Luke 13:1-9
Tragedy at the Tower of Siloam
1 Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. 2 Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? 3 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. 4 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? 5 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”
6 Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree, planted in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it, but did not find any. 7 So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I've been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’
8 “‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. 9 If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’”
Job 42:7-17
7 After the Lord had said these things to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “I am angry with you and your two friends, because you have not spoken the truth about me, as my servant Job has. 8 So now take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and sacrifice a burnt offering for yourselves. My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer and not deal with you according to your folly. You have not spoken the truth about me, as my servant Job has.” 9 So Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite did what the Lord told them; and the Lord accepted Job’s prayer.
10 After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before. 11 All his brothers and sisters and everyone who had known him before came and ate with him in his house. They comforted and consoled him over all the trouble the Lord had brought on him, and each one gave him a piece of silver and a gold ring.
12 The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the former part. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys. 13 And he also had seven sons and three daughters. 14 The first daughter he named Jemimah, the second Keziah and the third Keren-Happuch. 15 Nowhere in all the land were there found women as beautiful as Job’s daughters, and their father granted them an inheritance along with their brothers.
16 After this, Job lived a hundred and forty years; he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation. 17 And so Job died, an old man and full of years.
Romans 5:1-11
Peace and Hope
1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! 10 For if, while we were God’s enemies,we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! 11 Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
John 5:24
Words of Eternal Life
24 Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.
Some believe that the Book of Job is the oldest book in the Bible...And in Job's time, it was thought that tragedy was associated with sin...Job suffered, so suffering has been around for a very, very long time...People thought that God was involved in all things and that He was involved with any harm on the one or one's suffering from a tragedy...Job argued that He did not sin, and he questioned God on what was happening around him...Job's friends, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar argued that Job was suffering as a result of his sinfulness...When a tragedy came, they felt that the person or persons were themselves responsible for this personal tragedy and those things surrounding the tragedy...But Job does not believe what his friend's believe and that his sinning has brought the many tragedies on him...And he wants God to explain these things to him, with his many questions he asks God...
Many years later, Jesus seems to be arguing on Job's behalf, when He is ask about how Pilate has wronged some Galileans and had mixed their blood with sacrifices...Jesus speaks about and compares two different tragedies...Jesus talks about the eighteen Galileans who suffered when the tower in Siloam fell on them...This tragedy of the Siloam tower falling was an accident that happened...Pilate caused the other tragedy...Jesus asks those around Him, “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.”...
We learn from Jesus that the presence of tragedies does not exclude God...God tells Job's three friends they are the one's wrong...God is even angry with what Job's three friends have said about Him...God said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “I AM angry with you and your two friends, because you have not spoken the truth about Me, as My servant Job has...So now take seven bulls and seven rams and go to My servant Job and sacrifice a burnt offering for yourselves...My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer and not deal with you according to your folly...You have not spoken the truth about Me, as My servant Job has.”...So Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite did what the LORD told them; and the LORD accepted Job’s prayer...
Tragedies sometimes just happen...As Jesus explains about the evil Pilate and the random tragedy of the tower of Siloam, the problems of pain and the evil around us does not mean God is not near us...
Suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope...And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s LOVE has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us...And in these cases of suffering, it can be good for us if we learn that life is about Jesus and the eternities He teaches...The point of living is more about learning and believing the eternal teaches of Jesus than living a life of constant comfort...Whoever believes His Word has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life...