MY SOUL CLINGS

Finding Christ in Our Community: Relationships of Faith

Bible Passage: Lk 13:1–5

Summary: In Luke 13:1-5, Jesus addresses the issue of suffering and repentance, emphasizing that tragedy should lead us to self-reflection and a deeper faith in God, rather than judgment of others.

Application: This passage prompts us to examine our relationships and how they reflect our faith. By fostering community connections and supporting one another, we can demonstrate the love of Christ in actionable ways, especially when facing adversity.

Teaching: The sermon teaches that our faith is not merely an individual journey but is deeply interwoven with the lives of those around us. It encourages believers to recognize the importance of community in understanding and experiencing Christ.

How this passage could point to Christ: This theme underscores how Christ models relationships throughout Scripture. His presence among people, teaching, healing, and engaging in communal life reveals that the essence of our faith is lived out in community, mirroring the Trinity's relational nature.

Big Idea: The essence of faith is revealed through our relationships; as we live out our faith in community, we experience a fuller vision of Christ's love and grace, especially in times of suffering.

Recommended Study: As you prepare your sermon, consider exploring Luke’s emphasis on repentance and how it correlates with communal experiences of suffering. Use your Logos library to check commentaries on this passage for historical context on the tragedies mentioned, and analyze parallel passages in the Gospels for a comprehensive understanding of Jesus' teaching on suffering and community.

1. Reflect, Repent, Renew

Lk 13:1-3

You could emphasize how Jesus shifts the focus from judgment to personal reflection and repentance in verses 1-3. Maybe use this as a call to introspection within our faith communities, urging believers to seek personal transformation rather than critique others. By doing so, they embody Christ's love and humility, paving the way for deeper relationships of faith. This can lead to a community that collectively seeks Christ, encouraging one another in their spiritual journeys.

2. Respond Through Relationships

Lk 13:4-5

Perhaps consider how Jesus uses the tragedies mentioned in verses 4-5 to illustrate the importance of repentance. These verses could remind us that life, with its unexpected trials, should always draw us closer to God and each other. Emphasize how sharing burdens and supporting one another in times of crisis reflects Christ’s love and helps build a resilient community of believers who grow in understanding and grace together.

Sermon: To What Do You Cling?

Scripture: Luke 13:1-9, Isaiah 55:1-9, Psalm 63:1-8

Good morning, dear friends.

Today, I want to begin with a simple yet profound question: To what do you cling? It might seem like an odd question at first, especially since no one really wants to be labeled as "clingy," right?

We often think of clinginess in terms of over-dependence or even a lack of independence. So, you might immediately want to say, "No, I don’t cling."

But hold on for a moment, because maybe you’ve sung these words before: "Nothing in my hands I bring, simply to the cross I cling." Or perhaps you remember the hymn, "I will cling to the old rugged cross, and exchange it someday for a crown." There are even more contemporary songs that speak of clinging to Jesus, like the one by Sovereign Grace, titled Cling to Christ. It contains a beautiful line that says:

It’s more than I can do / To keep my hold on You / But all my hope and peace / Is that You cling to me.

What does it mean to cling? It’s more than just holding on with our hands. To cling is to hold on with our hearts, with our souls. It’s a kind of dependence on something that gives us life, that sustains us, even when we’re weak, even when we don’t have it all together.

In the depths of a forest, a tree stood alone, its roots reaching deep into the earth while its branches extended towards the sky. A storm came, and the tree swayed in the winds, but it did not break. Why? Because it clung to its roots. In our lives, we too need to cling to our roots in Christ, as John 15:5 says, 'I am the vine; you are the branches...' It is through Him we find stability amidst life’s tempests.

And today, as we reflect on the words of Jesus in Luke 13, I believe that question, To what do you cling? is one we must all consider.

In Luke 13:1-9, Jesus is responding to some tragic events—people who died in a collapsed tower and others who were killed in a senseless act of violence. Some were trying to make sense of it all. They were wondering if these people deserved it, as if they somehow had caused their own misfortune. But Jesus shifts the conversation away from speculation about others and moves it inward, calling for personal reflection.

“Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did.” (Luke 13:2-3)

Jesus is calling us to reflect on our own lives, not to judge or speculate about others. He asks us, in the face of suffering and tragedy, to turn inward and consider where we stand with God. Repentance here doesn’t just mean feeling sorry for our actions—it means to turn toward God, to cling to Him, and to allow Him to transform us.

