The Fire Has begun To Fall. Let Them Therefore Learn Their Lesson From It (13:1-5).
Having declared that He will cast fire on earth, preliminary examples of it are now given, one an act of the civil authority, and one an ‘act of God'. But He warns that they must not see the unfortunate people involved as having been selected out by God because they were particularly sinful. Rather it should reveal to them that God's judgments are continually in the earth and they should therefore learn righteousness from them. For next time it may be them to whom such things occur, and besides, in the end all who are unrepentant will definitely perish. Thus they should take them as a warning and repent before it is too late. They should come to Him to be ‘made straight' (Luke 13:13). As described in the previous verses let them ensure that they are reconciled to their Accuser before it is too late.
Analysis.
a ‘Now there were some present at that very season who told him of the Galileans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices' (Luke 13:1).
b ‘He answered and said to them, “Do you think that these Galileans were sinners above all the Galileans, because they have suffered these things?” (Luke 13:2).
c “I tell you, No. But, except you repent, you will all similarly perish” (Luke 13:3).
b “Or those eighteen, on whom the tower in Siloam fell, and killed them, do you think that they were offenders above all the men who dwell in Jerusalem?” (Luke 13:4).
a “I tell you, No. But, except you repent, you will all similarly perish” (Luke 13:5).
Note that in ‘a' the position is declared, and in the parallel the consequence. In ‘b' Jesus asks a question about one example, in the parallel He does the same with another example. Central to all in ‘c' is the fact that all who do not repent will perish.