Luke 13:1-5 (3)

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-Well, we’ve made it to a new chapter this morning.

We’re going to be in Luke 13.

And as always, I would greatly encourage you...

…to turn there, and follow along in your own Bibles.

And, I’m excited to tell you, that...

…by way of Chapter...

…we’re crossing over the halfway point this morning.

But, by way of total number of words...

…we actually crossed over that threshold...

…some time back (we’re at 56%).

So, don’t despair!

We may finish this thing yet!

-Now, let me be clear about something...

…so I don’t mislead you:

We may have reached a new milestone...

…by way of a new chapter...

…but we’re still going to be connected...

…to that over-arching theme of judgment...

…that we saw back in Chapter 12.

-Also, by way of introduction...

…I think it would be helpful to point out, that...

…the warnings of the next two sections...

…appear to be specifically directed toward...

…the impenitent members of the Jewish Nation...

…who were living at that time...

(particularly verses 6-9)

…but that they also have...

…an undeniably universal force and application.

-Also, in addition to those warnings...

…we’re going to see, in these verses...

…Jesus (somewhat indirectly) giving clear answers...

…to a theological conundrum...

…that has troubled mankind for millennia...

…and continues to trouble us today:

Why do bad things happen to good people?

-So, there’s a lot in these next two sections...

And, I think they’re going to be helpful to us...

… in a lot of ways.

Alright, let’s read...

…the first of those two sections (Verses 1-5):

This is the inerrant Word of God:

Luke 13:1–5 (ESV)

1 There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.

2 And he answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way?

3 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.

4 Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem?

5 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”

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Pray

-Alright, look back at Verse 1 with me...

…and notice the clear connection...

…to the events of the previous chapter.

Luke begins by saying:

Luke 13:1 (ESV)

1 There were some present at that very time...

What time/season was that?

Well, remember that after the dinner...

…at the Pharisees house...

…where Jesus had scandalized everyone...

…by not first ceremonially washing his hands...

…Luke had told us:

Luke 11:53–12:1 (ESV)

53 As he went away from there, the scribes and the Pharisees began to press him hard and to provoke him to speak about many things,

54 lying in wait for him, to catch him in something he might say.

1 In the meantime . . . so many thousands of the people had gathered together that they were trampling one another...

So, it appears to be...

…in that setting, that...

…Luke is placing this event.

That context is going to matter.

-Alright, look at the message...

…that they brought to Jesus:

Luke 13:1 (ESV)

1 There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.

Now, to understand this as we should...

…we need to be reminded...

…of who all of these people were.

Luke had BRIEFLY introduced us...

…to Pontius Pilate, back in Chapter 3...

…but only to give the historical setting...

…for the beginning of Christ’s earthly ministry.

Obviously, as we move forward...

…in the gospel narrative...

…he’s going to become increasingly important.

This Bible Dictionary gives...

…a helpful assessment of...

…the applicable features of Pilate’s life:

Easton’s Bible Dictionary (Pilate, Pontius)

He was the sixth in the order of the Roman procurators of Judea (26–36)...

His reign extended over the period of the ministry of John the Baptist and of Jesus Christ, in connection with whose trial his name comes into prominent notice.

Pilate was a “typical Roman . . . of the imperial period, a man not without some remains of the ancient Roman justice in his soul, yet pleasure-loving, imperious, and corrupt.

He hated the Jews whom he ruled, and in times of irritation freely shed their blood.

They returned his hatred with cordiality, and accused him of every crime, maladministration, cruelty, and robbery.

He visited Jerusalem as seldom as possible; for, indeed, to one accustomed to the pleasures of Rome, with its theatres, baths, games, and gay society, Jerusalem, with its religiousness and ever-smouldering revolt, was a dreary residence.

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So, that was his relationship...

…to the Jewish people in general.

But, the people specified in our text...

…have two strikes against them.

Not only were they Jewish...

They were Galileans!

Another commentary explains to us, that...

The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Chapter 13)

The Galileans are frequently mentioned by Josephus as the most turbulent and seditious people, being upon all occasions ready to disturb the Roman authority.

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So, now we’re starting to understand...

…the way this report would have been received.

-Now, we don’t have any...

…outside historical insights into...

…what had brought about this first event.

All we know is what Luke tells us here, that...

Luke 13:1 (ESV)

1… the Galileans . . . blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.

“mingled” = “mixed”

So, that tells us:

Probably happened in Jerusalem, at Passover

(Only time Jewish laity slaughtered their own animals for sacrifice)

It would have been an Egregious, Blasphemous, Sacrilege...

