Sunday, November 13
Repent or perish
Scripture: Esther 4-6, Psalm 131, Luke 13
Luke 13:1–5 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.”
Observation
Jesus’ response to the news that Pilate had slaughtered Galilean pilgrims offering sacrifice was not to memorialize them as martyrs or heroes, but to teach that all of us are sinners who will perish if we don’t repent. He used a second current event, a tower collapsing and killing 18, to teach the same thing.
This is Jesus saying what Paul said in Romans: all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (3:23) and the wages of sin is death (6:23). We are sinners who will perish…unless we repent.
To repent is to turn from our sin to God. It is not a one time event, but a lifestyle of humility, honesty, and willingness to change.
Application
When we begin to follow Jesus, we repent: we acknowledge our sin and our need for God and turn to Jesus, change and begin to follow. But repentance is a lifestyle of constant adjustment, correcting back to Jesus. We wander—the hymn says, “prone to wander, Lord, I feel it; prone to leave the God I love.” So true. Hence, we keep repenting, turning back to God. Following Jesus is a life of repentance, constant change, growth and newness.
The business mantra is “Change or die!” But that’s really true personally as well. It is easy not only to wander, but to get set in our ways. Jesus keeps us nimble. Every day is an adventure of following Jesus which requires constant adjustment. It’s not really a focus on our sin, but a focus on Jesus that keeps us turning, changing.
Today, I want to be quick to repent, to turn, adjust to Jesus and change.
Prayer: Lord, I can be proud and stubborn. Help me instead to be humble and pliable, quick to turn and change and adjust to You. Lead me and I’ll follow.