COME WHILE THERE’S TIME

LUKE 13:1-9

  I. Tragedy (13:1, 4a)

      A. Report

          1. Massacre (Galileans)

Josephus, Ant. XVIII, iv, 1, 1. BUT the nation of the Samaritans did not escape without tumults. . . . . Pilate prevented their going up, by seizing upon file roads with a great band of horsemen and foot-men, who fell upon those that were gotten together in the village; and when it came to an action, some of them they slew, and others of them they put to flight, and took a great many alive, the principal of which, and also the most potent of those that fled away, Pilate ordered to be slain.

          2. Mishap (Jerusalemites; Siloam– Neh. 3:15; Jn. 9:7)

Ecc. 9:12 [MSG]. No one can predict misfortune. Like fish caught in a cruel net or birds in a trap, So men and women are caught By accidents evil and sudden.

      B. Reason

          1. Evil (Mt. 2:16)

          2. Error (Dt. 19:5)

          3. Eden (Rom. 8:21)

              a. Mortals (Mt. 5:45)

              b. Miracles (Acts 12:2, 7)

      Elton Trueblood supposed how absurd a world would be if bad things never happened to Christians.

 II. Theology (13:2, 4b)

      A. Suffering

          1. Temporal

              a. Sinners

              b. Debtors

      David Smith wrote, “It was a rooted conviction in the Jewish mind that prosperity was a token of God’s favor and misfortune, on the contrary, an evidence of His displeasure.”

Job 4:7 [GNB]. (Eliphaz) Think back now. Name a single case where someone righteous met with disaster.

      Edersheim noted, “It is intended to refute the idea, that these Galileans had in this been visited by a special punishment of some special sin against God.”

          2. Eternal

      Jesus turned the subject away from temporal punishment to the real danger of eternal punishment.

Mt. 10:28 [ESV]. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

      Jesus taught the doctrine of eternal punishment despite the speculative arguments by those against a literal hell.

∙          Annihilationist (destruction for all).

∙          Universalist (heaven for all). Yet, even the innate moral conscience distinguishes between good and evil even in the present existence.

∙          Conditionalist (heaven for the saved and annihilation for the lost)

∙          Religionist (heaven for the good without the sacrifice of Christ). J. L. Dagg wrote, “If wrath and damnation had been trivial matters, the sending of God’s only son into the world, the laying of our sins upon Him, and the whole expedient adopted to deliver us from these inconsiderable evils, would have been unworthy of infinite wisdom.”

∙          Humanist (heaven according to the creation of one’s mind [presuming to be wiser than God])

∙          Sentimentalist (punishment for none). Millard J. Erickson stated, “Emotion cannot be the primary consideration in settling theological issues. In this case the biblical and theological data weigh strongly on the side of eternal conscious punishment of the wicked.”

•          Literalist (heaven for the saved, hell for the lost; Mt. 25:46). God cannot make heaven a home of perfect love without hell to demonstrate His holy hatred of sin.

      Jesus warned about a literal hell (Mt. 25:41). Jesus said that without repentance, man will perish (απολλυμι– Jn. 3:16; 1 Cor. 1:18; 2 Cor. 4:3; 2 Th. 2:10; 2 Pet. 3:9, destroy, lose, perish; απωλεια– Mt. 7:13; Jn. 18:12, eternal destruction ).

      B. Sovereignty

          1. Control (Ps. 76:10)

      Delitzsch said, “[God] makes even evil minister to His purpose of salvation.”

      Paul Billheimer wrote, “This is not a world of chance–there is no chance anywhere. This is not the devil’s world.”

              a. Silent (why)

      David McKenna said, “Faith is never created out of facts that answer the question why. Only out of mysteries beyond human comprehension comes the trust in who.”

              b. Speaks (who; God speaks in the storms–Job 38:1)

      Alexander Maclaren said that every affliction comes with a message from the heart of God.

      Watchman Nee said that we never learn anything new about God except by adversity (Ps. 119:67, 71).