…in the minds of the Jewish people.

(And indeed, they would have been right)

Compare it to someone...

Killing me and the other pastors...

Mixing our blood with the cup of the Lord’s Supper...

And forcing all of you to drink it!

That would be an unspeakable evil, right?

You would all be horribly appalled, right?

-And, if we’re being honest...

…if that had happened...

…what question would we...

…be constantly having to suppress?

Why would God allow this to happen?

(implying that there was...

…some injustice on his part...

…for having allowed it)

-Now, what question would...

…outsiders looking in on us, have?

What did they do to deserve God’s Judgment?

(implying that such an unspeakable calamity...

…must certainly have been...

…brought about by some moral evil...

…being committed by our congregation)

Brethren, that’s just where our fallen minds...

…naturally go.

-Well, that’s what Jesus...

…seems to be anticipating...

…about the folks who were...

…telling him about this massacre.

And his response is telling.

Look at Verse 2:

Luke 13:2 (ESV)

2 And he answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way?

Now, is that not exactly...

…where our minds tend to go?

Think about how prevalent this is:

All the way back...

…in the days of Job...

We see these responses to Job’s suffering:

Eliphaz:

Job 4:7–9 (ESV)

7 “Remember: who that was innocent ever perished? Or where were the upright cut off?

8 As I have seen, those who plow iniquity and sow trouble reap the same.

9 By the breath of God they perish, and by the blast of his anger they are consumed.

Conversely, Bildad said:

Job 8:20 (ESV)

20 “Behold, God will not reject a blameless man...

-Now, these men lived...

…at something of a...

...primeval stage of human history.

But, thousands of years later...

…nothing had changed:

Acts 28:3–4 (ESV)

3 When Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and put them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat and fastened on his hand.

4 When the native people saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, “No doubt this man is a murderer. Though he has escaped from the sea, Justice has not allowed him to live.”

But, even among those...

…who had the privilege of having the OT Canon...

…we see assumptions like this being made:

John 9:1–2 (ESV)

1 As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth.

2 And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

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-Now, why do we do this?

Well, I think there are a number of reasons:

1.) We (as divine image bearers) have...

…an innate sense of justice.

For some inexplicable reason (apart from the Bible’s explanation)...

…we simply can’t stomach the idea, that...

Bad things would happen to good people!

We have an inner sense of right and wrong...

…that powerfully pushes against...

…the possibility that the world...

…could be so governed.

2.) (and in keeping with this):

Consider this possibility from Mike McKinley:

Luke 12–24 for You (Chapter 2: Death Comes and the Kingdom Grows (Luke Chapter 13 Verse 1 to 14 Verse 6))

When disaster strikes, we often derive comfort from some sort of explanation for why it occurred.

If we can explain why it happened, then we can provide ourselves with reasons why it will not happen to us.

Amen?

Oh, me?

-Now, before we move on...

…to Jesus’ response to these difficulties...

...notice what he had implied...

…in the very question, itself:

Luke 13:2 (ESV)

2 . . . “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans...

What’s implied in that?

They’re ALL sinners

They all deserve the wrath and judgment of God!

-Now, in Verse 3...

… He answers his own question:

(“are they worse sinners…?”)

Luke 13:3 (ESV)

3 No, I tell you...

There you go, brethren.

Straight from the mouth of God!

The answer is a resounding, NO!

Not every human calamity...

…should be viewed as...

…the direct and proportionate...

…judgment from God!

There are LOTS of reasons (biblical reasons)...

…why this could have happened.

(we’ll talk about those more later)

But, for now...

…we’ll whet our appetites...

…with this explanation from R.C. Sproul:

A Walk with God: Luke (65. Why Does God Allow Suffering? (Luke 13:1–5))

To be sure, there is a link between sin and suffering. Were it not for the presence of sin in this world, there would be no suffering.

Sin brought death, pain and suffering into the world, and because the world is under the power of sin, suffering is a daily reality within it.

But the fact that a person suffers, does not indicate a direct relationship to his particular sin.

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Guys, it’s not our responsibility...

…to figure out the cause of suffering...

…in every single circumstance.

That’s not the response...

…that we’re called to make.

He calls us to respond...

…like he calls them to respond in Verse 3:

Luke 13:3 (ESV)

3 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.

Remember whom he’s speaking to:

Mostly Jewish men and women

Who would have most likely...

…looked down their noses...

…at the Jews from Galilee!

So, what’s he telling them/us?

They’re just as guilty

We’re just as guilty

They too, are on a path to destruction...

And, unless they turn from it (repent)...

…they too… we too, will perish.

