Readings: Exodus 3:1-8, 13-15; Psalm 103; 1 Corinthians 10:1-6, 10-12; Luke 13:1-9.
Grace and peace to you my dear brothers and sisters in the Lord.
In the Gospel reading, Luke reports that some people arrived and had a chat with Jesus about a recent calamity that was the breaking news at that time. Some Galilean-Jews were in the temple offering sacrifices. Pilate ordered the Roman soldiers to enter the temple and slaughter all of them and mingle their blood with their sacrifices, perhaps because of suspicion of rebellion.
The Galileans were known for their revolutionary zeal and resistance to Roman rule, while Pilate was known for his harsh and brutal governance.
Those who came to Jesus expected an explanation, yet they came with an understanding already – the understanding that these people must have suffered this calamity because of their grievous sins. It was based on the understanding that bad things happen to people because of some sort of sin, perhaps because they were not prayerful or holy enough.
The response of Jesus should be carefully studied.
He didn’t answer the question why it happened but He used the opportunity to challenge their common assumption that people suffer because of personal sins. He used the opportunity to teach deeper spiritual truth.
Jesus began His lesson by recalling another tragedy, this time, a natural disaster – the tower of Siloam in Jerusalem that fell on and killed eighteen people.
Siloam was an important site for water storage and ritual purification. These people must have gone to Siloam to be purified, not knowing what would befall them that day.
Jesus told His audience to focus on the message that God wanted them to learn from these events, to focus on what God was saying to them.
St. Paul tells us the same thing in the Second Reading, that what we read in the Scriptures and observe around us should serve as a warning and a lesson for us.
What is Jesus teaching us from His response?
•We may not understand why certain things happen but we must keep trusting in God’s Sovereign plan and ultimate justice.
•Disasters are not necessarily divine retribution. God’s ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9)
•Rather than judging others who are suffering, we are called to focus on our own spiritual state and respond to those suffering (even if it’s a consequence of their choice) with compassion and empathy, recognising our shared humanity and our own need for grace.
•Jesus teaches us to be aware of the unpredictability of life’s events. Life is uncertain and precarious and so we must always be spiritually prepared.
None of the people, who were victims of the two disasters stated in this Gospel, knew that day would be their last. Not many people who were victims of accidents, plane crashes, natural disasters, or people who were shot dead or died of heart failure, woke thinking that day would be their last, but it was. Life is short and no one should presume about tomorrow, hence we must always be prepared.
•When we hear news of tragedy or sudden death, our question should be, “What if it had been me? Would I have been ready to stand before God? Have I repented of my sins? Is my life in order?”
•The fact that something unpleasant happened to others and not us or that there is a scandal about others, doesn’t mean we are better than them. It is not an occasion to feel righteous or even to help spread the bad news about others. Instead, it is a warning and a call to self-examination, knowing that what happened to A, could have been me or could be me another time.
•There is natural and moral evil or tragedy. Jesus warns us that while we may not be able to do much about the two, we can avoid the worst and the ultimate tragedy. The worst evil is spiritual or eternal death – that is, the eternal separation from God.
We can avoid this by repentance, i.e. turning away from sin, turning towards God and being right with God.
The call to repentance is an invitation of love and compassion from God, who doesn’t want us to perish (1 Timothy 2:4).
When we are right with God, we are safe and we can face the future without fear, no matter what happens.
The Parable.
Jesus ends with a powerful parable that reminds us of these two practical lessons:
I. God cares for each of us and gives us all the means to bear fruit. He expects us to be fruit bearing branches.
What fruit does He expect from us?
God expects the fruits of repentance, faith, good deeds that reflect His nature and character. He expects us to participate in the mission of saving/winning souls for the kingdom.
II. God is patient with all of us. He gives us enough time to repent, to put our lives in order, to bear fruit, however, His patience is not indefinite. He will one day demand accountability and He will judge unfruitfulness and the waste of graces (2 Peter 3:9).
Prayer
Lord Jesus may I not glory in the misfortune of others. May I not miss the message you are teaching me through the things happening around me. May I not waste the time, graces and opportunities you afford me to repent and become better and so avoid the worst evil, which is, eternal damnation.
Sermon preached by Fr Emmanuel Baraka-Gukena Okami on March 23, 2025.