Good Morning Friends,
“Now there were some present at that time who
told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their
sacrifices. Jesus answered, ‘Do you think these Galileans were worse sinners
than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, no!
But unless you repent, you too will all perish. Or those eighteen who died when
the tower in Siloam fell on them — do you think they were more guilty than all
the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too
will all perish.’” (Luke 13:1-5)
There are those who believe that people get
what they deserve in life. If life brings a person health, prosperity and
happiness, that means the person is doing something right. They are being
rewarded for their good character and behavior. If life brings a person
sickness, poverty and trouble, that means the person has done something
terribly wrong. They are being punished for their sin.
That seems fair and most people want life to be
fair, or at least have some semblance of fairness. People want to believe that
if they work hard and strive to be good it will pay off for them and their
family.
Jesus reminds us that life isn’t about
fairness. The Galileans He mentioned weren’t more wicked than others. Their
wickedness did not result in the tragedy they experienced. They were not being
punished. The same was true of those who suffered in the fall of the tower in
Siloam. They weren’t more sinful than the rest of Jerusalem.
Life isn’t about fairness. Bad things happen to
good people. Good things come on those filled with sin.
There are lessons to be learned by all of us
who see tragedy strike those around us. The primary lesson is about the need
repentance. The truth is all of us deserve punishment. If life was about
fairness we would all suffer tragedy. So let the tragedy we see move us to turn
toward the Lord and seek His grace and mercy for our own sin. Let it be a
reminder that punishment for evil will come and the only way to avoid it is
through the protection that Jesus offers.
His, by Grace, Steve
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