October 8, 2017 Luke 13:1-9 COJLBC Moving Beyond Why? by Mark Jarvinen There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2 And he answered them, Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? 3 No, I tell you; 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 offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? 5 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. 6 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. 7 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? 8 And he answered him, Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure. 9 Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down. (Luke 13:1-9 ESV) INTRODUCTION The recent mass shooting in Las Vegas has been verified as the deadliest in modern U.S. history. The 59 killed and over 500 more wounded and injured leave behind scores of devastated families and friends to pick up the pieces following this senseless act of violence. There are no words to describe the grief and anguish of those who are still suffering today, one week later. The hearts and prayers of a nation go out to those who have been impacted by this painful tragedy. Everyone from news commentators, to politicians, to the average people on the street are asking the question, Why? Who was Stephen Paddock? What about his family background and important relationships? His state of mind? His politics? His religious affiliation? According to a website I read, in the 130 similar, 1
non-gang related attacks in our country over the past 50 years, most have been perpetrated by much younger people, ranging in age from 29 to 40. Why would a wealthy, retired, 64 year old, who seemed caring and sane, commit such an atrocity? There seems to be more questions than answers when it comes to Mr. Paddock. We want answers to questions of motive. We want to ascribe institutional or legislative blame for the policies that weren t in place to prevent his murderous act. Add this event to the illness, abuse, broken relationships, betrayal, sorrow, injuries, disappointment, and heartache we all experience in everyday life and the question Why? becomes compounded and personalized for all of us. Why? Why me? Why someone else and not me? Why now? NOT A NEW QUESTION The Why? question, in the wake of suffering and tragedy, is not new; it goes back thousands of years. It was asked in the OT by Job and the writers of the Psalms. It has always been relevant, but especially so in more modern times. In the 20 th Century, for example, people endured two World Wars, the Holocaust, genocides in the Soviet Union and China, devastating famines in Africa, the killing fields of Cambodia, the AIDS epidemic, and the ethnic cleansings in Rwanda and Kosovo. The 21 st Century hasn t fared any better with 9/11, ISIS terrorism, and the Syrian slaughter of some 55,000 children over the course of their 6 year civil war. Obviously, we could cite many more incidents like this. These realities strike squarely at the very heart of our faith with the question: Why do all of these horrific things happen if there s a loving and powerful God holding the world in His hands? Several years ago, respected 2
author and apologist, Lee Strobel, commissioned a national survey to find out what would be the one question people would most like to ask of God. The number one response was: Why is there suffering in the world? (Strobel, online sermon, Why Does God Allow Tragedy and Suffering? ) OUR UNDERSTANDING IS LIMITED, BUT THERE S HOPE The truth is, there s gaps in our understanding. However, I like what the Apostle Paul writes in I Corinthians 13:12 (NLT) Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. Although we ll never understand everything about what happened in Las Vegas, or the other atrocities that have and will take place in the world, Scripture does aid us in understanding some things that lead us on the path toward hope. CAUSE AND EFFECT SUFFERING For example, Proverbs 26:27 says If a man digs a pit, he will fall into it. Here, suffering is regarded as the natural consequence of a person s careless actions. In other words, if one follows a destructive or careless pattern, he will one day suffer because of it. For example, a person who skis beyond a well-marked boundary, may well end up having to outrun an avalanche. A person who speeds on a rain-slicked highway, may well hydroplane and have an accident. A person whose staple diet is fried food and Twinkies may experience health related problems. We all understand suffering that results from cause and effect. Most can live with that. 3
WHAT ABOUT RANDOM SUFFERING? We get cause and effect suffering, but what about the suffering that seems random and senseless, not tied to a particular cause? When we suffer for no apparent reason, who is responsible? Jesus dealt with this question in the text read earlier from Luke 13. There, Jesus is asked about two current events in His day that had apparently prompted much public discussion. One was an act of political oppression in which some of Pilate s soldiers had slaughtered members of a Galilean religious minority; the other was a construction accident that had killed eighteen people. There is probably no closer parallel in the New Testament than this to describe the kind of suffering that bothers people the most. These first century Jews were asking Jesus about their equivalent to the Las Vegas Massacre. Jesus response in Luke 13 is brilliant! He doesn t fully answer the question foremost in their minds - the question of cause. occurred. He never explains, Here s why these two tragedies One thing He does make clear, however, is that these tragedies were not the result of any specific wrongdoing on the part of the victims. Jesus said: Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, no!. 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? I tell you, no! (Luke 13: 2-5a). The grieving family members of the religious minority killed by Pilate s soldiers didn t need to wonder if their loved ones had deserved their fate any more than others who may have died of natural causes that day. As far as the eighteen killed by the falling 4
