Jesus said] “I tell you, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish” (Lk 13:5).
They seem to be happening more and more every year: deadly tornadoes, earthquakes, hurricanes, and floods. When natural disasters like these hit, we’re left with a lot of questions. “How are we going to rebuild? How are we going to move on? Where can victims find help and relief?” And of course, the most common question is “Why?” “Why did this happen to us? Why did this happen to them; to such good and innocent people?” This last question we have a hard time with, because we don’t know why.
When disasters of any kind strike we want to know why. Whether it’s natural disasters, random and senseless acts violence, war, an unexpected medical diagnosis, a tragic accident, an unexpected death of a loved one; whatever form a disaster takes, we want to know why. We want to know what caused it. And we will ask this question until we find a satisfying answer.
In many cases, the immediate cause of a disaster is easily understood. Scientifically, we can explain why tornadoes, earthquakes and hurricanes happen. Medically, we can explain what causes some diseases and illnesses and their effects on our bodies. Politically, we can explain why countries go to war. But knowing this, knowing the base causes and effects never satisfies our “whys.” Try explaining to someone who just lost everything in a tornado that it’s the result of warm humid air rising and cool air falling inside thunderclouds. How do you think they’d respond? Knowing that science doesn’t help pick up the pieces. Knowing that science doesn’t bring comfort. Knowing that science doesn’t keep them from asking “why;” because what they really want to know, what we really want to know, is he purpose of it. “Why did it happen to me?” “Why did God allow this to happen to me?” “What did I do to deserve this?” That’s the question we want answered.
In the Gospel reading, some people in the crowd hinted at this question. They told Jesus about some Galilean Jews who were slaughtered by Pilate in the temple area. And if that wasn’t bad enough, their blood was mixed with the blood of their sacrifices. A truly awful thing. It’s possible that these people reported this tragic news because they wanted Jesus to speak out against Pilate and Rome. It’s also possible that they wanted to know why it happened. What did those Galileans do to deserve that kind of punishment from God?
That was a common belief at that time. Even Jesus’ disciples thought that way. Seeing a man born blind, they asked Jesus who sinned, his parents or the blind man (John 9:2). Obviously someone did something to deserve that hardship. And we still think this way today. We think tragedies are punishments for specific sins. A troubled life is a sign of God’s judgment on us. That person didn’t go to church, to God’s house, so God washed their house away in a flood. But this isn’t true. That’s not how God works.
When the crowd reported the news about those Galileans, Jesus didn’t speak about their specific sins. Instead, He spoke about all of our sin and the punishment of death that we all deserve. 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 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” (Lk 13:2-5).
Jesus' words are clear. The cause of tragedies, disasters, and death is sin. Sin is the “why.” That’s the cause and effect; not just for egregious sinners, but for all sinners; for you and for me. This is what we acknowledge together with faith in our corporate confession on Sunday mornings: We justly deserve God’s present and eternal punishment; without exception.
But notice what Jesus didn’t say. He never once gave any inclination that God was specifically punishing those Galileans for their specific sins. He never once gave any inclination that God was specifically punishing those who died when that tower fell for their specific sins. Those disasters weren’t God’s judgment on those specific individuals, but His judgment against all sinful mankind.
God doesn’t punish you as an individual because His Son suffered that punishment for you on the cross. When you suffer tragedy, it isn’t God’s wrath upon you, because that wrath was on Christ. On the cross, God the Father forsook His Son so that He’d never forsake you. Jesus suffered in your place. He drank the cup of wrath in your place. Truly innocent, deserving no punishment or death at all, He gave up His life for you, so that you’d be forgiven, so that you’d be clothed in His righteousness, so that you’d be declared innocent and receive everlasting life; life that endures all tragedy and disaster, life that overcomes death through His resurrection. Instead of punishment, you receive God’s grace. Instead of wrath, you receive God’s steadfast love. Instead of death, you receive everlasting life.
Knowing this with faith, trusting in Christ’s death and resurrection, our first response to any disaster is prayer. We pray.
We disasters happen we look to first responders. These people risk their lives in pursuit of saving others; and for that we should be ever grateful, thanking the Lord for them and for their work. But we all can’t be first responders, and because of that, many of us are left feeling helpless and useless. We think all we can do is donate to the cause, giving items and money. This is good, and we should continue to help in this way when we can. But we can’t forget that our first response is prayer. We pray for all those affected. We pray for the first responders. We pray that everyone’s immediate needs would be met. We pray that even in the midst of tragedy, people would know the comfort of God’s love in Christ.
But we also pray for ourselves. With faith we see disasters for what they truly are: God’s judgment not on individuals, but His judgment against sin, all sin, our sin. We see this and pray. We seek God’s grace and mercy. We pray for His forgiveness, His absolution that takes our sin and guilt away. We turn to the cross and find our certain hope of everlasting life in Christ.
Disasters and tragedies seem to be happening more and more, but the truth is they’ve been happing ever since our Fall into sin. Because of our disobedience, God’s goodly ordered creation was thrown into chaos, and we’ve been suffering ever since. Sin is the “why.” Knowing this doesn’t make disasters any less painful or difficult. It’s still hard living in the aftermath. But with faith in Christ; our first response is prayer. We pray for help. We pray for deliverance. We pray for forgiveness. And with Christ’s forgiveness, with the promise of everlasting life, we endure. We pray and we endure by the grace of God, because our salvation is secure in Him. In His name…Amen.
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