Luke 13:1-5 (ESV)
There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And he answered them, “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 that 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.”
The problem of pain and suffering is a reality that we unfortunately have to deal with as humans. As long as we continue living, we will face illnesses, death of loved ones, relational brokenness, natural calamities, etc. How to process this problem of evil has been the biggest challenge for those freshly hit. Unfortunately, some people, faced with untold pain, have either left the faith or questioned the goodness of God. At this juncture, it would be important to mention that the issue of human suffering and pain is not one that can be lightly handled and the questions that proceed from the lips of those in the depths of it, cannot be easily wished away. It is here therefore that we should learn from the response of Jesus when the disciples pointed to Him a heinous act done by Pilate – the gruesome murder of some Galileans.
The first thing to note is that Jesus addresses the assumption that the disciples had – that those who had suffered thus had committed some sin that warranted that kind of suffering. He argues that it is not because they were worst sinners that this thing had happened to them. In fact, Jesus volunteered another instance of human suffering, this time because of natural calamity – the fall of the tower of Siloam on eighteen people. This assumption when it comes to pain and suffering is rife even in our days. When we suffer, we tend to think that it is because of some specific sin that we have committed. Granted, there are instances when we suffer because of certain specific sins, but these are the rarer cases. However, as Jesus would go on to show, all human suffering and pain is ultimately tied to sin, the original sin of Adam.
With this in mind, Jesus points the disciples to another greater reality of pain and suffering – eternal damnation. He does this by informing them that unless they repent, they too will suffer. In other words, unless people turn away from their sin and turn to God, there is a pain and a suffering that awaits which will cause the present suffering to look like child’s play. Jesus, in a sense, is helping us to better process our pain and that of the world. We are not to be bothered by questions of why these things happen but rather, we are to be reminded of the devastating effects of sin (singular) and the eventual consequence of sin – eternal separation from God. In Jesus’ own words, “Unless we repent, we will likewise perish.” This same Jesus suffered at the hands of that same Pilate and innocently died on the cross so that we may be spared from the eternal torments of hell. By His own pain and suffering, He has made our repentance possible and sure.
Reflections
1. How do you process the problem of evil in the world?
2. What responses to human pain and suffering have you had or heard from others?
3. How are you going to rethink your own suffering and that of others in view of today’s devotion?
