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O Beware of Judgment Day!
Scripture:
Scripture:
INTRODUCTION :
Have you ever planted a lilac bush?
I did once.
I love the smell of lilacs so I planted one in my yard in Nampa.
I was so eager for it to grow and bloom.
However, I found out that you have to wait about 5 years for one to begin to bloom.
Mine did eventually begin to bloom my fourth or fifth summer in Nampa, but unfortunately I moved shortly after that.
When I got to Pennsylvania, I knew what I was facing so I planted a more mature lilac I had purchased at a nursery.
I placed it right outside a window where I used to sit and read.
I looked forward to the day when I would have that window open and could smell the lovely scent of lilac as I read.
This lilac grew much taller than the one I had in Nampa and the leaves burst out all over it.
I was so hopeful, but after three years nothing had developed but beautiful leaves.
So the next year I read up and did all the nutrient and fertilizer recommendations for lilacs and waited expectantly for the next spring, only to be disappointed once again.
A year or two later, I finally decided to take it out and replace it with something different.
In this passage, Jesus tells a similar story sharing the same frustration and the same result.
However, He is talking about something far worse than the removal of a plant.
Bow your heads with me as we pray before jumping into this passage.
In this passage, Jesus tells a similar story sharing the same frustration and the same result.
Pray
At the time of Jesus, the Jewish culture was permeated with the idea that all disasters were a sign of God’s displeasure due to sin.
When you look at their history, this is understandable.
These were part of living by the law.
There were blessings pronounced for adhering to the law and curses described when they did not.
They even had a day where they had one group stand upon one hill shouting out the blessings, while a second group called across the cursings in an antiphonal fashion.
However, not all disasters are caused by sin from an individual.
Our cosmos (earth) is suffering the effects of sin also.
These also cause disease and natural disasters that effect all living creatures upon this earth.
Even today, people often associate bad events with God’s judgment.
For example, after Hurricane Katrina, religious leaders declared that the sins of New Orleans were the reason for such destruction.
It was declared an “immoral city,” and they claimed that God caused the hurricane in order to spark a revival in the area.
After the mass shooting in Las Vegas, people were quick to point out many of the same issues, declaring that lawlessness was an example of God’s second coming and the ways people were being judged for sin.
Apparently this response to both natural and human-created disaster is nothing new, since the text in Luke today points to two different events in which it seems people were looking to find the sins of the people.
The first, Galileans who had been killed at Pilate’s hand.
The second, eighteen who died when a tower fell on them.
In today’s text, Jesus comes up against this notion once again.
Jesus has been talking with His disciples and a large group of people that have gathered to hear Him teach.
Jesus has been talking about God’s judgement when someone brings up a disaster that has recently taken place and they are seeing this as a response from God for sin.
Apparently this response to both natural and human-created disaster is nothing new, since the text in Luke today points to two different events in which it seems people were looking to find the sins of the people.
The first, Galileans who had been killed at Pilate’s hand.
The second, eighteen who died when a tower fell on them.
The way Jesus talks about them seems to imply that others were talking about them, discussing them, probably in much the same way we discuss these issues today.
Are these catastrophes due to sin the in the lives of the victims?
Why would God allow such suffering to take place?
For example, after Hurricane Katrina, religious leaders declared that the sins of New Orleans were the reason for such destruction.
It was declared an “immoral city,” and they claimed that God caused the hurricane in order to spark a revival in the area.
These are not new questions, and while some of us move into the realm of the wrath of God with surety, Jesus’s response is different.
He declares with authority that it is not the fault of the victims and that they are not being punished for their sins.
He then turns the question around.
The question of calamity then becomes less about the victims and more about ourselves.
Catastrophe happens, but we are the ones who are called to repentance.
We are the ones who are called to be prepared in case of disaster.
We are the ones who are called to bear fruit.
After the mass shooting in Las Vegas, people were quick to point out many of the same issues, declaring that lawlessness was an example of God’s second coming and the ways people were being judged for sin.
Were these acts of God’s judgment?
Some would say “yes,” while others would say “no.”
I say, let us get Jesus perspective on it.
In our passage today, just such an incident has recently occurred.
Some Galileans were struck down at the order of Pilate as they were making sacrifices in the temple.
Jesus has been teaching about God’s judgment so some within the crowd bring up this incident to Jesus asking if this is a case of God’s judgment?
Jesus response is one that is of great value to us today.
So let us look carefully at this passage and learn Jesus response to...
2 MARCH 24, 2019THIRD SUNDAY IN LENT
(BODY)
Copyright © 2018 The Foundry Publishing.
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are not being punished for their sins.
He then turns the question around.
The question of calamity then becomes less about the victims and more about ourselves.
Catastrophe happens, but we are the ones who are called to repentance.
We are the ones who are called to be prepared in case of disaster.
We are the ones who are called to bear fruit.
BODY
1.
When Disaster Happens
a.
Our text references two great disasters.
i.
The first is the Galileans killed at the hands of Pilate.
1.
We don’t know much about this event because it isn’t recorded in secular history.
It is possibly Judas Gauionites mentioned in .
The slaying of Judas and his followers took place while they were in Jerusalem making their sacrifices.
Pilate ordered their slaying even though these were people under Herod’s jurisdiction.
Some believe this was the cause of the falling out between Herod and Pilate spoken of at the time of Jesus trial.
However, the truth is that this was not an isolated incident.
Such destruction of people was not uncommon in these days of history.
2. We do know that Pilate was a Roman ruler placed in charge over Jerusalem to keep the peace at the center of Jewish worship.
Pilate was known to be a ruthless man.
He was never above having people slain for various reasons.
3. We also know that Jesus was a Galilean, so this news would be something he was probably familiar with at the time.
4. We also know that Jesus was a Galilean, so this news would be something he was probably familiar with at the time.
Those around him would expect Him to know of this incident and have an opinion on it.
Some believe the ones bringing it up were doing so in order to set a trap for Jesus.
If Jesus sided with the Romans, the Jewish people would revolt against Jesus.
If Jesus sided with the Jews, they would have cause to report to Rome that Jesus was an insurrectionist.
However, in reading the text, there is no reason to think it was anything but an innocent question asked much like we might in the wake of any recent disaster.
4. We also know that Jesus was a Galilean, so this news would be something he was probably familiar with at the time.
In response, Jesus cites a disaster of a different nature.
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