Jump Start # 2428

Luke 13:4 “Or do you suppose that those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, were worse culprits than all the men who live in Jerusalem?”

This week we remembered and took notice of a somber, tragic and devastating event in this country’s recent history, 9-11. There has never been such an attack upon civilians on our soil before. Things changed after that. And, still, all these years later, the “why’s” keep crossing our minds. Our verse today, is the second tragic event that is reported in this chapter. The chapter begins, like a news flash, in which some report to Jesus about Pilate killing some Galileans. The text said Pilate mingled their blood with the sacrifices. In many ways this is a 9-11 event of the first century. It sounds like a terrorist attack. It sounds like a shooting in a church service.

Our verse, comes from Jesus. He told them about another tragic event. A tower fell. Eighteen people were killed.

Our nightly news is filled with reports of shootings, fatal car accidents, hurricanes off the coast, fires, and disasters. Had these verses not been recorded in our Bibles, we wouldn’t even know about them. History is filled with tragic stories of wars, crime, and disasters. Space shuttles blow up. Titanics sink. Tall buildings are attacked and collapse.

With both of these first century events, Jesus follows with a question and His own answer. When the news came about the executed Galileans, Jesus said, “do you suppose that these Galileans were greater sinners than all other Galileans?” In other words, what happened was not a result of Pilate’s hatred, but God’s judgment? Is that what you are thinking? Were they killed because God punished them? That’s the thought behind the Lord’s question. Something bad happens and immediately the thought is “God did this.” The Lord answered His own question. Were the murdered Galileans greater sinners than other Galileans? No. If God were to punish sinful Galileans that day, all of them would die.

In our verse, about the falling tower, Jesus asks, and then answers, “were they worse culprits than all the other men who live in Jerusalem?” He again answers His own question. No. No they were not. They did not die because of the wrath of God.

Now, some thoughts from this.

First, it’s easy to want to sit in God’s chair and declare that certain people got what they deserved. One must be extremely careful about that. The throne of Heaven is only large enough for God to sit on, and not you and I. Before every funeral begins, we’ve already made up our minds about the deceased. We have them either in Heaven or Hell. Let God be God. We have a hard enough time running our own lives. We can’t and shouldn’t try to run the universe. Jesus asked in both stories, about the moral condition of those who died. He didn’t say anything about why the tower fell. Was it a foundation problem? Poor engineering? Bad storms? Too many people in the tower at once? Who knows. He asked if they were worse culprits than the others. With the murdered Galileans, Jesus asked if they were worse sinners than others. Both of these questions drive at the moral and spiritual condition of these people. They were not worse than any other. They died not because Heaven was against them.

Second, bad things and accidents happen. Pilate killing the Galileans was a strike of Rome against the Jews. It was political. It came about from orders from the top, Pilate. The tower fell. I don’t think we ought to read into this that Rome pulled it down or that it was similar in anyway to Pilate’s attack. But in both events people died. Things break. Things wear out. Accidents happen. Tragic events are the result of twisted minds and evil hearts. Why are there so many shootings? Some want to blame guns. Guns don’t shoot unless someone pulls the trigger. It’s the wicked heart that is aiming the gun at others and pulling the trigger. Pilate was to blame in the first tragic event. Maybe no one was to blame for the tower. God allowed both of those events to happen. This troubles some. If God is good, why would He allow eighteen people to be killed from a falling tower? Why didn’t He stop it? And, this is enough for some to walk away and give up on God. There is no God some say because towers fall and people die. People fail to realize that this isn’t Heaven. Since the forbidden fruit was eaten, Paradise was lost. There is death. There is suffering. The world is broken. Free will and sin has changed things.

Third, there are many tears and questions behind those tragic events in Luke. Eighteen people died when the tower fell. Eighteen funerals. Eighteen families forever changed. Eighteen families that weren’t expecting this to happen. And, Pilate’s execution of the Galileans would make one nervous about going to worship. Where is anyone safe? Hasn’t those same questions crossed our minds? Shootings in schools. Shootings in movie theatres. Shootings in church buildings. Shootings in malls and stores. Where is it safe? With these tragic events comes many, many questions. Why did this happen? Why me? Why now? And, often, there are no satisfying answers to our questions. Solomon said, “Time and chance happen to man.” What Jesus was showing with those questions that He answered, is that these people didn’t do anything wrong to bring this on. Being in the wrong place is something that just happens.

Fourth, life is fragile. A tower fell and eighteen people died. Just like that, their lives were over. We are not cats with nine lives. We are not Superman. It doesn’t take much for a life to end. Being careless, dumb and risk takers often invites death and often death catches that person. David, in the O.T., told Jonathan, “there is but a step between me and death.” That is true for all of us.

