REPENT OR PERISH

Reading from Luke Ch. 13 vs 1-5

Have you ever been looking at something or someone and realised later that you were paying attention to the wrong thing? So often our focus and energies are misplaced because we are not paying attention to what’s important or what actually matters. I suppose some situations can be vague and sometimes what seems like you being concerned or questioning something that is valid in its own right, can at the same time be a distraction to derail you from seeing the important thing. In this short Passage Jesus clarifies on something that is important that we often miss. Some people who were present told him about something bad that had happened, how Pilate had mingled the blood of some Galileans with their sacrifices. If you’re like me then you also wondered what went down but also what this statement actually meant. I thought maybe they got killed while they sacrificed and the blood mixed or they were killed and their blood collected and mixed with that of the sacrificial animals. I’m probably wrong and maybe don’t really get the context but they asked Jesus a question.

They asked if he thought those Galileans were worse sinners than the others because of the way they suffered. I think it’s an interesting question like the usual do bad things happen because we are bad and no doubt deserve these unfortunate things happening to us or vice versa? If one sins more shouldn’t their punishment or life be harder? If we look at the world we live in it’s really not actually the case, some of the worst people walk around free and enjoying life more than the innocent. But it’s a good thought that once in a while any of us have had when you see or hear about something bad happening, like did they know better or did they do something wrong? Jesus doesn’t respond how I think they might have liked but he does expose what our actual focus should be.

He says No to them being worse sinners and continues to say unless they (we) repent we too will likewise perish. So it’s not about one person or people sinning more but about turning from our evil because just like them, a day will come when we will die. Jesus gives another example to help them really grasp it, he mentions an accident where eighteen people were crushed by the tower of Siloam and were killed. And he asked if they thought the eighteen were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem, he responds and says no and says the same thing as before. That unless they repent, they will all likewise perish. The focus seems also to be on the inevitable death or perishing coming to each of us but I appreciate what he is subtly trying to convey.

Think about it or things, we often weigh or judge people thinking oh that one has done this wrong or that one so many wrongs and such. Which in a sense makes us imply because they have plenty sin so they’ll have a harsher punishment but Jesus isn’t pointing to that, he redirects the thoughts of these people. They thought for such a bad thing to happen they must have sinned much but Jesus says it’s not about that. We must understand that any of us might actually have a brutal or peaceful death. We can’t control it, we don’t even know when it will come but how then can we change the outcome?

Believe it or not that perishing talked about isn’t just about the physical death but also the spiritual death and Jesus is providing the solution/answer to make the difference. He says to repent, which is to turn away from sin and change our ways. We shouldn’t be so caught up with who did what or feeling like we might be better because we don’t sin in certain ways. The fact of the matter is we all sin and carry that with us, knowing that the inevitable death is coming where the only thing that can make a difference as to whether we live or die in eternity is accepting Jesus and turning from our sin or repenting.

So instead of us comparing who did what, what happened, if it was fair and why they got away with it or even how bad the death was, we should be thinking about our personal lives. We need to be watchful and check ourselves, what are the active or passive sins in our lives? Asking God to reveal what we aren’t aware is sin and to keep us from sinning more. When these things are revealed whether through prayer, reading the word, talking to God or self-evaluation, Jesus tells us what to do. We must repent, turn from our sin, have him renew your mind, build better habits and ways of being. We cannot control if or when we die but we can work on what actually will matter or change the outcome of our perishing. Don’t look at the next person, think and look at yourself and do what you need to, pray for guidance and help and trust that the Holy Spirit will convict and Jesus will assist, that’s if you’ll let them. Remember Jesus loves you always!