When Disaster Strikes

Prayer

Our God, our father, our king, our judge

You are the one who sits in heaven reigning over all things. Lord Jesus, Your kingdom is forever and ever. In your kingdom, justice is perfect. In your kingdom, there is no respect of persons.

And we know that we were created to long for that perfect justice. As image bearers, our hearts and our souls cry out for the day when justice will run down like water as the prophet has foretold.

As we wait for that day, Father, fill us with your peace. May our anger be expressed in a way consistent with your nature, as our Lord Jesus did.

Restrain the lawless and the murderer and the reviler and the brawler. And father, may your kingdom come. May we always submit ourselves more and more to you. Govern us by your word and spirit, cast out wickedness in high places, restrain lawlessness, give justice to the oppressed, comfort to the bereaved, peace to the restless.

As we long for the appearing of our Lord Jesus, teach us to crucify our old nature. We know, dearest Lord, that we must cast off the old man and his deeds – and put on the new man. Forgive us. Search our hearts as the Psalmist teaches us to pray.

Search our hearts to uncover the ugliness there. Like a wise surgeon uncovering the cancer, so uncover our cancer so that we might be healed. Bring light into our darkness. Bring healing to our deadly wound. For the wound is deadly. There is no balm of healing, except for our Lord and King.

And we long for his coming – where he will come and cast all his and our enemies into everlasting fire, and take us with all his church into eternal glory, where justice, truth and mercy reign.

We are so used to justifying ourselves and condemning others. Teach us, instead, to judge with righteous judgment, where there is no respect of persons, no partiality, no bribery, no coverups – that we might be good children of our father in heaven, who does good to all men, with whom there is no partiality nor respect of persons.

Father we mourn for our communities, for our cities, for the brokenness of the world. Hatred and injustice are contrary to our creation and quickly become intolerable. Give us wisdom and humility as we seek the way forward. Tear down the walls of hatred and injustice and brutality and lawlessness and let righteousness and peace reign, without oppression, without entitlement, in humility and love. Give our leaders a spirit of justice and wisdom and courage.

This past week we saw failure after failure in the shepherds that you have placed over your people. In the church and in the state – the shepherds feed themselves while the sheep are slaughtered. Dear Shepherd, we are in trouble. Remember us for good. Deliver us from ruthless and wicked men

May the gospel flourish. May the true gospel of our Lord Jesus be proclaimed, believed, embraced. Tear down false prophets, tear down those who feed themselves rather than the sheep. Tear down those who seek to profit off the backs of those who are hurting.

May your word of peace flow down like water, cleansing our hearts from all evil.

Change us, and we will be changed. Convert us, and we will be converted. Give courage to the fearful. Strength to the weary. Faith to the doubting.

Give Hugo’s doctors steady hands on Tuesday and give success and healing. Provide for us. Give safety to those who are traveling.

And give us peace. Not a false peace of smiles covering a heart screaming in fear and pain; but true peace. Where there is true cleansing, true righteousness and justice, peace between you and us, us and them, us and creation – for we are your people, and you are our God.

We long for that day where the lion and the lamb lie down together, and the asp and the child play together. We long for that day when there is no hurt and no pain and no injustice and no brutality in all your holy mountain.

May that day break forth in this age, Father. Show us glimpses of that kingdom in our own hearts and in our lives. Give us peace. Restrain wickedness, wherever it appears. Cast down the evildoer, whoever they are. In our lives and in our deeds, may all that we do cry out that the Lord God Omnipotent reigns.

Guide my lips today. Bless the reading and preaching of your word. Soften our hearts, fill us with your Spirit. Forgive sins. Heal the brokenhearted. Relieve the fatherless and widow. And may our lives be filled with the fruit of your Spirit.

Amen.

Scripture

Luke 13:1–17 NKJV

1 There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2 And Jesus answered and said to them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? 3 I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. 4 Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.” 6 He also spoke this parable: “A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. 7 Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, ‘Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?’ 8 But he answered and said to him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. 9 And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it down.’ ” 10 Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. 11 And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up. 12 But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.” 13 And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. 14 But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath; and he said to the crowd, “There are six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath day.” 15 The Lord then answered him and said, “Hypocrite! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it? 16 So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound—think of it—for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?” 17 And when He said these things, all His adversaries were put to shame; and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by Him.

Sermon

There are three accounts here and they were put here in this order in order to show us the need for repentance and what it looks like.

Repentance

Usually, when we think of repentance, we think in terms of our natural religion - that somehow we have the strength to quit our sinning, straighten up our lives and make better choices and if we do, God will bless us. This is really a Pelagian view of repentance. Be sorry enough for your sins that you try harder and do more.

How many people have been crushed under the weight of this teaching? If this is what repentance means, then how can anyone be saved?

