God's Warning

We live in an age when we are able to watch disasters around the world as they unfold. We can be appalled at the pain they cause and may pray to God to relieve the suffering of those involved. Yet we are timid to ask what part God may play in this process. The people of Jesus' day were less hesitant than us. They knew that God was big enough to protect his own name. Disasters were often seen as part of God's punishment. The New Testament makes use of this understanding, linking some of the disasters that befell the Hebrew people in their journey through the wilderness with God's punishment 1 Cor 10:1-5. Jesus himself is faced with a similar situation when questioned about Pilate's massacre of some of Jesus's fellow Galileans Lk 13:1-5. He does not take God out of the equation, and even mentions a 'natural' disaster concerning people being killed when a tower collapsed. Jesus contradicts the assumption that those who were killed, suffered this fate because they were particularly bad people. However he does warn those listening (and us as well) of the reality of God's judgment, and of our need to repent if we are to avoid suffering the consequences of our sins.