"Mention of Pilate's Galilean massacre, and the disaster of the Siloam Tower, flows from the words of judgment which closed the last chapter. It was no doubt suggested that the victims of the two catastrophes were under some special judgment of God. Not so, Christ replies." (Blaicklock, Daily Devotional Bible Commentary)
"The cause of a person's death is not an indication of how that person lived. All people will die, but Jesus was saying that no one has to perish eternally. He warned the people not to make judgments about others' lives but to repent in order to avoid perishing in preference for eternal life." (Quest Study Bible)In my own personal reference, reading this passage comes on the heels of receiving an email from friends serving overseas in a hostile country. They wrote asking Eric's professional and personal opinion about whether to stay much longer where they are living under close and constant threat. (For those who don't know us, Eric's a psychologist and also works with cross-cultural workers.) Their children's school is guarded and often canceled or interrupted. They routinely hear bombs and gunshots.
Upon hearing the details of the email, my heart was torn. The "mom" in me understands the desire to leave while you can and no one is seriously harmed or emotionally scarred. But, another part of me knows God's kingdom work through this family over many years in this country and their feeling that it is their home. This is the point where judgments must be laid down and the middle-class American idea of safety has to be put away.
Unless you turn to God, you too will die. (13:3, 5)Just as the massacred Galileans or the eighteen crushed in Jerusalem, we all must die. Dying is not the point. How we die is also not the point - whether it's catastrophe, cancer, old age, or martyrdom. Jesus has not called me, as His follower, to live safely or to die comfortably. He's called me to repent and receive His eternal life, which really makes the manner of death of this body inconsequential.
I keep hearing C.S. Lewis' words, "He's not safe, but He's good."
And Jesus reminds me that my focus must be on Him - not on my fears, my desire for safety, my "barns" (as Cici wrote about yesterday).
Put your mind on your life with God. The way to life - to God! - is vigorous and requires your total attention. (13:24)
2 comments:
Wow...the mom in me also comes out when I hear that story. What a tough call!
This part of the passage also spoke to me:
A bystander said, "Master, will only a few be saved?" "Whether few or many is none of your business. Put your mind on your life with God. The way to life-to God!-is vigorous and requires your total attention. A lot of you are going to assume that you'll sit down to God's salvation banquet just because you've been hanging around the neighborhood all your lives. Well, one day you're going to be banging on the door, wanting to get in, but you'll find the door locked and the Master saying, 'Sorry, you're not on my guest list.' (Luke 13:23-25 MSG)
I believe God has given me a heart for evangelism, for wanting to spend time loving non-believers and desiring them to come to a knowledge of the gospel. But often, with this "gift" I question God. I think I know best. I say, "Lord, why would you not save this person?" or "Why hasn't this person come to faith yet, she's surrounded by Scripture, godly teaching and Christians who love her well."
But these words from Luke convicted me: whether a few or many will be saved is none of my business...but that I am to put my mind on my life with God. I want to love people well and be involved in sharing the gospel with others, but it's not up to me to save them. God has his perfect timing and I can release that control to him.
Additionally, I need to remember to keep my mind on my life with God and not assume because I am doing Christian things and surrounded by Christian activities...that I am okay (salvation wise, yet, but sin wise, no). I want to keep a constant check on my heart, confessing idols, confessing sin and doubt in who God is in my own life because without a reminder of my own need for the gospel...I am poorly effective for sharing the gospel with others.
Loved what you shared Staci. Dying is not the point. We'll all die but repenting and being saved from perishing is essential. I lingered over this Word for a while too just thinking of my friend who thought she trusted in Jesus but then I realized a few weeks later after we were studying more about Him that she started to mix her idea of God in her head with the God in the Bible and was picking and choosing what to believe.
In trying to teach her that Jesus is the only true God, that the whole Bible is true, that God can not change, that He is holy, I was realizing how God was growing my faith in realizing, "no. there's only one God and to this God we need to repent so that we will not perish." We can compare other gods and thoughts but nothing else will save us. We can compare ourselves to other people but that too will never save us. Only coming before Jesus and repenting of our sins and accepting His forgiveness, mercy, grace and love will save. It doesn't matter where we come from, cross cultural or not, different worlds, hard or easy lives, we all need to repent.
And also lingering on the thought that after we repent for salvation, how essential it is to continue to repent daily, moment by moment even, so that we can continue to see Jesus and His calling for us and how to live. Encouraged that THIS is the only way, the truth and the life and it's not safe, it's not a wide road life. It's narrow, scary, uncomfortable, lonely but so abundant because we are with Christ. Encouraged and stirred by a renewed sense of gratefulness for the cross, making a way for us to repent. I'll pray for that family today. Even though I don't live in a dangerous place like that, living in a place of persecution gives me that same sense of fear and confusion. Reminded to lay my life down, pick up my cross and follow Him today wherever He has called me now and tomorrow. :)
Amanda, love your thoughts, always an encouragement to me! Thanks for sharing :) Even though I'm not a mom yet, I hope to be some day! So I learn a lot from all of the moms on this blog :) Thanks sisters.
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