The bible is all the work of one author. When Jesus came into the world, the gospels tell us that his message was this “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Rather than import our own definitions of repentance, based upon American revivalism, we need to look at the word in the context of the bible.

Jesus came to the nation of Israel who had been steeped in the categories of Hebrew thought - which is given us in the Old Testament. To a Jew, repentance meant one thing.

Turn your back on everything that you put your trust in, and face God. You are going the wrong way.

A perfect example is this

Isaiah 55:1–7 NKJV

1 “Ho! Everyone who thirsts, Come to the waters; And you who have no money, Come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk Without money and without price. 2 Why do you spend money for what is not bread, And your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And let your soul delight itself in abundance. 3 Incline your ear, and come to Me. Hear, and your soul shall live; And I will make an everlasting covenant with you— The sure mercies of David. 4 Indeed I have given him as a witness to the people, A leader and commander for the people. 5 Surely you shall call a nation you do not know, And nations who do not know you shall run to you, Because of the Lord your God, And the Holy One of Israel; For He has glorified you.” 6 Seek the Lord while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near. 7 Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the Lord, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.

Look at the summary here:

You are thirsty, but you are heading the wrong way - spending your money for that which won’t quench your thirst.

Instead of continually hiding from God and running from God and building your own systems and plans to satisfy your deepest desires - REPENT.

That is, turn the other way. Come out of hiding and stand before God naked and helpless and without strength.

The way you are going is the way of death. Turn around and head back.

Hosea 14:1–3 NKJV

1 O Israel, return to the Lord your God, For you have stumbled because of your iniquity; 2 Take words with you, And return to the Lord. Say to Him, “Take away all iniquity; Receive us graciously, For we will offer the sacrifices of our lips. 3 Assyria shall not save us, We will not ride on horses, Nor will we say anymore to the work of our hands, ‘You are our gods.’ For in You the fatherless finds mercy.”

But we are committed to our systems. We don’t want to change. We don’t trust change.

Change is scary.

Children taken from chaotic and violent homes and placed in safe environments will often seek to create chaos and violence to feel safe again - because they feel safe in the environment that they are used to, even if they are not safe.

We do the same things when disaster strikes. We know that change needs to happen - we need better rulers. We need stronger towers - but that is where our pride smacks us in the face.

OTHER people need to change. I don’t need to change. My works might have some problems, but ultimately, I do pretty good things and try my hardest. I don’t need to change and head the other way.

Jesus says otherwise.

Context

There are two events that are mentioned, and both are lost to history. But we can surmise what happened based on what Jesus says. The text says that Jesus “answered” them. His response is based on the motive behind the news.

The event reported to Jesus was the murder of Galileans by Pilate. There is speculation that these were followers of an insurrectionist, but Jesus specifically tells us that they were not slain because of sin.

The scripture, on the other hand, says this:

Romans 13:2 NKJV

2 Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.

This is clearly NOT what happened here. Whatever the event, innocent people from Galilee were murdered by Pilate and his soldiers.

And here we are again talking about what they did wrong that brought this disaster on them - proving my point. This is exactly what Jesus is speaking about.

The other event that Jesus mentions is the collapse of a tower - most likely in Jerusalem near the pool of Siloam. This also is lost to history. But construction accidents are common everywhere.

But these two incidents highlight the pride of the flesh:

Galileans were not Judeans. Even among the Judeans, there were country Judeans and Judeans that lived in the city.

And among them all were sect after sect after sect, all of them with their expert ideas on everything that is wrong with the world. And what is wrong with the world is always somebody else.

Jesus is not intending to answer the question, “Why do bad things happen to people.” There are some answers in scripture, but there will never be enough to satisfy the restless heart.

Jesus is only answering the people that brought him the report of the Galileans. The reporters had apparently been doing what we all do whenever disaster strikes - whether it was overt, or whether it was in the heart.

Disaster strikes, and say in our hearts - if only the sinners would quit sinning, then we could fix this.

If only the Galileans would keep the laws like they are supposed to...

If only the inhabitants of Jerusalem weren’t a bunch of privileged, arrogant Karens, then maybe their towers wouldn’t fall down

We Galileans might not be the best expositors of scripture, but at least we know how to build towers that don’t fall down.

We city folk might not be the best farmers, but at least we know how to keep the sabbath.

We Sadducees might not be the best at interpreting scripture, but at least we know how to get along with Romans

If only…then...

THIS is the attitude that Jesus is addressing.

Our thoughts and prayers to the families of the victims, but remember that if it weren’t for the sinners, it wouldn’t have happened.

The come to Jesus to tell him the news. “Did you hear about the Galileans? You know what those people are like...

What if, instead, when we saw a disaster we responded by looking at ourselves and understanding that we are ALL actually in the same boat, and that boat is going down.

