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Our news feeds are constantly filled with reports of death and destruction, whether caused by accidents, natural disasters, or inhumane acts of terror committed by individuals, gangs, organizations, or governments. No city, nation, or part of the world is exempt. We can trace the existence of tragedy all the way back to the murder of Abel at the hand of his brother Cain, and follow its heinous path through history to the present day.
The time of Roman rule when Jesus walked the earth was no exception. Though Scripture does not provide details, it does tell us that Pontius Pilate, the governing prefect of the region, ordered the killing of some Galileans as they were offering sacrifices in the Temple in Jerusalem.(1)
An incident recorded in Jewish history, just before Jesus began His ministry, may offer some context for Pilate’s action. Pilate had decided to build an aqueduct from the Pools of Solomon to the city of Jerusalem. In order to finance the project, he demanded money from the temple treasury. Outraged that funds dedicated to God would be used for such a purpose, the Jewish people sent a delegation to Pilate to demand the money back. In response, Pilate sent soldiers disguised as common people into the crowd, and at his signal, they killed those who had come to demand the money. Whatever the specific cause, Pilate used his power in tragic ways to keep the people of Israel in line as subjects of Rome, with these Galileans being his latest victims.
Jesus also spoke of another incident where eighteen people died when a tower in Siloam collapsed. These two incidents led the crowd to ask Jesus what these victims had done to deserve such a fate. In other words, they were asking, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” Why does tragedy occur under the hand of a cruel ruler, or through accidents? Were these people worse sinners? Was God meting out His punishment on them?
There are three factors at play in the crowd’s question to Jesus. First, it’s important to note that the religious leaders were looking for ways to trap Jesus. What better way than to have Him make a disparaging remark about the Roman prefect? Such a comment would quickly be reported back to Pilate, potentially leading to harsh repercussions for Jesus.
The second factor is that the people’s view of God the Father had been grossly distorted by a religious system focused on rules and laws. God had been reduced to a deity who demanded obedience and dispensed punishment when it wasn’t given. This distorted view was modeled before their eyes by religious leaders who lacked compassion and holiness, instead imposing their own version of cruel punishment and judgement. Sadly, this distorted view of God persists today among too many.
The third factor stems from the second: if the people saw God primarily as a judge who dispensed divine punishment, then it made sense for them to assume that that those who suffered must be “worse sinners.”
Their belief was that human tragedy—whether through violence or natural disaster or even disease—was divine punishment. Anyone who experienced such tragedy was assumed to be guilty of some great sin and therefore deserved the wrath of a vengeful God. This is the same reasoning that Job’s “friends” used against him, and it’s a mindset that still exists today, along with the false belief that God is uncaring or indifferent to human suffering.
Jesus turned their questions and misconceptions into an opportunity to call for their repentance. He emphasized that the real tragedy wasn’t physical death, regardless of the cause, but rather eternal separation from God due to sin. Jesus warned them that unless they repented of their sins and turned to God for forgiveness, they too would perish eternally. The question wasn’t, “Why did these people die?” but rather, “What must you do to have eternal life?”
To illustrate His point, Jesus told the parable of a barren fig tree. The gardener in the parable asked that the barren tree be given more time, hoping it would bear fruit, reminding us that the Father is gracious and patient with us. He has made the way for each of us to repent, follow Him, and bear fruit.(2) Though He has every right to judge us for our sins now, in His mercy, He gives us time to repent and follow Him. However, we cannot presume upon His kindness and long-suffering, because one day, the day of judgment will come. Not one of us knows when our last day on this side of eternity will be, but one day it will come.
Jesus didn’t provide a conclusion to the parable. Did the tree bear fruit? Was it spared or cut down? We have no way to know about the tree. But we can answer that question for our own lives.
In a world where disasters and tragedies seem constant, it can be overwhelming to hear the constant flow of those news reports. But the reality is, unless Jesus returns first, the probability of each of us dying is certain. The greatest tragedy would be if, when that day comes, we have not repented of our sins and received the free gift of eternal life through Jesus.
That’s the question each of us must answer. If you haven’t yet repented of your sin, turned to Christ for forgiveness, and placed your faith and trust in Him, you can do so right now. And if you have, remember that many others still need to hear the Good News. As the gardener in Jesus’ parable said to the owner, “If we get figs next year, fine. If not, then you can cut it down.” Let’s not allow our family members, neighbors, co-workers, or anyone else who hasn’t yet heard the Good News of Jesus to be cut down. Because that would be the greater tragedy!
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You can read about this teaching from Jesus in the thirteenth chapter of the Gospel of Luke.
This post is taken from chapter 51 of my book, Walking With The Master. For more information about the book, click here.
(1) Luke 13:1-9 (NLT)
About this time Jesus was informed that Pilate had murdered some people from Galilee as they were offering sacrifices at the Temple. “Do you think those Galileans were worse sinners than all the other people from Galilee?” Jesus asked. “Is that why they suffered? Not at all! And you will perish, too, unless you repent of your sins and turn to God. And what about the eighteen people who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them? Were they the worst sinners in Jerusalem? No, and I tell you again that unless you repent, you will perish, too.” Then Jesus told this story: “A man planted a fig tree in his garden and came again and again to see if there was any fruit on it, but he was always disappointed. Finally, he said to his gardener, ‘I’ve waited three years, and there hasn’t been a single fig! Cut it down. It’s just taking up space in the garden.’ “The gardener answered, ‘Sir, give it one more chance. Leave it another year, and I’ll give it special attention and plenty of fertilizer. If we get figs next year, fine. If not, then you can cut it down.’”
(2) Matthew 3:7-10
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