“Do you think they’re worse sinners?”

Luke 13:1-5

Pastor Tom Johnson, March 3, 2013

Jesus was teaching the crowds when someone breaks the news. Galileans who had traveled to Jerusalem to offer blood animal sacrifices were killed by Pontius Pilate. In a sick and tragic irony, human blood was spilled on the altar in the Temple. One could only imagine how the news was received by Jesus and his disciples, many of whom are also from Galilee. Pilate shows contempt for Galileans and their worship. And in a grotesque move of incalculable cruelty, he mingled the blood of humans with the blood of animals in the Temple in Jerusalem. Like many tragedies that we hear about—or experience ourselves—we often have more questions than answers. And the unanswered questions seem to grow along with the pain, doubt, and empathy for those who suffer.

But when Jesus hears the news, he hears someting else. Perhaps it was in the way they tell the news. Maybe it is their poor choice of words. It might be the result of Jesus knowing the thoughts and intentions of their hearts. “Do you think,” Jesus asks, “because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans?” In other words, do you think that this was an act of God’s judgment for their sin—and that they simply were getting what they had coming to them—and that God used Pilate carry out his dirty work? Do you think that the universe is governed by merciless karma—where human suffering can be easily explained by mere cause and effect? Do you think that we can so easily escape sharing the pain and grief of others by writing it off as their getting their just deserts? No, there is no justice in the news of their shedding their blood. There is only injustice. Their blood cries out to God just as loudly as Abel’s blood cried out—after his brother Cain cut him down in the field. And God hears their cry.

“Or those eighteen” Jesus continues, “who were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them—do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others living in Jerusalem.” In other words, do you think that this was also an act of God’s judgment for their sin—that they had what was coming to them—and that God used poor engineering to kill his own people? Do you think that God painted targets on these 18 people and was just waiting for his opportunity to crush them with tens of thousands of pounds of stone? Do you think that God spends his time plotting people’s death? Do you think that we can likewise dismiss any human being as collateral damage? No, the people who died were not greater sinners. They weren’t worse offenders. They were ordinary sinners. They were unexceptional offenders. They are just like you and me—people who sin and cause offense—pilgrims who need forgiveness.

Jesus’ question reveals how we sometimes worship a false god—not the true and living God. God is not vengeful, angry, and a killer. God is not the author of evil. He is not the God of confusion. Scripture tells us that God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked, Scripture so clearly says. “God is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love.” “No,” Jesus says, “I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did.” I’ll be honest with you. That statement—repeated twice by Jesus—really made this sermon much more difficult to prepare. Many commentators and study Bibles simply pretend that Jesus did not just say that. But the more I think about it, the more genius Jesus’ response seems to be.

Let me explain:

By the word “repent,” Jesus is calling them to change their thinking. He is telling them that by such thinking, they are going in the wrong direction. Perhaps this is similar to when Jesus says, “Do not judge, lest you be judged.” If we live our lives with such a distorted view of God and of the world around us, then we will live and die in our own twisted fantasy. Unless we repent—unless we hold every thought captive to the Word of God—we will see ourselves as pawns in some perverted game. And so we ought not to exegete events in our lives or other people’s lives. We ought to be careful at what we lay at the door of the Lord. We should not be so bold and presumptuous as to explain why things happen the way they do. Thanks be to God that we don’t need to interpret our own suffering as God’s judgment or punishment. We can be free from such hideous thoughts that only add insult to injury. No, God is with us. He heard the cry of Abel in the field. He heard the cry of the Israelites in slavery. And he hears our cries.

It is interesting that Jesus does not even attempt to answer why these terrible things happen. He offers no easy explanation for such human tragedy. Nor does he scold us for asking questions like why God allows violence to happen. Nor does he reprimand us for being disgusted by seemily random, deadly events. Nor does he offer answers to why God allows them to happen. Deuteronomy 29:29 says, “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the revealed things belong to us and to our children forever, to observe all the words of this law.”

Ironically, it will be Jesus, another Galilean whose blood will be spilled by that same Pontius Pilate. And it will be Jesus whose body will be enveloped—not in the rubble of the Tower of Siloam—but in a stone tomb. And it won’t be because he is a worse sinner. In fact, he is no sinner at all. It will be because he is our Savior. And through his selfless act, God reveals his love for us.

We are forgiven. We are his beloved children. “And precious in his sight is the death of his holy ones” (Psalm 116:15).