-So, that begs an immensely important question:

What does it mean to repent?

This is from the Reformation Study Bible:

The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (2015 Edition) (Chapter 26)

This call to repentance was an urgent appeal to sinners. No one who refuses to repent can ever enter the kingdom of God. Repentance is a prerequisite, a necessary condition for salvation.

In Scripture, repentance means “to undergo a change of one’s mind.” This change of mind is not a mere switching of minor opinions, but of the entire direction of one’s life. It involves a radical turning from sin and to Christ.

Repentance is not the cause of new birth or regeneration; it is the result or fruit of regeneration.

When repentance is offered to God in a spirit of true contrition, He promises to forgive us and to restore us to fellowship with Him: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

Remember what Jesus said:

Luke 5:32 (ESV)

32 I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”

Guys, that’s all there is!

Sinners, in need of repentance!

So, where should our thoughts go...

…when we see others suffering calamity?

We should let it remind us...

of the reality of sin in our own lives

our own great need of repentance and forgiveness.

-Now, Jesus drives this point home...

…by bringing up another calamity, in Verse 4:

Luke 13:4 (ESV)

4 Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them...

This intensifies the conundrum.

These weren’t men resisting a tyrant...

…and getting caught up in his wrath.

These weren’t even Galileans!

(This was in Jerusalem)

Plus, this was an act of Providence!

It wasn’t directly caused by men.

-So, probably the assumption was:

God has judged these people...

…for sins known only to him!

But again, look at the question he asks them:

Luke 13:4 (ESV)

4 ...do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem?

“offenders” = debtors

i.e., more indebted to God

i.e., worse sinners?

We know the answer, don’t we?

Verse 5:

Luke 13:5 (ESV)

5 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”

I know we’ve read...

…of commentaries this morning, already...

…but it’s hard to pass this one up:

Luke, Volumes 1 & 2 (A Terrible Atrocity)

We are no different from anyone else. We all fall short of the glory of God. Furthermore, we are all going to die.

This is something people often seem to forget after a disaster. We are horrified at the way people have died, and rightly so. We are shocked and grieved that people have fallen from the sky, or been swept out to sea, or killed in cold blood.

In our distress we sometimes fail to see the real tragedy, which is that we are all going to die.

In a disaster, death comes all of a sudden. Yet the overall death rate remains unchanged: it is still 100 percent.

Since we belong to a lost and fallen race, we are all destined to die, and after that, we will face the final judgment.

John Calvin wisely said, “All the calamities that happen in the world are testimonies of the wrath of God.”

And according to Jesus, this is what we should think about after a disaster: our own imminent demise and our great need for the forgiveness of our sins.

Unless we repent, we too will perish.

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-Now, let’s talk about...

…some of the POSSIBLE reasons for suffering...

…that the Bible gives us:

-Sometimes it does come as a direct response to sin:

Psalm 32:3–4 (ESV)

3 For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.

4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer...

-Sometimes it’s for the purposes of...

God’s glory

Man’s Salvation

John 9:2–3 (ESV)

2 . . . “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

3 Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.

God was glorified

The man was saved

-Sometime’s it’s meant to protect us from sin:

2 Corinthians 12:7 (ESV)

7 So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited.

-Sometimes it’s simply meant to sanctify us:

Hebrews 12:6–7 (ESV)

6 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.”

7 It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons...

-Sometimes it’s to graciously...

…prepare us for glory:

2 Corinthians 4:16–17 (ESV)

16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.

17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,

-We may never know the particulars.

Our disposition of heart needs to be this:

1 Peter 4:19 (ESV)

19 Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.

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-Brethren, how should we respond...

…to the conundrum of...

"bad things happening to good people?”

Well, first of all:

We need to realize...

…that that has only happened once!

What do I mean by that?

Well, the Bible is clear:

Romans 3:10–12 (ESV)

10 . . . “None is righteous, no, not one;

11 no one understands; no one seeks for God.

12 All have turned aside . . . no one does good, not even one.”

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NO ONE is Good enough...

…to deserve to escape pain and suffering.

So, why did I say...

…that it had happened once?

Is there an exception to this rule?

Jesus Christ

The Spotless Lamb of God.

So, why do bad things happen to good people?

Well, that only ever happened to one person.

Was it a divine injustice?

May it never be!

You see, he volunteered for it!

Why?

To render judicial satisfaction to God in our place...

…So thaT we could escape it!

-Look at this wonderfully applicable summary, in:

1 Peter 2:19–25 (ESV)

20 ...if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God.

21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.

22 He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth.

23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.

24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.

25 For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

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Let’s pray