The Storms of Life

Luke 13:1-5 “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."

The heart-breaking events of this week remind us of how very fragile life truly is! Over 300 people died this week in an outbreak of tornados that devastated cities and towns from Texas to the Carolinas. It is impossible to understand the level of grief felt by those who lost loved ones, friends, and property on a massive scale.

One of the towns where at least ten people were killed and massive damage occurred was Ringgold, Georgia, where I pastored my first Church and where Pat Pajak was our Music and Youth Director. The Cherokee Valley area, where the church was located, was very heavily damaged by the storm.

In the passage in Luke’s Gospel, Jesus uses two very well-known tragedies to make a solemn point. First, He uses a famous crime where Pontius Pilate had ordered the murder of a group of Galileans who were holding a worship service and he ordered that their blood be mixed with the blood that they were offering on the altar. The second illustration is that of a famous accident where a tower fell on eighteen people killing them. The Tower of Siloam was likely the tower by that name that was part of the Temple wall.

From these awful events, Jesus teaches them (and us) three very important lessons:

First, you do not have to be an evil person for bad things to happen to you. Second, it is wrong to assume that someone is being punished by God when bad things happen to them. Third, we dare not think that we are exempt from the tragedies of life because we know and love the Lord!

Each of these were very common mistakes in Jesus’ day, and they remain so in our day! It is not unusual to hear someone opine about the “judgment of God” or some similar terminology to attempt to explain that which cannot be explained.

Anyone can become a victim of a crime whether that crime is perpetrated against them by an individual or by a government. Anyone can become the victim of an accident. The point is simple. “Prepare to meet your God.” (Amos 4:12) Since we do not when the Lord may return, or when we may go to Him; it is wise to live in constant readiness to stand before Him.

The only way to be ready is to repent of your sins and accept Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord. Repentance is the missing link to saving faith and the absence of genuine repentance is why so many who think they know the Lord because they have done something like praying a prayer or being baptized (or whatever religious thing they did) are still lost in their sins.

Beloved, if you want to be sure you are ready to meet God, be sure that you have truly repented of your sins!

Please be in prayer for the families of those people who have been killed in these awful storms. Pray for those who lost much and those who have lost all. Pray for those who are assisting them, and pray for those who a attempting to minister the gospel to them. Pray that the Lord will bring many to saving faith through these tragic circumstances.

If you would like to give toward the relief efforts, let me know and I can tell you the most efficient way to get the help to those who need it.

Application: Since no one is exempt from the tragedies of life, we must live our life in such a way that we and our families are ready for whatever may come our way.

Prayer: Father, bless these dear hurting people. Bless those who are ministering to them in Your Name. Teach us what You would have us to learn and use our resources to bless them. Amen.