As long as we think that God is blessing us because our behavior and our choices and our culture and our country is just a little bit better than everyone else’s - as long as we think that, we have turned our back on Christ, and are heading the wrong way.

That path is leading over the cliff - death and destruction await, and the only solution is to turn around.

Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.

When disaster strikes, our true nature comes out. But the truth is this. You can trust in your choices, your works, your pedigree, your training, your upbringing, your tradition - OR

You can trust in Christ, the only begotten Son of God. But you can’t do both.

Good works

BUT - we say, we are Christians. We have the proper world and life view. We have the proper view of marriage. The proper view of sexuality. The proper view of - well, really everything.

And I would say “Yes. If those things are actually based upon scripture, than, yes.”

That isn’t the problem. The problem is when you start saying, “Because of these things, towers won’t fall on me, disaster won’t strike, I won’t be poor or sick because I’ve made the proper life choices.”

This ties the blessings of God onto MY good works - and that is where the problem lies. Following your good works is leading the wrong way - and it will end in damnation.

Jesus is not saying that all sins are the same. He isn’t denying the heinousness of some sins. He speaks, for example, of sins so dreadful that it would be better to have a millstone around your neck and be cast into the sea. He says some are beaten with few stripes, some with many stripes. That isn’t the point.

The point is the blessing of God. Do you think that you have a charmed and blessed life because you worked harder, made better choices, voted the right way, did everything right and so God owes you?

You have completely missed the point of good works.

Instead, Jesus said, when disaster strikes, look to your own heart. No matter how far you have come in your walk with God, this will be true:

“Without me,” Jesus said, “You can do nothing.”

A disaster should prompt us to remember to turn around daily, take up our crosses and follow Jesus. When we turn away from trust in our flesh and turn towards Jesus, then we will finally be in a position to reflect Jesus’ light and love in a sin-filled world.

And we say in our hearts - well other people might need to hear this, but not me. I know that there is nothing good in me, that Jesus and God’s grace are my only hope. We say it. And then when disaster strikes, that is when our true colors come out. Those people are stupid. They deserve it. It happens because those other people make bad decisions.

The world is going to pot because people don’t keep the sabbath. Because we keep tolerating these women. These sinners. These publicans. THEY are the ones destroying the blessing of God.

And Jesus says, WAIT. STOP. Look at your own heart. His point is NOT that the sinners and publicans are not sinners. His point is that you all will likewise perish if we keep following that path. All of us are headed to the same end apart from Christ - and we need him every day.

Even the holiest of men in this life make only a small beginning of the righteousness required in the law. How on earth then, can we possibly point at the others and say, “These people are why God isn’t blessing us.”

The fig tree

God is not interested in a fig tree that comes from a long line of very proud fig trees with very pretty leaves.

He wants FRUIT. And he is patient. He waters, He digs. And the fig tree says, “Boy I’m tall. I’m glad I’m not like thorn trees. Or briars. Or myrtles. I’m a proud fig tree.”

And God says, “Where’s the fruit?”

Has he considered that without fruit he has no more use than a thorn tree in God’s orchard.

There is only one who ever brought forth fruit. Jesus said, “I am the true vine. Abide in me and you will bring forth much fruit.”

In other words, “Repent, or you will also likewise perish.”

The difference between the drug addicted prostitute and the church going leader of the community without Christ? A thorn tree without fruit and a fig tree without fruit end up in the same place. And Jesus is so, so patient. Waiting, watering, gardening…and as long as we put our confidence in our own flesh, we will remain without fruit. The only way to bring forth the fruit that God requires is to abide in Christ. Turn away from trust in our own strength, and turn again towards Christ - Lord, have mercy on me a sinner.

The sins that we commit, even on our best days, even after we became Christians, are enough to condemn us forever, were we not covered continually by the righteousness of Christ and his daily intercession for us.

the infirm woman

Luke, like every great writer, doesn’t just tell us. He shows us what he is talking about with the next account.

A daughter of Abraham - an image-bearer of God - is dehumanized even lower than the beasts. You will help your beast out of a ditch, but you won’t lift your little finger to help this poor woman and get angry at those who do.

Why? Because if you don’t keep the sabbath, God will punish you.

If you touch an unclean woman, you won’t be blessed.

If you don’t keep the sabbath, God won’t bless you!

And thus we have the absurdity and the cruelty of every merit-based system.

When disaster strikes, find the scapegoat! It isn’t us, it is those others.

Hang the witches! Burn the protestants! String up the traitors!

When you are firmly committed to your path - that God punishes sinners and blesses the righteous - then you must always be on the lookout for sinners and make sure that they don’t block the blessings from the righteous ones.

A very relevant example:

Every year, in our national holidays, we will see plastered in homes and on social media a quote - it goes like this:

“Blessed is the nation whose God is Jehovah.”