During a devastating storm, a lighthouse keeper stayed faithful, watching the waves crash and the ship struggling to stay afloat. Rather than lamenting the problems around him, he focused on ensuring that his light shone brightly. Jesus invites us to be like that lighthouse keeper—reflecting on our own lights amidst the turmoil, finding strength in Him. This act of looking inwards helps us not only to repent but also to illuminate the path for others seeking refuge in their own storms.

The people Jesus speaks to in this passage were focused on the tragic events around them, but Jesus reminds them (and us) that we are called to live a life of constant renewal and repentance. When life gets hard, when suffering happens, it’s easy to look outward and point fingers, to think that others have brought this upon themselves. But Jesus says no, it’s not about them—it’s about you. It’s about your heart. It’s about your relationship with God. In times of trouble, we are to draw closer to God, not to criticize others but to reflect on our own need for grace.

Now, I know this can feel heavy. It’s not always easy to reflect on our own failures, our own shortcomings. But there’s something deeply freeing in this practice of reflection, repentance, and renewal. When we turn toward God, we begin to experience the kind of love and grace that are not dependent on our perfection, but on His faithfulness. And when we embrace that grace, it enables us to better relate to those around us.

In Luke 13:4-5, Jesus speaks about other tragic events to illustrate the point that life is fragile, unpredictable, and ultimately in God’s hands. He tells them, “Unless you repent, you will all perish as they did.” And so, the call is not just to reflect and repent but to respond through relationships—to come together, to cling to one another in faith, to bear each other’s burdens.

Imagine a tightrope walker performing high above a crowd, each step careful and deliberate. The crowd watches, hearts racing, knowing any misstep could lead to disaster. Life is often like this, a precarious balancing act, reminding us of our need for God and each other. Just as a performer relies on a safety net and spotters below, Jesus calls us not only to seek Him in our fragility but to lean on our community of faith. We find strength in togetherness, a reminder that we are never alone in God's hands.

When tragedy strikes, as it inevitably does, it’s not just a time for individual repentance. It’s a time for community repentance. It’s a time for us, as the body of Christ, to support one another, to come alongside those who are hurting, and to help each other cling to the cross, to the grace that is our only hope.

In Isaiah 55:1-9, we hear God’s invitation to come and drink deeply from the well of His grace. “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.” This is God’s invitation to cling to Him, to come and find all that we need in Him. It’s not about what we bring to the table—it’s about what He offers us freely. It’s an invitation to community, to belonging, to finding our deepest needs met in relationship with God and one another.

In Isaiah 55, God calls out to those longing for sustenance, asking them to come and partake in His bounty without payment. Picture a banquet spread before us, laden with every good thing—hope, joy, peace—all offered out of His generosity. We often think we need to contribute something in return, but God's invitation is simple: come as you are and receive this free gift of life and nourishment in Christ.

Psalm 63 echoes this same longing. “O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” The psalmist expresses a deep, desperate yearning for God—one that cannot be satisfied by anything else. This kind of longing is what it means to cling. It’s to seek God in the midst of life’s dry places, to find in Him our true satisfaction, our true hope, and our ultimate peace.

So, I ask you again, To what do you cling?

Are you clinging to the hope of grace that Jesus offers? Are you clinging to your relationships, to the community of believers that surround you, encouraging and supporting you in times of need? Are you clinging to the love and presence of God that can never fail, even when everything around you feels uncertain?

The essence of our faith is lived out in our relationships—with God and with each other. As we respond to God’s invitation to cling to Him, we are also called to extend that same love, grace, and support to those around us. We are not meant to walk this journey of faith alone. In times of trial, we must draw closer to God and closer to one another.

Consider a scene from a local food bank, where volunteers eagerly set up tables filled with fresh produce and bread. The message is clear: take what you need, no questions asked. This is the essence of God’s invitation in Isaiah 55—come and receive without cost. There is no shortage in God's abundance, and He longs for us to experience His generosity and provision while acknowledging that it’s all from Him.

Let us be a community that clings to Christ, that clings to one another, and that reflects His love and grace in everything we do. And may we, through our relationships, experience a fuller vision of His kingdom here on earth.

Amen.