Finally, what the Lord did with these two tragic stories was to tell His audience to “repent.” Both stories, both times, Jesus says, “Unless you repent you will all likewise perish.” Tragic events happen. It’s sad. But what that puts before our minds is, “What if it was me?” “Am I ready?” Repent, or you will perish is what Jesus said. Perish, by a falling tower? Perish by God striking them down? No. Perish from eternal presence of God. Perish by being banished from God forever. Am I ready? Am I ready for this to be my last day? What am I putting off? What more needs to be done? What if this was my last day? Many go off to work, never realizing that they won’t come home that evening. A car accident. An attack. A sudden fatal illness. And, like a tower falling, they are swept into eternity.

Live like you are dying was the name of a great song. Someday it will happen. Live righteously. Rather than thinking about those poor people who died, what about you? They died, but you got to live. Their lives are over, but your life is not. They stopped, but you got to go on. Will you do anything different? Will you be better? Will you walk closer to the Lord?

The nightly news should bring those thoughts to our minds. Murder takes place. Accidents happen. What if it was me? Would I be in a good place? What do I need to do to get there? This is what Jesus did with those tragic events. What do you do with them?

Roger

Jump Start # 862

Luke 13:4 ” Or do you suppose that those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them were worse culprits than all the men who live in Jerusalem?”

The newscasts yesterday covered the devastation and death from the Moore, OK tornados. Many were killed, including children. Many homes were obliterated. What happened will scar those residents for the rest of their lives. It will take a long time for that community to recover. A year ago, a tornado cut a path of destruction not far from where I live, Henryville, IN.

It seems every so often our common days are interrupted by news of disaster, some natural, like tornados, others, not natural, such as plane crashes, explosions, or the attack of terrorists.   These disruptions scare us, makes us wonder about things and they cause some to doubt. They wonder about a God that allows tornados. They question is power and goodness when children die. The reason we do that is because it doesn’t seem fair.

Our passage today, reminds us of several interesting facts.

1. Jesus was aware of current events. He knew about the tower in Siloam falling. He knew how many died. Jesus wasn’t a stuffy intellectual that didn’t have a clue what was going on around Him. He did. Does that help you? It ought to. Jesus knows what is going on around us.

2. Jesus knew that disasters and accidents happen. A tower in Siloam fell. Why? We are not told. Was the blame in the construction or the maintenance of the tower? Were there too many people on the tower at one time? Was there an earthquake? Dozens of ideas could be presented. Towers fall. Planes crash. Cars break down. Humans make mistakes. Those mistakes sometimes take lives. When those lives are our loved ones, we just have a hard time accepting those things.

3. Jesus did not believe that the deaths from the tower falling were the result of punishment from God. Not every accident, not every disaster is to be considered punishment from God.  The eighteen men who died in the tower disaster were not worse off morally and spiritually than the rest of the residents of Jerusalem. That was Jesus’ point. If the tower falling was the hand of God against sinners, why did He spare the rest of Jerusalem. They were just as bad. They were deserving punishment as well.

4. This passage reminds us that we often have opinions about why things happened but our thoughts can be wrong. Very wrong. This discussion began with someone telling Jesus about the murder of some Galileans by Pilate. The news was shocking. Jesus, being a Galilean, may have even known some of those who died. Finger pointing and blame is only profitable if things can be improved or others have been guilty of crimes. Finding fault doesn’t change the situation. If it could have been proved that the tower in Siloam was poorly built, the next tower could be made stronger. But for those eighteen families who had a loved one die, that wouldn’t help them. Folks are quick to find fault and blame.

5. This world is not Heaven. It never will be. There is sin, mistakes, disasters and death. That is our world. There are young people that get cancer. There are mean people that hurt the innocent. There are bad people who have evil in their hearts. We want this place to be Heaven. We want everyone to be nice. They won’t. We want everything to work out. It doesn’t. We want peace. Often there is turmoil. We want everyone to be a team player. Some are selfish. We want all to care. Some never will. We want no pain. There is pain. We have a hymn, “This world is not my home…” I’m glad. This world is broken. Heaven is the place to be. Heaven is the world of no sin, pain, sorry, or death. No one in Heaven will be getting cancer. There will be no tornados in Heaven. No need for medicine in Heaven. We are shaken by these terrible things but must realize that these are a part of this world.

6. Our hope is in God. Faith lies with God. Even God’s people get cancer, die in car accidents and can be killed in falling towers. We can stay in bed all day with the covers over our head. We can walk in fear all the time. Or, we can pray. Pray for safety. Pray for strength. Pray that God will be with us. We can know that even if bad comes upon us, it is not an indication that God no longer loves us. Some day we will pass through the door of death and all this will be over.

