English Sermon

"A point of turning back" Luke 13: 1-5

 

Let us pray.

 

God our Father who continues to speak to us, please tell us through the Bible. From today's Bible story, please guide us under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  I also ask you to guide us through the English-translated sermon also.  I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen

 

Today's story is about a horrific news which some people reported to Jesus.  It was that Pilate mixed Galilean blood into their sacrifice.  Pilate was dispatched from Rome as the governor.  He is the person who gave permission to crucify Jesus.  It was reported that he mixed the blood of the Galileans he killed in the blood of the sacrificial blood ritual in the Jewish temple.  This story only appears in the New Testament. I think that Pilate would have done this cruel act, given the wrongdoing he had done.

 

Even now today we hear these cruel stories.  Things do not change, just like in the past.

 

Jesus heard this news and replied, "Do you think those Galileans suffered because they were more sinful than other Galileans?"

 

Just like now, the people thought when bad things happen it is due to some punishment or a curse.

Jesus continued and said.

 

“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.” (Verses 3-5)

 

We don't know why the tower collapsed, but 18 people died under the tower. The cruel act by Pilate earlier is an incident. The collapse of this Siloam tower is an accident. The collapse of the tower is not recorded in other history books, we do not know whether it was a man-made disaster or a natural disaster.  But for whatever reasons, precious lives were lost.

 

Even now just like in the past, we encounter accidents and incidents like car accidents and so on.

 

Today, I would like to point out two things from this passage.

 

1) It's not a punishment or a curse.  2) A point of turning back.

 

1) It's not a punishment or a curse

When you get in an accident, you often ask, "What did I do wrong?"  You think it's a punishment or a curse.  From the conversation of Jesus, we can see that some of the people who told Jesus about the news of the Galileans also believed that their sins were the root cause.  Jesus told them that it is wrong to think that they were more sinful.

 

There is a story in the bible where Jesus clearly tells his disciples that it is not punishment or a curse when you encounter an accident or an incident.  It is written in the New Testament from John 9: 1.

 

When Jesus was walking down the street with his disciples, they came across a blind person.

The disciples asked, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

Jesus said, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.”

 

This answer surprised the people at that time.  It was not the sin or the curse of the person.  It was viewed from the positive side of God.

 

We are prone and to think as a punishment or a curse.  Some say it is the bad spirit and say how much is needed to get rid of it.  There are always bad people who take advantage of our weakness and we have to be careful. 

 

2) A point of turning back.

I would like you to pay attention to the words "sinful" and "repent."

 

Jesus says that "sinners" will perish in the same way if they do not repent.  What kind of person is a "sinful person"?  We generally think that something immoral or to be a nuisance to be caught by the police.

Bible refers sin as a way of departing from God. 

 

It is a person who ignores God or acknowledges the existence but interprets and acts in a way which is convenient for him.   This is like in a bowling game you strike out but the pins are not in your lane.  You are bowling in the wrong lane.

 

On the other hand what does it mean to repent?

 

There is a similar word, regret.  This word is used when something goes wrong or you make a mistake.

It usually means not to make the same error again in the future. Some people regret having done something and that remains forever.

 

In the bible to repent is different.  It means "those who have been separated from God will return to God."

It means that one who was strayed away from God and lived without being aware of His existence starts to live with Him, the creator.  Jesus said, "If you do not repent, you will all perish in the same way."

 

The 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake brought us many hardships, but at the same time it brought love, friendship, bond, and prayers.  These keywords were used in many places.  These were not noticed before.

The same was true during the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake.  Such great earthquakes brought awareness to our hearts.

 

The same is true of the coronavirus pandemic.  We learned the limit of human power and realized that there are things that cannot be solved by our efforts.  We learned the importance of helping each other.  Most important we realized our existence and the desire for God.

 

We are informed that there are things that will not go your way.  Human arrogance will be shattered. Jesus knows that we were living in sin and hopes that we to return to God, otherwise we will perish.

 

Let us pray.

 

 

God the Father of Jesus Christ, please guide us so that we will live with you and give up the way we want to live.  Please let us know that there is true happiness. I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen