Fallen Tower
March 7, 2010
Luke 13:1-5
Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. 2 Jesus answered, gDo you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? 3 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. 4 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? 5 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.h
Earthquakes. Tsunami. Murder. Violence. Injustice. Sudden accidents. Natural disasters and man-made disasters.
People want to know why disasters happen. The weatherman explains the low pressure areas that cause a typhoon. Some professor explains on television about how tsunami can cross vast areas of ocean. Some psychologist explains why some person went crazy and started killing people. Some preachers explain that the natural disaster was the punishment of God upon the sin of the people killed in the disaster.
At the time of Jesus, there was a tower in Jerusalem that collapsed and killed 18 people. In a case similar to police brutality, Pilate had killed some pilgrims from Galilee on their way to the temple to worship. It seems that some people thought that these tragedies were the punishment of God on evil people. But Jesus denies that connection. Jesus said, gDo you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. Or those 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! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.h
In other words: there is no one who is not a sinner, there is no one who is not guilty. If the disaster was punishment for sin, then everyone in the city of Jerusalem should have died. If natural disaster were really gacts of Godh to punish sinners, then the whole would be destroyed. In other words: Do not ask why Chili was hit by a magnitude 8.8 earthquake on Sunday morning (Feb. 28, 2010). Rather, ask why Okinawa had only a magnitude 6.9 earthquake on Saturday morning (Feb.27, 2010) that caused virtually no damage at all. (The difference in energy of M.8.8 is about One Thousand times that of M.6.9.) Donft ask why Chili is suffering, ask why we are not. They are not worse sinners than we are; they are not more guilty than Okinawa.
The tsunami warning should remind us of the great flood at the time of Noah. God decided to destroy the sin of the world and all the sinners of the world. But we also see the love and mercy of God. God saved eight people on the ark. After the flood God put the rainbow in the sky as a sign of his promise not to destroy the world again by a flood because of sin. But like the tsunami warning, Jesus gave us a warning also. gBut unless you repent, you too will all perish.h And Jesus was not warning about falling towers, he was warning about falling into hell.
Just because a person believes in God does not mean that they will be spared from disaster. Accepting Jesus as your savior does not automatically mean that you will enjoy a long, rich, happy life. I know many good Christians who have suffered greatly. They had not committed some great sin. Their faith was not weak. I know Christian families that have suffered or have been torn apart by divorce, death and disease. It was not their fault. God was not punishing them.
God was not punishing them because Jesus had already taken upon himself the punishment of their sin. Jesus suffered the injustice and violence when he took upon himself the sin of the world and died in our place. The earth shook when Jesus died. That earthquake sent out a divine tsunami of baptismal water that splashes over us and purifies us.
Jesus said, gBut unless you repent, you too will all perish.h Repentance is reflection; it is thinking about your faith and thinking about the love of God in Christ. In this time of repentance and reflection, the Holy Spirit leads us to know that Godfs promises are greater than any disasters. We reflect on Psalm 23. gThe Lord is my Shepherd. c. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for you are with me.h Even if we are victims, God is with us. Even if there is an earthquake and we are crushed and killed by a falling building, God is with us. No matter what, God is with us. He is with us when we are born. In all the good times and in all the bad times he is with us. And at the hour of our death, he is with us. And so, we do not perish. We live in the everlasting love of Jesus.
Amen.
Michael Nearhood, Pastor
Okinawa Lutheran Church