“There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answered and said to them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, no; 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 sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.” – Luke 13:1-5 NKJV
Jesus had something to say about the tragedies of His times. One incident He responds to seems to be describing a murderous event orchestrated by Pontius Pilate against some Galileans; the other a horrific accident that took place in Jerusalem. The context of Luke’s record in the text above clearly portrays the mistaken notion of those who came to report to Jesus the events of the times. They clearly thought that these things happened to these individuals because they were worse sinners than others. Jesus clearly rejected their premise. He uses the tragic events as an opportunity to warn us all concerning our sin and invite us to repent.
When tragic events happen people seek understanding. Inevitably they also seek to assign blame, posturing that none of these things would have happened if only the responsible parties had done their job. With the tragic events that unfolded in Uvalde this past week, we can already see this happening. I have often wondered about the strife that might have taken place between Adam and Eve when Cain killed Abel. Adam and Eve were experienced at the blame game. Confronted by God for their sin in the garden they sought to place blame on another party. Eve blamed the serpent, Adam blamed God and Eve. It wouldn’t be outside of sinful character if they pointed at each other as the guilty party in the death of their son Abel. Cain was solely responsible for the death of Abel. He broke the commandment: “Thou shalt not kill.” The shooter in Uvalde is solely responsible for the deaths of those whom he attacked. He broke the commandment: “Thou shalt not kill.”
Jesus took the opportunity in the midst of tragedy to remind His hearers that day that a greater judgment is coming. In the midst of tragedy God reminds us that we are all subject to death and in need of repentance. Christ’s stern message is not hard-hearted or uncaring. It leads us to the healing balm of the Gospel. Repentance and remission of sins are to be preached in the name of Jesus. Our hope for those who died that day in Uvalde is the hope for everyone who dies every day under any circumstance in this world. We hope that they believed in the Lord Jesus Christ and that they have been received into the loving arms of the waiting Savior. Every day the time grows shorter for us all. The need is more imperative to share the love of Jesus our Savior who knows a thing or two about death. He died for us on Calvary’s cross. He rose again that death might be defeated. Death has no power over Him. He is the Author of Life.
We live in a culture of death. From the moment we are conceived we are on a march to the cemetery. The devil continues to seek to destroy God’s creation. Evil will remain in this world until Christ comes again. And, unfortunately, in the public realm people have in many ways embraced evil calling it good while at the same time calling good evil. For decades now our country has embraced evolutionary theory in education. Evolutionary theory ultimately teaches survival of the fittest, the service of self. Is it any wonder that taking from the neighbor, killing the neighbor, enslaving the neighbor, abusing the neighbor, or doing whatever pleases the desires of the individual reigns in our society? It is a natural outgrowth of what generations have been taught in government schools.
Without both the moral structure of Holy Scripture and the teaching of its Truth, all manner of abominations come forth. We agree with Luther who remarked over 500 years ago: “I am much afraid that schools will prove to be the great gates of hell unless they diligently labor in explaining the Holy Scriptures, engraving them in the hearts of youth. I advise no one to place his child where the Scriptures do not reign paramount. Every institution in which men are not increasingly occupied with the Word of God must be corrupt.” God and His Word have been pushed aside as a matter of policy in our society. Apart from God and His Word evil rules.
It is good that we try to love God by serving our neighbor and teach our children to do the same. This we are called to do. “ We should fear and love God that we may not hurt nor harm our neighbor in His body, but help and befriend him in every bodily need.” (Luther on the 5th Commandment)
Much discussion will ensue in coming days and weeks about what we can do better as a society to keep our children safe. It is not wrong to have these discussions and try our best prayerfully to do what we can to serve our neighbor. Here at Grace we have been presently discussing what we can do to make our facility safer both for our school children and for our times of worship. We feel it is our duty to do so as we seek to love and care for our neighbor. We see already the emotional nature of these discussions in the public square. Nothing else can be expected. We are not in control of life and death, and we live in a culture of death.
As these discussions take place in the public square, for me, it will be hard to take seriously the advice and speechifying of those who pour out sympathies for the lives of little children lost in this tragedy who at the same time are advocating vociferously for aborting babies in the wombs of their mothers. The hypocrisy of their public position lays bare the evil of their hearts. It is also foolhardy for some to think that the legislation of man’s actions and security can thwart completely the forces of evil. Leaders will try to do their best. However, our battle is not with flesh and blood, we fight against “principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”
As Christians may our lips ever echo the prayer that Jesus taught us, “deliver us from evil” that God would hear and “let His holy angel be with us that the wicked foe may have no power over us.” Lord have mercy! Christ have mercy! Lord have mercy!
Pastor Jacobs