Our prayers are for the families in Moore, OK who have been touched by this latest tornado. We pray that they will find comfort. We pray that they will get healed. We pray that they will not turn away from God. They need Him especially now.

Can you say a prayer, even now, for those families?

Roger

Jump Start # 337 

Luke 13:4 “Or do you suppose that those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them were worse culprits than all the men who live in Jerusalem? I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” 

  I write this morning with a heavy heart. Massive tornados have devastated large portions of Alabama and Georgia. Hundreds were killed. The destruction is unbelievable. There are many Christians who live in those areas. I have visited and preached in some of those places. This passage came to my mind today.

  In Luke 13, a report came to Jesus of bad news. Fellow Galileans were killed by Pilate. Jesus said, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were greater sinners than all other Galileans because they suffered this fate? I tell you, no, but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.” Then Jesus tells of the eighteen who were killed by the tower.

  Jesus uses these two “news reports” to teach some valuable lessons. First, those who were killed were not being punished for their sins. That’s not how God operates. There are a few exceptions, dealing with rebellion when God would strike someone down and use it as a lesson. But those are few in the total history of the Bible. God wants people to come to Him. Peter tells us that God doesn’t want any to perish but all to come to repentance. The fact that some were killed and others survived is not an indication of God’s justice being invoked. It’s easy to think that. It’s easy to start judging. Jesus twice in news reports said, “No.”

  The loss of life happens. Life is precious and very fragile. We watch these reality shows where people scale mountains, leap great distances over objects and we tend to forget that it doesn’t take much to end life. There were towers that fell in the days of Jesus. There were towers that fell last night in Alabama and Georgia. The survivors struggle first with moving on, and then with the emotional and mental concerns of “why.” All it takes for some is death by a tower and that’s enough for them to walk away from God. In their thinking a good and gracious God would never allow towers to fall, any where, any time. Because they do, must mean either God doesn’t care, or else, even worse, maybe He isn’t real. We have it in our thinking that every day ought to be sunny and that each day ought to bring smiles to our faces and God ought to make my life nice and easy. Where have we gotten this theology? Not from the Bible. It doesn’t teach that. Remember at the end of the sermon on the mount, Jesus ended with the parable of the wise man and the foolish man. Both men, not just the foolish man, but both men had rain, winds and floods. Both men. The wise and the fool. The wicked and the righteous. God never said that this world is Heaven. Ever since Adam chose to disobey God, man has been excluded from paradise. This world is not paradise. Towers will fall. Cars will crash. Storms will rage through the nights. Flood waters will rise. Some will die. Even some righteous will die. Our thoughts are, “Doesn’t seem right. Doesn’t seem fair.” And it’s not. This world is broken. This world is engaged in a great spiritual fight. Satan and Christ. If you want a land that is without nights, storms, and death, that place is called Heaven. Could it be that is why Jesus twice said in our verses today, “unless you repent you will likewise perish.”

  I think the Lord is using a play on words here. The eighteen men in the tower perished. They were killed. Jesus is not implying, if you repent you will not perish. No, Heb 9:27 reminds us that we have an appointment with death. The perish Jesus has in mind is spiritual. That’s why the call for us to repent. By repenting and turning toward God we will not perish, spiritually. That was the message of John the Baptist—repent. That is the message of Jesus. Stop what you are doing. Turn toward God and follow Him. If you don’t, you won’t make it. You’ll perish. In the Lord’s way of thinking, perishing spiritually is far worse than perishing by a falling tower.

  These news reports that were brought to Jesus about disasters and death allowed Him to remind the disciples that they too, we too, have a coming appointment with death. The men who died in the tower died suddenly. It was not expected. The tower fell. We don’t know the details. Were they a construction crew that was building a tower and something terribly wrong happened and it fell? Were they are group of tourist who were visiting this tower? Was it a windy day and the thing blew over? We don’t know. They died. Someday we will die. We need to be ready. This is why Jesus brought up turning toward God.

  What can we do when towers fall or tornados kill? First, pray. Pray for the families affected. Thank the Lord for your safety through the night. As the sun rises on a new day, make it a new day, a better day. Realize that today is a gift. Not everyone got that gift. Whether they were killed in a storm, died in a cancer unit or were killed serving our country, each day is a gift. Use it like a gift. Stop demanding as if someone, especially God, owes us anything. He doesn’t. Quit being selfish. Learn to connect, to serve, to help others. Glorify God by following Him.

  Our days are not so different from the days we read about in our Bibles.

Roger