tower, maybe it simply had been poorly built. Similarly, the almost 600 in Las Vegas, who were either wounded, injured, or killed were not being singled out for punishment by God. That said, we will all die someday. It is appointed unto man, once to die, and then the judgment (Hebrews 9:27). That s why Jesus uses the tragedies in Luke 13 to point to the eternal truth relevant to everyone - (i.e. Unless you repent, you too will all perish ). He then follows with a parable on God s mercy and His willingness to withhold judgment and grant opportunities for people to acknowledge their sin and be saved. In this passage, Jesus taught that life s tragedies, even though they bring sorrow and pain, can serve a redemptive purpose by reminding survivors that our time on earth is relatively brief and uncertain. Any one of us could be among the next victims of a falling tower or act of political terrorism. Catastrophes in life serve as a call to repentance, reminding us all of the importance of living in a right relationship with God, which is our preparation for eternity. TRAGEDIES SERVE A REDEMPTIVE PURPOSE The tragedies of Luke 13 served the purpose of God as a general reminder that something is wrong with the order of things on Planet Earth and that we need radical outside intervention, (i.e. God leading us to repentance and granting us the gift of faith and eternal life). But we run into problems when we insist that God is telling us something specific each time we hurt. Most of the time we shouldn t take pain and suffering personally. Pain and suffering are part and parcel of life on this planet and Christians are not exempt. In John 16:33 (AMP), Jesus said, In the world you will have tribulation and distress and suffering. The original sin of 5
Adam and Eve brought about a state of fallenness in mankind that has affected each subsequent generation and the natural order as a whole. Paul writes about this in Romans 8:20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. God s grand purpose is that the whole creation, fallen though it is, would be liberated from its bondage to decay and be brought into the glorious freedom that comes with knowing Christ personally. To the extent that we, or our loved ones, get caught in the crossfire of God s purpose and human suffering, we shouldn t be overly surprised or disillusioned. In commenting on the Luke 13 passage, author, Philip Yancey writes: People wanted to look backward to find out the `why behind human suffering. As humans we need to `make sense out of things. However, Jesus consistently points forward and answers a different question: `To what end? This is a simple summary of the Bible s approach to the issue of suffering. To the question `why? the Bible gives no definite answer. But it does hold out hope for the future, that even suffering can be `redeemed within the scope of God s Kingdom purposes as an opportunity to display God s gracious work in our lives. (Philip Yancey, Where Is God When it Hurts, Zondervan, 1990) British church leader, Galvin Reid tells about meeting a young man who had fallen down a flight of stairs as a baby and shattered his back. He had been in and out of hospitals his whole life - and yet he made the astounding comment that he thought God was fair. Reid asked him, How old are you? The boy said, Seventeen. 6
Reid then asked, How many years have you spent in hospitals? The boy said, Thirteen years. The pastor said with astonishment, And you think that is fair? And the boy replied: Well, God has all eternity to make it up to me. (Sermon Central) And the good news is that He will. God promises a time when there will be no more crying, no more tears, no more pain and suffering, when we will be reunited with God in perfect harmony, forever. Let the words of I Corinthians 2:9 sink in: No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him. CONCLUSION: Sometimes the why questions paralyze us. Is my suffering from God, Satan, my own stupidity, or the evil intentions of someone else? The Bible doesn t give us simple steps in determining the source of our suffering and adversity. We might pray and pray and still not be sure. Scripture does seem clear, however, in teaching us that far more important than pinpointing the source of our suffering is our response to it. It is most often at the point of our suffering that God is doing His deepest work in our lives. Are you having a problem? It is there that God is most likely at work to refine you and build your character. By faith and with a willingness to obey, we must by grace see beyond the sufferings of the present moment to what Paul speaks of in Romans 8:18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 7
Remember that these words were written by the Apostle Paul, one who suffered through beatings, stonings, shipwrecks, imprisonments, rejections, hunger, thirst, and homelessness far more pain than most of us will ever have to endure. My intention is not to minimize the pain, suffering, and sorrow of anyone, especially those impacted by the recent horrific event in Las Vegas. However, it helps to view tragedy from a big-picture perspective. As Lee Strobel says in his sermon on Why God Allows Tragedy, from which I quoted earlier: God s ultimate answer to suffering isn t an explanation; it s the incarnation. God isn t some distant, detached, and disinterested deity; He entered into our world and personally experienced our pain. Jesus is there in the lowest places of our lives. Are you broken? He was broken, like bread, for us. Are you despised? He was despised and rejected of men. Do you cry out that you can t take any more? He was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. Did someone betray you? He was sold out by his friend too. Are your most tender relationships broken? He knew what it meant to love and yet be rejected. Have people turned from you? They hid their faces from Jesus too. (Strobel, Ibid.) We do well to keep in mind that through the greatest tragedy in all of history, the death of Jesus Christ on the cross, God worked the greatest triumph - the salvation of mankind. If the murder of the perfect Son of God, a most heinous and unjust act, can be explained as the accomplishing of God s purpose for humanity, then there is hope that even our own sufferings will be understood one day in the larger light of God s purpose. Let s take comfort in this as we seek to move beyond the why? and see God at work in our lives each and every day to give us hope, especially in times of suffering and tragedy. A-men. 8
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