Turn to the Good News

The Nature of Repentance

Our passage begins with a sort of strange opening.

Luke 13:1 HCSB

At that time, some people came and reported to Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices.

Explain the common belief that suffering was a result of sin. And that God’s judgment was in direct relationship to a person’s or even in some interpretations to the sins of a person’s family.

John 9:2 HCSB

His disciples questioned Him: “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

This is the story of a man born blind, and Jesus responded this way:

John 9:3 HCSB

“Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” Jesus answered. “This came about so that God’s works might be displayed in him.

So does that really mean what it says? That neither sinned? Cause that would be a problem of contradiction in the Bible.

Romans 3:23 HCSB

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Which is it? It’s both. The blindness was not caused by the sinfulness or lack of sinfulness in the man or his parents. People like to determine causes. If we can root out the cause, we can fix the problem. Jesus in both contexts challenges the notion that who suffer are worse sinners.

Luke 13:2 HCSB

And He responded to them, “Do you think that these Galileans were more sinful than all Galileans because they suffered these things?

Calamity can happen to anyone, and repentance is an act that anyone can freely choose.

We might be tempted to look at the situation brought to Jesus and want to know more about what happened. Do we consider the heart and attitude of those who told Jesus about the incidents?

Luke 13:1 HCSB

At that time, some people came and reported to Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices.

Someone needs to repent, but not us. Not me. Those Galileans need to repent. Do you ever find yourself in this conversation? The other person, the others need to repent. I’m all square.

The true nature of repentance is not founded on human sinfulness, but on God’s love and willingness to see that none should perish.

The Urgency and Seriousness of Repentance

I was at CarCare ministry yesterday, and there was a customer who brought their car in. There were like five guys all working on the car, and at the end of the evaluation, I heard this: we can’t fix this today because it’s a five-hour job, but it needs to be addressed by the owner immediately.

The problem? The motor mounts connected to the frame were rusting loose and the reason for the squeaking belt was due to the motor possibly shifting when the car hits bumps, etc. And one day, it’s just gonna come loose and cause a major calamity.

The team went to the lobby to speak with the owner and inform of the urgency of the matter.

Jesus, metaphorically, looked and listened, and evaluated the people in this conversation and He went to the lobby and told them,

Look, this is urgent! You’re going to face calamity unless you repent.

Luke 13:3 HCSB

No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as well!

So even if your physical condition isn’t the direct result of your sin, all will perish.

The you matters here.

Because death is the common denominator in the human experience, Good News people share the message of repentance with urgency and seriousness.

There are consequences of ignoring the call to repentance. Most profoundly is spiritual death.

Distance problem - which is immediately overcome in one act of heartfelt repentance.

Another consequence is the minimization of sin's impact on human relationships.

Finally, the but problem. How many times do we “Sorry, but...” “I’ll do this, but they...” The use of the word but indicates a person’s true willingness to accept and understand God’s free and open call to repentance NOW.

There is Hope in Repentance

A few weeks ago I preached from Luke 13:31-35 on Jesus’ call to repentance. And in that message I quoted from today’s passage, both verses 3 and 5. And the focus of Jesus’ lament in verses 31-35 is on Jerusalem, the holy city, the dwelling place of God, the city on a hill.

Luke 13:4 HCSB

Or those 18 that the tower in Siloam fell on and killed—do you think they were more sinful than all the people who live in Jerusalem?

Siloam was a reservoir situated near the south-eastern corner of the wall of Jerusalem. The same place where Jesus heals the blind man in John 9.

Jesus is saying have you considered that I’m extending grace and hope to the people of Jerusalem. They’re still walking around without repenting. If there was someone I needed to handle, it’d be them. Those people in Jerusalem are sinning.

But why is Jesus so adamant about repentance? Because repentance is the doorway to new life.

The hope of repentance lies in the One who stands waiting on the other side.

When anyone repents, as all are commanded by Jesus here and in the Gospel of Mark 1:15

Mark 1:15 HCSB

“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe in the good news!”

Repentance isn’t turning to something abstract. Jesus says turn and look at me! Believe in the Good News! For those who have never heard the Gospel, this is the moment in which new life in Christ is made possible by the decision to believe in the work of Jesus. For those that do know Him, is this a daily act of worship? that you begin with a heart felt turn to Jesus?

Why is there hope in repentance?

First, stop comparing our lives to others. We must tune our lives to the standard of perfection, not to the sound of others. Repentance is a total transformation of our mind, heart, and perspective. No one is capable of tuning their own life based on how they think it sounds. They must tune their life according to Jesus.

When we turn to Jesus, there is the promise of rest in Matthew 11:28. We hear so much about fixing yourself - self-help books, podcasts, motivation to change from our efforts. When we live our lives, they are sure to need tuning, maybe even a break. Repentance fundamentally changes our understanding of rest. It is not found in our decision, but in Christ.

Repentance refocuses the purpose of our relationships. When we repent, turn to Jesus daily, we learn to take Him everywhere we go and infuse Him into everything we do. Good News people continually share about Jesus and He becomes the centerpiece for their lives.

Who are you turning towards in order to tune your heart and mind?