Luke 13:27
But he will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil!’
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The Lord's declaration, "I know you not whence you are," isn't just about a lack of recognition; it points to a fundamental disconnect. It signifies that the people claiming closeness had not truly been identified with Him in their lives, meaning their actions and His nature were out of sync. Their outward claims of belonging are overturned by an inward reality of unrighteousness.
Jesus is responding to a question about how many people will be saved, and he shifts the focus from a numerical count to a personal response to God's call. He uses the analogy of a homeowner who eventually locks his door, revealing that mere association with him or claims of participation in his ministry won't guarantee entry into the kingdom. This leads to the stark pronouncement that those who practice wrongdoing will ultimately be shut out, even if they once claimed closeness to him.
Imagine standing at a grand banquet, you've heard the invitation, you've even been near the feast, but the door remains shut. What does Jesus mean by this stark refusal?
Jesus uses powerful imagery here from a Jewish wedding feast. The master of the house represents God, and the closed door signifies the finality of judgment. Those who are shut out are those who, despite proximity or even a claimed association with God's people, are ultimately revealed as 'workers of iniquity.'
Many believed they had a 'right' to the Kingdom based on their heritage or religious practices. Jesus shatters this assumption, showing that mere outward participation isn't enough.
The people Jesus is addressing likely felt secure in their relationship with God, perhaps boasting of their lineage or their participation in religious activities. They might have even said, 'We ate and drank in your presence!' (as seen in the parallel in Luke 13:26).
However, Jesus makes it clear:
Understand the original words
ergatai adikias · Greek Phrase (Noun)
One who practices wickedness or lawlessness; specifically, those who reject the truth of God and persist in disobedience, standing in contrast to those who live in righteousness.
This passage parallels Jesus' own words, where those performing 'wonders' but not doing God's will are told, 'I never knew you; depart from me.'
Luke 13:25It directly precedes this verse, setting the scene of the master of the house shutting the door, and the anxious pleas of those left outside, highlighting the finality of the decision.
2 Timothy 2:19This verse speaks of the Lord knowing 'those who are His' and contrasts this with the call for everyone who names the name of Christ to 'depart from iniquity,' echoing the core idea of authentic belonging versus outward claims.
Psalm 6:8This Old Testament psalm expresses a similar sentiment of divine rejection, with the psalmist crying out, 'Depart from me, all you workers of evil!', showing this theme of separation from wrongdoing is ancient.
Luke 13:30This verse, spoken immediately after, shows the stark contrast between those shut out and those who will come from all directions to sit in the kingdom, emphasizing the consequence of being known by works of iniquity.
vincentLuke 13:27: "But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity."
I know not whence"The sentence is fixed, but it is repeated with emphasis" (Bengel).Shall sit down (ἀνακλιθήσονται)Sit down at table. Jesus casts his thought into a familiar Jewish image. According to the Jewish idea, one of the main elements of the happiness of the Messianic kingdom was the privilege of participating in splendid festive entertainments along with the patriarch…
calvinLuke 13:25-30: "When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are:"
- And when the master of the house shall have arisen, and shall have shut the door, and you shall begin to stand without and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us: and he answering shall say to you, I know not whence you are: 26. Th…
The Lord's declaration, "I know you not whence you are," isn't just about a lack of recognition; it points to a fundamental disconnect. It signifies that the people claiming closeness had not truly been identified with Him in their lives, meaning their actions and His nature were out of sync. Their outward claims of belonging are overturned by an inward reality of unrighteousness.
Jesus is responding to a question about how many people will be saved, and he shifts the focus from a numerical count to a personal response to God's call. He uses the analogy of a homeowner who eventually locks his door, revealing that mere association with him or claims of participation in his ministry won't guarantee entry into the kingdom. This leads to the stark pronouncement that those who practice wrongdoing will ultimately be shut out, even if they once claimed closeness to him.
Jesus is responding to a question about how many people will be saved, and he shifts the focus from a numerical count to a personal response to God's call. He uses the analogy of a homeowner who eventually locks his door, revealing that mere association with him or claims of participation in his ministry won't guarantee entry into the kingdom. This leads to the stark pronouncement that those who practice wrongdoing will ultimately be shut out, even if they once claimed closeness to him.
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"But he will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil!’" — The Lord's declaration, "I know you not whence you are," isn't just about a lack of recognition; it points to a fundamental disconnect. It signifies that the people claiming closeness had not truly b…
