Making Sense of Sin and Suffering - Luke 13:1-9

Evil and Suffering

Bushfires

Floods

Volcanic Eruptions

Climate Change

Corrupt Leaders

Bankrupcy

Terrorism

Cancer

Coronavirus

Death

What do we make of all this horrible stuff we either witness, or experience first hand?

Do you ever find yourself throwing your hands up and just asking why? Why is this life so hard? So unfair? So painful?

The question of evil and suffering is in my view one of the most difficult topics to understand when we try and make sense of our faith and our world.

How can a good God allow so much pain and suffering?

A hard and deep question. And not just an academic one. We know through our own suffering, and through the suffering of our friends and neighbours the only too real pain caused in this world by natural disasters, by evil people, by sickness and death.

This is also a question that’s been around for a long time. Probably since Adam and Eve left the garden of Eden. And certainly throughout the OT we see people wrestling with this question of suffering and evil. One of the clearest examples being the book of Job.

Context

Well as we saw last week, Jesus has been teaching his disciples with a large crowd (Lk 12:1) gathered around them.

He’s encouraged them to not be like the Pharisees who he rebuked heavily in Lk 11.

Instead they need to get their hearts right. Trust God instead of man, or money. Plant their hearts in heaven.

And when his disciples do that it leads to a major reordering of life’s priorities. And we see that in the second half of Chapter 12.

Really a further working out of what life looks like trusting in God.

First instead of living in the moment, doing whatever feels good, Lk 12:35-48 is all about living life in a way that is ready for the return of Christ. Trusting in a better future!

With hearts planted in heaven instead of putting our families first, we put God first Lk 12:49-53. That’s how important this is. That’s the kind of trust we’re talking about. That even if it causes your family to disown you you keep trusting God.

Jesus and Suffering

Well in our reading today, people go to Jesus and ask for his view on evil and suffering.

Luke 13:1 NIV

1 Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices.

It seems so people from Galilee have been killed during a religious service perhaps and he’s added their blood to their sacrifices. Having the right sort of animal blood in your sacrifices was important. So this is a big deal. This is like a really bad way to die and have your body treated.

It’s likely that they believed that this bad thing that had happened to the Galileans because of their sin.

Fair enough… OT- sin leads to exile. Therefore when bad stuff happens it must be because of sin right?

People say this sort of stuff all the time.

What caused the bushfires?

The sin of ScoMo in not doing enough on climate change or the sin of Australia passing laws allowing abortion? Depends who you ask!

But Jesus says no no.

Luke 13:2–5 NIV

2 Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? 3 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. 4 Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”

Whatever our answer to our questions about evil and suffering, the answer is not because some people deserve it more than others.

Those who suffer terrible fates are not more guilty than anyone else. In fact, we all bare the same guilt.

Romans 3:23 NIV

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

If anything it’s a mircale, or a testimony to the grace and patience of God, that our lives aren’t worse.

Sadly Jesus doesn’t give us a text book answer to the big questions of how sin and suffering work.

Us and Suffering.

Get right with God.

Luke 13:3 NIV

3 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.

Luke 13:5 NIV

5 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”

The IVP New Testament Commentary Series: Luke Lessons for Israel (13:1–9)

More important than determining death’s cause or timing is dealing with the fact of death and subsequent judgment. This quickly levels the playing field and calls on each person to consider where God stands in the equation—or better, where one stands before him.

Prayer Book opening funeral prayer.

We face the certainty of our own death and judgement.

Yet Christians believe that those who die in Christ

share eternal life with him.

Therefore in faith and hope we turn to God,

who created and sustains us all.

God is being patient with us.

The second half of our reading:

Luke 13:6–9 NIV

6 Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. 7 So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’ 8 “ ‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. 9 If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’ ”

Judgment draws near unless there is a change. Unless repentance comes.

God is with us

If you’re feeling the effects of evil. Suffering in some particularly bad way. No this. Jesus gets it.

On the cross in agony he cries out:

Matthew 27:46 NIV

46 About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).

Jesus was literally separated from God by the sin of the whole world. He bore all the evil on his shoulders so that you and I never have to.

That’s why Paul can write:

Romans 8:31–39 NIV

31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

If you accept the gift. Jesus taking all the pain and suffering. Then God promises you abundant and unending love.

Jesus is offering you this gift today. If you haven’t ever taken the step of faith before, come and see me after church and we can talk more about what life looks like following Jesus.

As we look around at our world, it is full of horrible things. And as Jesus reminds us in our reading today,

Luke 13:5 NIV

5 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”

Don’t do that. Walk into the love of God instead.