Who is Worse?

Photos: Sante Fe, New Mexico (2005)

In my devotion this morning, I came across the following story in Luke 13:1-5: "When Jesus was informed that some Jews from Galilee had been butchered as they were sacrificing at the Temple in Jerusalem, he asked:

“Do you think they were worse sinners than other men from Galilee? Is that why they suffered?... And what about the 18 men who died when the Tower of Siloam fell on them? Were they the worst sinners in Jerusalem?

The dialogue refers to two instances of people being taken away by sudden death! Or rather, two tragedies – death that came at unexpected time and places. The irony being towers, which are built for safety, in this instance, proved to be the 18’s men destruction. Similarly, the altar and temple, which used to be a sanctuary and place of shelter, became a snare and a trap, a place of danger and slaughter.

Lesson 1: Neither the holiness of the place nor the work would be a protection to them from the fury of an unjust judge, who neither feared God nor regarded man. In other words, priests (or good people) can still die in the course of doing God (good) works.

Jesus answered his own question with an affirmative, “Not at all!" (Luke 13:2, 5). Here, Jesus cautioned his hearer not to make ill use of these and similar events; nor take occasion to censure great sufferers, as if they were therefore be accounted as great sinners. We must not be harsh in our censures of those that are afflicted more than their neighbors, lest we add sorrow to the sorrowful.

Lesson 2: Whether a person is killed in a tragic accident or miraculously survived is not a measure of righteousness. We must abide by this rule: that we cannot judge of men’s sins by their sufferings in this world; for many are thrown into the furnace as gold to be purified.
In his reply, Jesus also said: “And you, too will perish unless you repent.” (Luke 13:2, 5). Here, Jesus intimates that we all deserve to perish as much as those who died, and had we been “dealt with” according to our sins, like the Jews who was butchered in the temple, our blood would have long mingled with our sacrifices by the justice of God… “we are as great sinners as they, have as much sin to repent, to be sorry for what we’ve done amiss, and to do so no more."

Lesson 3: Everyone has to die; that’s part of being human. But not everyone needs to stay dead. Jesus promises eternal life

“For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

So, instead of blaming or judging others, everyone should look to his or her own day of judgment!

Source: LAB