At our Wednesday Book of Faith, we listened to Jesus tell the stories about the Galileans who were killed by Pilate and the 18 people who were killed when the tower of Siloam fell. Jesus raises the question of whether they were worse sinners because they died. The story of the Galileans sounds so contemporary. The Romans were the occupying force in Judea. Pilate wanted to build a needed water system for Jerusalem. He used Temple money for the project. He didn't realize the offence he committed by using that money. There was a cultural lack of awareness which has been often repeated by occupying forces down to the present time. Pilate wanted to control the mob reaction and placed disguised troops in the crowd gathered at the Temple. Many in the crowd were Galilean. Unfortunately, things got out of hand and people died in the process. Again, this all has a very contemporary feel.
Jesus was not making a statement about the use of Temple funds, he did want to address the belief that we live in a just world where good things happen to good people, and bad things happen to bad people. God is the one who guarantees that the world is just. Of course, our experience tells us different, though we still cling to the idea of a just world. We can hear ourselves say when something bad happens, why is God doing this to me? What have I done to deserve this? The group realized that this was the cry of Job. In fact, the idea of innocent suffering was already being expressed in writings like Job. Jesus makes it clear that the world is not a just place. In fact, Jesus will push the idea even farther. Not only is there innocent suffering, but innocent suffering (the cross) can become a means of God's grace.
Jesus is also making the point that suffering or not suffering is not the sign of our need for repentance. The bottom line is that we all need to repent, whether there have been consequences for our sin or not. We all are separated from God. Jesus' call is for everyone to repent i.e. change direction. It's like watching someone driving toward a cliff. Jesus' heart is breaking as he cries our, "Repent, turn around". We all know that pain as we watch friends, even our own children, making poor choices and heading down roads that our dead ends at best or cliffs at worse. Our voices may be strident, but our fear and love is that great.
The said truth is that we do listen to the voice of Jesus. We need to repent, but we are unable to do so on our own. The good news is that God opens the door for us. That is the power of grace. In and through God's grace, my life can take a new direction. The cross is where I lay my pride (I can do it on my own) down. I am no better than those who died when the tower fell, but I have been saved through grace.
One final note, if there is innocent suffering where God is not the cause, what about the other end of the spectrum? What about miracles? Do we see the hand of God in the world making things happen? The answer from the group was "Yes". The only qualifier is that we do not control God's actions. Miracles are not a given because we ask for them. We are to live our lives open to the possibility of God acting. We live our lives with a sense of gratitude for all those surprising times when it happens. As we talked in the group about the saints that we have known, these characteristics of openness to God and Gratitude to God seem to be so much a part of their lives. Their witness is a powerful one for us.
Again, it was another great week. We invite you again to join the conversation.
Peace,
Pastor Summer
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