          2. Care (trust Me–Job 13:15)

      Warren Wiersbe wrote, “God has ordained that His people live by promises not by explanations. . . .”

God moves in a mysterious way

His wonders to perform;

He plants His footsteps in the sea

And rides upon the storm.

Deep in unfathomable mines

Of never failing skill

He treasures up His bright designs

And works His sovereign will.

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;

The clouds ye so much dread

Are big with mercy and shall break

In blessings on your head.

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,

But trust Him for His grace;

Behind a frowning providence

He hides a smiling face.

His purposes will ripen fast,

Unfolding every hour;

The bud may have a bitter taste,

But sweet will be the flower.

Blind unbelief is sure to err

And scan His work in vain;

God is His own interpreter,

And He will make it plain. (Cowper)

III. Truth (13:3, 5)

      A. Sign to repent

      David Smith wrote, “[Jesus] did not indeed deny that the disaster had a providential aspect. It was not, however, a judgment. It was a warning, and the nation would do well to give heed thereto.”

      Matthew Henry stated, “As no place or employment can secure from the stroke of death, we should consider the sudden removals of others as warnings to ourselves.”

      Richard Trench called repentance “that mighty change in mind, heart, and life wrought by the Spirit of God. . . .”

Lk. 15:7. I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.

          1. Goodness ought to lead to repentance

Rom. 2:4. Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

          2. Wrath ought to lead to repentance

Rev. 16:9. And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.

      B. Suddenness of retribution (Prov. 27:1)

      God uses sudden troubles to remind man of the suddenness with which death comes and the immediate need for repentance.

 IV. Time (13:6-9)

      A. Parable

          1. Vineyard (Is. 5:1)

          2. Fruit (Mt. 21:19)

Lk. 3:8. Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to [our] father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.

      B. Patience

          1. Opportunity

          2. Over

          3. Occupy

      A. B. Bruce noted, “Besides bearing no fruit it occupies space which might be more profitably filled.”

      Jeremias explained, “The first three years of a fig tree’s growth were allowed to elapse before its fruit became clean (Lev. 19:23), hence six years had already passed since it was planted. It is thus hopelessly barren. A fig-tree absorbs a specially large amount of nourishment and hence deprives the surrounding vines of their needed sustenance.”

      C. Prayer

          1. Chance

          2. Cultivate

      D. Pardonable

          1. Longsuffering

2 Pet. 3:9. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

      Spurgeon said, “How frequently too have you prayed for journeying mercies, and He has protected you in the midst of accidents. You have asked for blessings in your going out and your coming in blessings of the day and of the night, and of the sun and of the moon; and all these have been vouchsafed to you. Your prayers were innumerable; you asked for countless mercies, and they have all been given.”

          2. Limitation

      Jeremias wrote, “The gardener proposes to do something unusual, to take the last possible measures. This one year is the ultimate limit.”

“When the limit granted by God for repentance has run out, no human power can prolong it.”

      Barclay noted that this parable taught the “gospel of a second chance” but that “there is a final chance.”

I got up on Sunday morning went to the church at ten

I listened to the words I'd heard time and time again

The preacher spoke of simple lives it seems he spoke of mine

But I was young I have plenty of time

I walked on down life's pathway living as I wished to live

How to beat the other fellow how to get what life could give

Making money isn't sinful having fun is not a crime

So I'll just wait I've got plenty of time

Plenty of time to decide where I'm bound to eternal darkness or to heaven's grounds

I'm just a young girl not yet in my prime so I'll just wait I've got plenty of time

Before I knew what happened life seems had passed away

And millions stood before God's throne for it was judgement day

Now eternal darkness beckons and the name it calls is mine

But I thought that I had plenty of time

Eternity waits I've got plenty of time

To think of all the days that Christ could have been mine

Now my chance is over earth's days have left behind

You and I have plenty of time now I've got nothing but plenty of time (Smith)