night, the arrow that flies by day, 6 the plague that stalks in the darkness, or the disease that ravages at noon. 7 Though a thousand may fall beside you, and a multitude on your right side, it will not reach you.
600–201 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Psalms

Luke 13:34

New Testament
31 At that time, some Pharisees came up and said to Jesus, “Get away from here because Herod wants to kill you.” 32 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. 33 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.’ 34 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you! How often I have longed to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you would have none of it! 35 Look, your house is forsaken! And I tell you, you will not see me until you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!’”
75–85 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in Luke

References

"... Many of the exegetes (Lyonnet, Sahlin, Hebert, Laurentin) who think that Luke portrayed Mary as the Daughter of Zion also find the symbolism of Mary as the Ark of the Covenant or as the Tabernacle of divine glory. The key to this symbolism is 1:35: 'Power from the Most High will overshadow [episkiazein] you.' I have shown above that this clause and its parallel ('The Holy Spirit will come upon you') represent the language of early Christology, echoing phrases used in Gospel ministry accounts of the baptism and the transfiguration. Yet the cloud of divine presence that overshadows at the transfiguration is set against the background of Peter's offer to build tabernacles for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah (Luke 9:34-35). This reminds us that episkiazein, 'to overshadow' (along with skiazein, 'to shadow') was used to describe how the cloud of God's glory cast a shadow upon the Tabernacle in the wilderness (Exodus 40:35; Number 9:18, 22). Indeed, the verbs for overshadow and shadow described several forms of the divine presence in the Old Testament, e.g., the cloud overshadowing the renewed Mount Zion and its festal assemblies (Isaiah 4:5); the cloud overshadowing the Israelites when they departed from the desert camp (Numbers 10:34); God overshadowing His chosen ones (Deuteronomy 33:12; Psalm 91:4); and the winged cherubim overshadowing the mercy seat or top of the Ark of the Covenant (Exodus 25:20; 1 Chronicles 28:18) ... This may be related to a bird whose wings overshadow and protect those beneath ..."
Raymond E. Brown, The Birth of the Messiah: A Commentary on the Infancy Narratives in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke (Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1979), 327.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

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Psalm 91:4 and Luke 13:34

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