Daily Bible Reading 16th October 2026 // Luke 13:22-35
22 He went on his way through towns and villages, teaching and journeying towards Jerusalem. 23 And someone said to him, “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” And he said to them, 24 “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. 25 When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us’, then he will answer you, ‘I do not 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 say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil!’ 28 In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but you yourselves cast out. 29 And people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at table in the kingdom of God. 30 And behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.”
31 At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, “Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.” 32 And he said to them, “Go and tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I finish my course. 33 Nevertheless, I must go on my way today and tomorrow and the day following, for it cannot be that a prophet should perish away from Jerusalem.’ 34 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not! 35 Behold, your house is forsaken. And I tell you, you will not see me until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’”
No more tender or more moving appeal is to be found anywhere in Scripture than these words, spoken from a heart bursting with grief. The contrast between Jesus' 'would I' and their 'would not' is very moving and is itself a proclamation of the grace of the gospel, and of the fact that the heart of the Eternal is inexpressibly hurt by the stubbornness of men. The 'how often' takes us back through our Lord's entire ministry to the many times, and the many different ways in which He pleaded with men to come to Him. Every miracle He wrought, every parable He taught, was a call, an invitation, to come to Him for rest and salvation. A well-known hymn says 'Once to every man and nation comes the moment to decide', but this is not how it was in our Lord's ministry. Not once, but again and again, was opportunity given to them to taste and see that the Lord is good. And since this was so, their 'would not' cannot be construed as mistake, or misunderstanding, or ignorance. In face of such repeated opportunity, it could only have been a settled and determined attitude of rebellion and rejection. Hence the die was cast and desolation was pronounced upon the Jewish nation. And all that happened following this point simply confirmed both their rejection of Him and His rejection of them. The point of no return for the nation had been reached and passed.