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Luke Chapter 13 is the focus of our attention this week and in particular, verses 1-9. Please read them every day this week and, if possible, use a different translation each day, asking God to open your eyes to fresh revelation from His Word.
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Luke 13:1-5 (NIV)
‘Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. Jesus answered, “Do 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 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! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”’
“Why is there so much evil in the world?” I’m sure that you’ve heard this question a few times. Or when someone commits a particularly heinous crime, some people ask “Why does God allow people like that to live?”
Perhaps you’re able to recall the tragedy at Dunblane Primary School in 1996. One gunman in his mid-forties decided to walk into a school and start firing a number of firearms at innocent and defenceless children and staff. 16 children and 1 teacher were killed that morning before the shooter turned his gun on himself. It is the worst mass shooting ever to take place in the UK and prompted a massive debate on gun laws.
It also resulted in a string of interviews with prominent Christians who were asked to justify their belief in a God who could allow such terrible things. One by one, over a number of weeks, they were repeatedly asked tough questions in an attempt to bring dishonour on them and God. However, each one re-affirmed their faith publicly and ended up bringing a message of hope in the darkness.
We know from historical records that Pilate was a very cruel man. In our verse today, this particular gruesome event is likely to be one of several acts of cruelty and murder. Just to put this into some context, the Jews from Galilee had made their pilgrimage to Jerusalem in order to make their sacrifices to God. It seems that while they were offering their sacrifices, under the instruction of Pilate, soldiers killed many of them. The picture we have then is that the Galilean blood that was shed that day ‘mixed’ with that of the sacrifices.
Eye witnesses to that event were now telling the story to Jesus. The strange thing is that they weren’t actually making any reference to Pilate or to his obviously nefarious acts. His cruelty seemed to be of secondary importance to the story. The inference is that God was displeased with the Galileans and therefore deserved the ‘punishment’ inflicted on them.
Tomorrow, we’re looking at this in a little more detail, but I’ll leave you with this thought for today: God’s justice is perfect. We cannot and should not try to work out the details. As Christians we are called to trust in Him and to rely on His Righteousness.
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