Lent 3 (2)

At that time there were some present who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. 2He answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered these things? 3I tell you, no. But unless you repent, you will all perish too. 4Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think that they were worse sinners than all the people living in Jerusalem? 5I tell you, no. But unless you repent, you will all perish too.”

6He told them this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard. He came looking for fruit on it, but he did not find any. 7So he said to the gardener, ‘Look, for three years now I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and I have found none. Cut it down. Why even let it use up the soil?’ 8But the gardener replied to him, ‘Sir, leave it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put fertilizer on it. 9If it produces fruit next year, fine. But if not, then cut it down.’”

Is God Sending You a Message?

What is our reaction when something bad happens to someone?

We may see no connection between what happened and what the person is doing or their moral character.

We may think that they got what they deserved.

We may think that such a thing would never happen to us because we aren’t that bad.

In this section of Scripture, Jesus teaches about a message that may be being sent to us by God when bad things happen. He does not say this is always the message but he does teach that we can learn from such life events whether they happen directly to us or we are aware of such events.

First of all, bad things happen to people.

Bad things from history.

The Black Death in Europe killed 1/3 of the population over a period of a century.

Mt. Vesuvius erupted in Italy and destroyed Pompeii immediately.

The Titanic sinks and over 1000 on board die in the cold waters of the North Atlantic

Over six million Jews are exterminated during the Holocaust.

Bad things from biblical history.

Abel is murdered by his own brother (the suspect list was rather short!)

The Israelites are enslaved by the Egyptians.

The whole world is flooded and only eight people survive.

Jesus is falsely accused and put to death by crucifixion.

Bad things from current events.

Blizzards that have reeked havoc in Nebraska last week. (All but ignored by the national media initially because Nebraska is considered a “fly over” state.)

BAGHDAD — The Latest on a ferry that sank in northern Iraq near Mosul, killing dozens of people (all times local):

9:30 p.m.

An Iraqi health official says the death toll from a ferry disaster in the Tigris River near Mosul has climbed to 83.

(Find several very recent examples)

The ferry, said to have been overloaded, capsized with more than one hundred people on it, many of them women and children who had been celebrating the Kurdish new year and Mother’s Day. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to give official statements.

The accident was the worst in recent memory, and the death toll was expected to rise.

Iraqi TV said a court in Mosul detained nine workers operating the ferry and issued an arrest warrant for the owner of the tourist island where it was headed.

Bad things from our own lives.

Blizzards that have reeked havoc in Nebraska last week. (All but ignored by the national media because Nebraska is considered a “fly over” state.

Bad things from our own lives.

Injury from an accidental fall.

Family member is seriously ill or died unexpectedly.

Financial loss.

Devastating fire.

Shed collapses.

Broken relationships.

“We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of heaven.”

This is nothing new. The book of Job deals exclusively with the topic of how bad things happen to good people and offers some insight as to how people react and God’s answer.

Bad things happened to good people at the time of Jesus two. We have two of them recorded here. It seems as though the people who were reporting the news were being rather smug in their report as if to say, “Those people really had it coming. But I am exempt because we are not such bad people.”

At that time there were some present who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. 2He answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered these things? 3I tell you, no. But unless you repent, you will all perish too.

The people bring up the first current event. Some Galileans had revolted against the Romans and were put down. It even happened in a place that was considered to be a “safe zone”. They had it coming because they weren’t obeying the government as if to say, “We submit so nothing like that would ever happen to us.” Jesus recognizes their smugness and confronts it with a call to repent. He then adds a similar current event to reinforce his statement.

4Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think that they were worse sinners than all the people living in Jerusalem? 5I tell you, no. But unless you repent, you will all perish too.”

Jesus’ answer is rather chilling. He asks a rhetorical question, “Do you think they were worse sinners?” The answer is “No”. We are all equally guilty and in danger of having bad things happen to us as a result of our sins. The writer to the Hebrews puts it this way:

Hebrews 12:4–13 NIV

4 In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5 And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says, “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, 6 because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.” 7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? 8 If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. 9 Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! 10 They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. 12 Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. 13 “Make level paths for your feet,” so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.

Many years later a saying was created which reminds us to be humble when others suffer calamity and realize that we are not exempt.

“There go I but by the grace of God.”

Etymology[edit]

Allegedly from a mid-sixteenth-century statement by John Bradford, "There but for the grace of God, goes John Bradford", in reference to a group of prisoners being led to execution.

A paraphrase from the Bible, , which states, "Last of all, as to one born abnormally, he appeared to me. For I am the least of the apostles, not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am...".

Proverb[edit]

there but for the grace of God go I

A recognition that others' misfortune could be one's own, if it weren't for the blessing of the Divine, or for one's luck.Humankind's fate is in God's hands.More generally, our fate is not entirely in our own hands.

Usage notes[edit]

This proverb is an expression of humility; in using it, a speaker acknowledges that outside factors (such as God's grace, or his upbringing) have played a role in her/his success in life.The adverbial phrase is often set off with commas: "There, but for the grace of God, go I."Used also to express that one cannot judge others for their flaws for we are all equally flawed.

Jesus uses a parable to illustrate the importance of repentance and the patience of God who give us time (and discipline) to lead to repent. (Explain)

What is the message?

God has great expectations for us. (NIV)

1 Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin. 2 As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. 3 For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. 4 They are surprised that you do not join them in their reckless, wild living, and they heap abuse on you. 5 But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. 6 For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so that they might be judged according to human standards in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit. 7 The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. 8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. 11 If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

What warning is there for those who sin?

Time will run out. Our responsibility before that is to repent (change our ways and look to God for forgiveness throughJesus.) God does give us a “stay of execution” — time to repent but we are not to delay in repenting. If we do not repent, we will perish.

Hebrews 10:26–31 NIV

26 If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, 27 but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. 28 Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified them, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge his people.” 31 It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

What will you do?

What will you do? (NIV)

19 Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.

The Bible is not teaching that every time a bad thing happens that it is necessarily a direct message from God to repent. This was the wrong assumption in the book of Job. But Jesus does clearly teach that at times it is a message from God to repent. He warns of what will happen if we don’t and promises the good that will happen if we do.