There is the story told of a meeting that took place in hell. Satan asked his demons what they were doing to advance his cause and to harm the Kingdom of God. The first demon stood up and said, "I am telling people everywhere that there is no God." Satan replied, "That is good, but everyone knows deep down that there has to be a God of some kind." The second demon in hell said, "I am telling them that there is no afterlife." Satan replied, "I am sure that is affecting some people, but most individuals know that physical death is not the end." Finally, a third demon stood up and said, "My strategy is a little different Satan. I am telling people that there is a God and that there is an afterlife, but I am also telling them that there is always tomorrow." At this, all the demons in hell erupted in joy!
This is the lie that many of us have bought into still today. There is always tomorrow. I will get my life right tomorrow. Whenever I graduate High School I will get my life right. Then we say, whenever I get out of college I will get my spiritual life in order. Then we decide, whenever I finally get married, I will then get my life in order. Our next excuse it to wait until we have kids to get right with God, then it is to wait until the kids are out of the house. Then when the kids are out of the house, we decide to wait until we retire to get right with God. And then, out of nowhere and unexpectedly, we die without getting right with God.
Our relationship with God is not something that we should put off. It is urgent that we repent and that is exactly what the passage of Scripture before us is about. It is urgent for 2 primary reasons that we see in Luke 13:1-9.
Hear the Word of God.
There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2 And he answered them, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? 3 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. 4 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? 5 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish."
6 And he told this parable: "A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. 7 And he said to the vinedresser, 'Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?' 8 And he answered him, 'Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure. 9 Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.'" Luke 13:1-9
There are two main reasons that we should urgently repent.
First, our life will end. There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. Pilate's rule was marked by briberies and robberies and frequent executions without trials. Apparently Pilate sends his soldiers to slaughter some Galileans for some reason. These soldiers slaughtered a number of Galilean Jews who had come down to offer sacrifices. There is only one place in Israel where you could offer sacrifice and that is the temple. This very likely this is the Passover. These Galileans are worshipping! They are doing what the OT says and Pilate had them killed in the middle of their act of worship.
Jesus asks those who brought him this report, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? 3 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish." Just by the way that Jesus addresses these issues at hand, you can tell that the Jewish people had a distorted view of tragedy, pain, and tribulation. Their view was that, if one suffered tragedy or trial then they were obviously worse sinners than those around them. These guys whom Pilate killed in the act of worship must have sinned against God. This was undoubtedly the judgment of God. Their theology was, if calamity falls, it is a good indication that God is judging you. We see this illustrated in the account of John 9:1-2. The Bible records, "As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 And his disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" They assumed if you were born disabled, then it was due to something you did. If you were born healthy, it was due to how holy you were.
Jesus continues his discourse: 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?
Just because the tower fell and you had just left with your water doesn't mean you're more righteous than the ones who were crushed and it doesn’t mean that they were any less righteous than those who escaped. Just because your plane landed and somebody's crashed doesn't mean you're any better than them. Just because things are going well with you does not mean that God is pleased with you. Just because things are falling apart with you does not mean that God is displeased with you.
The fact of the matter is, we are all sinners and we will all die. We all deserve to die. We are so sinful that disasters should not shock us as though something unwarranted were coming upon innocent human beings. There are no innocent human beings. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23). There is none righteous, no not one (Romans 3:10). What should amaze us is not that some are taken in calamity, but that anyone, including us is spared and given another day to repent. The real question is not, what kind of God would allow such tragedy, but what kind of God would let us live. We're all living on borrowed time and it's time we don't deserve. We should all be dead and in hell and if you haven't recognized that about yourself yet, you need to repent.
Jesus goes on to say, "No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish." Jesus looks at the very people who had, in their heart, judged the Galileans killed by Pilate and the people the tower fell on and tells them, unless you repent you will all likewise perish. What does he mean? It is obvious that we cant' all die just like the Galileans who were murdered. We aren't all going to die just like those on whom the tower of Siloam fell. Likewise must mean something else. It can't just mean die, since that is going to happen to those who repent too. So what does he mean? Your end will be unexpected. You will be unprepared. Unless you repent you will all in an unexpected manner and with unprepared hearts perish. Dying without repentance is the true calamity. The real calamity is not that you were killed in the temple or that the tower fell on you or that you died by any other means. The real calamity is that if you don't repent, when death comes you will perish. And since none of us know when death will come, it is urgent that we repent now. The first reason that repentance is urgent is because, our life will end. The second reason we should repent now is that God's longsuffering will end, but we will save that for next time.
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