And the idea is that our nation is God’s chosen nation and he has blessed us because we worshiped him.

Now, of course, the sinners have blocked that blessing and so we see disaster all around us.

It’s a great narrative for politics, just as it has always been. The problem is bad exegesis and bad history.

According to the Psalm that this quote is from, the nation is the one that God has chosen for a heritage - that is, Israel. But they rejected that heritage and rejected God, and so there was only one seed. Jesus Christ, the true Israel of God, and the ONLY ONE whose God is Jehovah, without any divided heart

All who are in him by faith are that “nation” that God has chosen - the true Israel of God. The application is the church, the bride of Christ, not any nation, not any country.

There has never been a country on this earth that has done enough to be blessed by God. Not one. And every attempt at trying to do enough to be blessed by God ends the same way

Sinners, sabbath breakers, women, gentiles, must be stopped to avoid God’s curse.

And we start viewing whole categories of people as less than human - The witches at Salem, lynchings, burnings at the stake in Europe, the ovens of the third Reich - the others, the sinners - people like this woman.

Stooped over, bound by Satan, unable to even stand up straight.

You would think that anyone would have had compassion on her. Instead, they had only contempt. It was people like her that caused God to curse us.

And look at how angry Jesus got with them. THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU ARE DOING!!!

She is an image-bearer of God who has been in bondage for 18 years. You treat your donkey and your cow better than you treat her! You thought that the blessing of God would come from proper Sabbath keeping, and you have no compassion, no mercy - it is the end result of what Jesus said in the first 7 verses. The tower fell down. Pilate murdered Galileans. Poor devils haven’t been keeping the Sabbath. thoughts and prayers to the families, but maybe they should do better.

How is it that whole communities could watch and rejoice as young women were burned alive?

How is it that whole communities could rejoice at the slaughter of children?

How is it that whole communities would gather and party at the gallows?

They thought that God’s blessing would come if they were good enough. Which means that when Romans murder and towers fall, you better go find the sinners and get rid of them.

Other options would be to gather together with likeminded righteous people and build a monastery, or change countries, or simply move to the woods. The problem is that you take your own heart with you.

I’ve heard my whole life about how an earthquake is going to come and San Francisco is going to fall into the ocean - because, you know, godless.

Do you realize that without Christ, the sins that you committed today and the sins of the most hardened atheist parading in a rainbow thong will end you in the same place?

The point is not that all sins are the same. The point is that if our good works bring about God’s blessing on our communities, then we are all in trouble. If earthquakes happen because some men are gay, then we are all in trouble - for which of us is holy enough to avoid the judgment of God? - if God was not merciful and patient?

We need to head the other way. We have to change, Jesus said. For when we continue to go the way we are going, we are headed for destruction. Turn around and stand before God.

“Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord.”

That means me, every single day. Every moment. My thoughts and my ways lead to destruction and if I am not willing to entertain change, even for a moment, they will end me up in damnation forever.

When disaster strikes, our gut response is to hire the PR firm to learn how to spin it, to ensure that nothing ever changes and business will go on as usual - especially for those who benefit from the system in place.

There is a lot of money and power and a false sense of security in keeping things just as they are.

But sanctification - God’s process of making us beautiful and fitting us for service - involves change. We have to change, or we will remain ugly. The way that we want to go is the way of ugliness and death. Don’t be afraid of change, it is the way to eternal life.

I’m not talking about change like the world talks about change.

Of course, a better architect might be necessary to build better towers. A better governor than Pilate would be a good thing to shoot for. Sound fiscal policy is good for a nation - but nations are a drop in the bucket. We serve a greater king and a greater kingdom.

So those changes only mirror the biggest change of all - the change from trusting in our own goodness and wisdom for God’s blessing - and turning to face Jesus , plead for mercy, and commit to follow him wherever he leads.

Even if we lose those things we hold dear.

Even if we have to change our minds about something and be embarrassed

Even if our families and friends mock us.

Even if we lose our livelihood

Yes. Change is really hard. But if we go the way we want to go naturally, we will die.

Turn around. Face Christ. Take your cross daily and follow him. That is the way to life.

And the fruits will show - justice, compassion, mercy, love, peace, joy...

Because there is a difference between working to ensure that God continues to bless you -

And understanding that nothing can take you from the love of Christ, and simply serving out of love for fellow image-bearers of God.

Jesus didn’t gain God’s love by having compassion on that woman. He already had God’s perfect love so he wasn’t afraid of the ruler of the synagogue. They would eventually crucify him, but he was deeply loved of the father, who would raise him from the dead, so he had no fear of man.

If we are in him, we are to have his mind also in us. Put off the fear of man and do justly, love mercy and walk humbly before God.

In other words, Repent, or you will likewise perish.