Chapter 17—“Spare it this Year Also”
This chapter is based on
Luke 13:1-9
.
Christ in His teaching linked with the warning of judgment the
invitation of mercy. “The Son of man is not come,” He said, “to destroy
men’s lives, but to save them.”
Luke 9:56
. “God sent not His Son into
the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might
be saved.”
John 3:17
. His mission of mercy in its relation to God’s
justice and judgment is illustrated in the parable of the barren fig tree.
Christ had been warning the people of the coming of the kingdom
of God, and He had sharply rebuked their ignorance and indifference.
The signs in the sky, which foretold the weather, they were quick
to read; but the signs of the times, which so clearly pointed to His
mission, were not discerned.
But men were as ready then as men are now to conclude that they
themselves are the favorites of heaven, and that the message of reproof
is meant for another. The hearers told Jesus of an event which had
just caused great excitement. Some of the measures of Pontius Pilate,
the governor of Judea, had given offense to the people. There had
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been a popular tumult in Jerusalem, and Pilate had attempted to quell
this by violence. On one occasion his soldiers had even invaded the
precincts of the temple, and had cut down some Galilean pilgrims in
the very act of slaying their sacrifices. The Jews regarded calamity
as a judgment on account of the sufferer’s sin, and those who told of
this act of violence did so with secret satisfaction. In their view their
own good fortune proved them to be much better, and therefore more
favored by God, than were these Galileans. They expected to hear
from Jesus words of condemnation for these men, who, they doubted
not, richly deserved their punishment.
The disciples of Christ did not venture to express their ideas until
they had heard the opinion of their Master. He had given them pointed
lessons in reference to judging other men’s characters, and measuring
retribution according to their finite judgment. Yet they looked for
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