Daily Bible Reading 1st October 2026 // Luke 13:1-9
1 There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2 And he answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? 3 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. 4 Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? 5 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”
6 And he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. 7 And he said to the vine dresser, ‘Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?’ 8 And he answered him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig round it and put on manure. 9 Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’”
In the first place, Jesus deals with their complacency and their smugness by citing a similar incident of disaster that had befallen Judaeans, not Galileans, in the falling of the tower of Siloam on eighteen of them, killing them instantly. Jesus is saying, in effect, that God shows no partiality in His dealings with men: when men outside the pure worship of God sin, they are dealt with; and when men inside the pure worship of God sin, they are punished also. There is no respect of persons with God, and no favouritism either, where sin is concerned. On the other hand Jesus also deals with their over-simplistic analysis of the issues, 'Suppose ye....' (2), 'Think ye....' (4). He does not deny that they were sinners; He does, however, deny that the disasters that overtook them marked them out as sinners above their fellows. And He draws from this the solemn message, 'Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish' (3, 5). In other words He means, 'You are blind to the signs of the times; for these signs speak of judgment for you; yet all you can think of is judgment falling on others. You do not see that judgment might well have fallen on you also, for your sins. That it has not done so is not due to the fact that they were greater sinners than you, but solely to the patience and longsuffering mercy of God' (which the parable proceeds to underline).