Monday - Luke 13: 1-35
Two Tragedies - Verses 1-5
A group of people came to Jesus with questions about to tragedies that had occurred. The first occurred at the hands of a Governor who wanted to silence the crowds and keep a revolt from happening. In an attempt to frighten the people into submission, the governor executed some Galileans and then had their blood mixed with religious sacrifice.
In the second tragedy, a building/tower accidentally collapsed, injuring and killing several people. This group of people wanted answers and explanations to make sense of these things. They asked probably the same questions we have when we witness tragedies today. They want to know why. They wanted to know where God was when this happened. It even appears that they might have suggested that one reason was because these people were sinful and God was punishing them.
Can Accidents happen just happen?
Does God act through natural and human tragedies as punishment for sin? (Me… I think not).
Jesus once again, does not take the bait. He does not try to explain why these events happened. It sounds like he was saying God does not make all events happen and some events seem to have a life of their own.
Jesus did go on to say, if people do not get their lives in order, they would be just as dead. How do you understand this teaching? Do you suppose he meant it literally?
How many times have we known someone or experience for ourselves how decisions we make end up shipwrecking our lives? Isn’t it in some ways just as dead as those victims of war or accident. Life is upside down in these times. Once decisions like this are made an irretrievable future whirls into motion. The future might find death in relationships, career, and even spiritual death.
Questions for reflection and comment: (I could not talk about all this passages, because there is so much, but these questions cover a lot of the other verses from chapter 13.)
What questions do you have about repentance?
What would you like for Jesus to clarify in his teaching about repentance?
The four parables, Luke 13: 6-9, 18-19,20-21, and 22-30
What is Jesus attempting to teach his disciples and us?
How much faith is enough?
Luke 13: 10-17 - The crippled woman
What is weighting down woman today in our society?
What is weighting you down?
As any eyewitness to this healing, why do you think the leader of the synagogue so angry?
Was it just because it was the Sabbath? Or something else?
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