Responding to tragedy

The Church is in a time of great tragedy we are seeing people by the millions lose their source of income and on top of that they cannot find groceries and other life necessities. How are we to respond? There are a number of ways that we can respond and we have seen it already. There are those who post scripture as a weapon telling others how they are not following God and that this is the reason for the tragedy. Others are promoting their miracle healing from God to make money off of the tragedy, while others are simply sitting at home trying to protect themselves and not doing much outside of worrying about how they will take care of themselves. So how is it that we should respond to tragedy? What is the role of Christians in tragedy? What is God’s expectation of us? Today in Luke we will explore this question and how Jesus answered the people.

Why do tragedies happen?

Luke 13:1–5 ESV

There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And he answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”

In the passage of Scripture the very first thing Jesus is presented with is this horrible tragedy that has fallen on a group of people who Pilot had murdered. The first question these ones that were with Jesus asked was, why? Why did this happen to these people? Jesus immediately took to stop the question of why. As a matter of fact Jesus answered them by saying do you think you were better than these people? Well how about the group of 18 people that the tower of Siloam fell on? Do you think you were better than them? Jesus took their answer and put on display that there is often times not an answer that will satisfy us here on earth. Jesus rebutted the question with a statement. Have you ever tried to get an answer but asked the wrong question?

“The uncreative mind can spot wrong answers, but it takes a creative mind to spot wrong questions.”

~Sir Antony Jay

Jesus response to the group was that you are asking the wrong question. The question should not be why did this happen but what can we do because this happened? What should my reaction be?

We often times try to answer the why question and this is not our place to answer, the response from Christians should be a Soul check. Jesus responded to the group that unless they repented they would surely meet the same fate. During this time of desperation in our Country the questions for Christians and for the Church should not be Why but what? What should I do as a Christian in this time? What should we as a church do in these times? This is a 2 part answer and Jesus responded with the answers in Luke 13:3, 5

And this leads us to our next point

Tragedy leads to repentance

Luke 13:1–5 ESV

There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And he answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”

Jesus repeated himself twice in this passage of Scripture because of the importance of the subject. What should these Christians do in response to tragedy? They should repent. Notice Jesus did not say if these people would have repented they would have been saved. No, instead he said when you see things of this nature you should repent. Jesus said you need to have a soul check and ensure that you are in the proper place with the Father in your life. Notice in Verse 3 Jesus said “unless you repent you will likewise perish” then again in verse 5 he said, “unless you repent you will likewise perish”. This was so important that Jesus took the time to repeat himself. What has this Corona virus tragedy allowed you to evaluate? Have you noticed that people have slowed down? Neighbors are talking, families are eating dinner together. This has been a great time for us all to reflect on how we are relating to others. But have you taken the time to reflect on how we are relating to God? You see these events are supposed to bring us to a place of repentance of turning from our ways and turning back to God. This is not the time to point fingers and say they are worse sinners than me, no turn inward and reflect on how is your relationship with God? Does He hold the place of respect in your life? This idea of self reflection is to bring us back to a place of humbleness. Have you ever been driving down the road and see someone pulled over? Yes, we all have! What is the first thing you do? You adjust your speed and make sure you are doing every thing you are supposed to do. I have never once in my life pulled over and walked up to the officer and said, why did you pull this person over?

I always look immediately at my speedometer and I adjust my speed, why? Because I don’t know why that person got pulled over and it isn't my place to know or ask but it is my place to ensure that I am following the law. If I am pulled over it will not be because of the person in front of or beside me it will be because of me. This is exactly what Jesus is saying in this passage. Their tragedy should not find you pointing the finger but looking inward and making proper adjustments in your life and how you honor God. Jesus did not stop there though he took it a little further in Verses 6-9 because self evaluation is not the only part of the equation, the last part is action on the evaluation.

Tragedy leads to Fruitful followers

Jesus wastes no time in continuing his conversation with this group of people and he tells them a parable.

Luke 13:6–9 ESV

And he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. And he said to the vinedresser, ‘Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?’ And he answered him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure. Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’ ”

Jesus moved from reflection to Action and told the parable about the fig tree. In this passage we find that Jesus is telling this group that they must produce fruit in light of tragedy. What is the fruit that a Christian should exhibit? Turn with me to Galatians 5:22-23

Galatians 5:22–23 ESV

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Now lets look at Galatians 6:9

Galatians 6:9 ESV

And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

In these times we can magnify the name of Christ and we must use our good works to point to Christ. In times of tragedy we have a hope and a faith that surpasses understanding. Could you imagine what it looks like when we allow good works to flow out of us? When we evaluate our hearts and our actions and we put into action, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control others will notice and when they notice what does the Bible say should happen?

Matthew 5:16 ESV

In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

So we are in a place where we have an option. We can choose to be Christians and a Church that says, you need to repent because God is punishing you! or we can follow the will of Christ and say that we must all repent of the sins in our lives, re-evaluate where we are and make the necessary changes in our lives to allow the Fruits of the Spirit to be on display in our lives. Should we not evaluate our hearts and actions and make the adjustments to bear fruit in our lives the Bible is clear on what will happen

Luke 13:9 ESV

Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’ ”

I pray that as we continue to see this Coronavirus pandemic unfold that we will not be side tracked by the lack of groceries and that we will not be worried about whether we will be taken care of because we have Scripture that handles that for us

Matthew 6:25–34 ESV

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

We are called to put our Faith in Christ and to live lives with the understanding that He has our backs and our fruitfulness should be lived out towards others. So today, this week, take time to evaluate your relationship with Christ and ensure that your heart is right, but do not stop there a heart that is right is only half of the equation but to meet the expectation of Christ in our lives we must have a right heart and follow through with right actions. I pray for you that you will find comfort in God’s word and follow through with letting others see His love flow through you. Reach out to your neighbors, reach out to your loved ones, reach out to those who you have written out of your lives and make things right. Do not let this tragedy slip by without following through with the heart and actions that God desires from his children and His church.