Mind Your Own Business

Date: 11/13/22

Sermon Title: Mind Your Own Business

Context: Habakkuk 3:16-19

(Lk 15:1) Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices.

(Lk 15:2) Jesus answered, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way?

(Lk 15:3) I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.

(Lk 15:4) 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?

(Lk 15:5) I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.“

Preaching Note  

The first disaster mentioned in today's text took place in the temple in Jerusalem. Pilate, the Roman governor, slaughtered the Galileans who offered sacrifices in the temple in Jerusalem and mixed their blood with the sacrifices they offered at the temple in Jerusalem. (Section 1). Pilate was hostile toward the Galileans. Because the Galileans had strong resistance to Rome and Pilate. Pilate treated the Galileans as sacrifices. Some people told Jesus about this.

    At that time, the Jews believed that misfortune and tragedy came from sin. This ideology is, in particular, the causal ideology that dominated the Pharisees. The Pharisees felt that the sacrifice must have been a punishment for some particular sin.

    The Jews saw this as not a result of Pilate's moral evil, but as an event caused by the sins of those who were slain. The Galileans were slaughtered not because of Pilate, the perpetrator, but because of the sins of the Galileans who were killed.

   In fact, in the Bible, calamities sometimes appear as God's judgments on sin. “For those who hate me, I will punish not only myself but also my third and fourth generations for their sins.” (Exodus 20:5). Jesus' disciples also saw that sin was the cause of the fate of those who were born blind, so they said to Jesus: “Teacher, whose sin was this man born blind? Is this man's fault? Is it the parents’ fault?” (John 9:2). But Jesus said that the cause of calamity is not necessarily sinned. “It is not that this man has sinned, nor his parents have sinned. that the works of God may be revealed in him” (John 9:3).

    In verse 2, Jesus says that the cause of calamity is not necessarily sinned. “Do you think that these Galileans are more sinners than all the other Galileans because they have suffered this disgrace?” He says that those who suffer are sinners, and those who do not suffer are not righteous. Both those who have suffered disasters and those who have not suffered disasters are sinners. He says that the Galileans who were killed were not more sinful than the other Galileans.

   That's why Jesus tells us not to condemn or judge others recklessly but to do well with yourself. "Not like that. I tell you Unless you also repent, you will all perish” (verse 3). A desirable attitude in the face of disaster is not to condemn or judge the sins of others, but rather to look back on one's life and repent of one's sins first. In Matthew 7:1-2, Jesus said, “Judge not others, lest you be judged. With the same judgment you judge others, God will judge you.” Before I judge anyone else, I must first remove the beam from my eye. Let's not talk harshly about other people's lives. Wouldn't it make sense to feel compassion, especially for those who have suffered a disaster?

   The second disaster occurred at the Pool of Siloam. Siloam is the reservoir that supplies Jerusalem with water. The tower built to protect the drinking water source collapsed, killing 18 people. It can be viewed as a disaster caused by an accident. Some Jews attributed the calamity to the sins of 18 people. Jesus says that those 18 were not more sinful than all the others in Jerusalem (v. 4).

    Jesus emphasizes repentance because both those who suffered and those who did not suffer are sinners. "Not like that. I tell you Unless you also repent, you will all perish” (verse 5). Jesus emphasizes that it is not important to reveal the sins of others, but to repent of our own sins. Jesus dismisses the idea that unrighteous accidents or atrocities are God's judgments, especially on wicked sinners. We should not blame the people of Galilee or the workers of Siloam for the tragedy. Whether a person dies in a tragic accident or survives miraculously is not a measure of his righteousness. Then everyone must die. Let's not talk lightly about God's judgment. What belongs to God's realm is not a realm we can discuss. What cannot be said is that keeping silence is a proper posture before God.

Question

1. Who am I condemning in the face of disaster?

2. What do you think is the cause in front of the disaster I experienced?

3. What do I need to repent and turn to now?