37 lines
		
	
	
	
		
			1.8 KiB
		
	
	
	
		
			Markdown
		
	
	
	
	
	
		
		
			
		
	
	
			37 lines
		
	
	
	
		
			1.8 KiB
		
	
	
	
		
			Markdown
		
	
	
	
	
	
|  | +++ | |||
|  | title = "Luke 13:1–9" | |||
|  | date = "2022-12-22" | |||
|  | +++ | |||
|  | 
 | |||
|  | ### [Read the passage.](https://biblia.com/bible/esv/Lk13.1-9)
 | |||
|  | 
 | |||
|  | Pilate was the governor of Judea at the time of Jesus's ministry, and he had a | |||
|  | reputation for cruelty as he attempted to keep the fractious Jews under Roman | |||
|  | rule. This report that he mixed some Galileans' blood with that of their | |||
|  | sacrifices indicates that they were killed while worshipping at the temple. | |||
|  | Jesus tells the people that this doesn't mean that these Galileans were | |||
|  | particularly bad sinners, because popular opinion would say that God would | |||
|  | protect the righteous, especially while giving an offering to Him. Jesus | |||
|  | doesn't give an opinion on whether these men were guilty of sedition against | |||
|  | the Roman government or merely resisting an unjust arrest, but He does assert | |||
|  | that they were sinners who deserved death just like everyone else. Therefore, | |||
|  | He calls for His listeners to repent of their own sins or they will end up | |||
|  | perishing just like the Galileans. | |||
|  | 
 | |||
|  | He gives another example, where a tower at Siloam fell and killed eighteen | |||
|  | people. Those eighteen people were sinners too, but any one of us could die | |||
|  | just as swiftly. If we do not repent of our sins, then we shall die as well. | |||
|  | 
 | |||
|  | The parable of the fig tree that Jesus tells loses all of its meaning when it's | |||
|  | taken out of this context. For a whole chapter, Luke has been quoting Jesus's | |||
|  | teaching on the necessity of being right with God before it is too late. When | |||
|  | we are in our sins, we are like the fig tree that doesn't produce any fruit. We | |||
|  | are useless to God and there will come a day when we are removed from our | |||
|  | place. The Lord will be patient with us for a long time, years at a time. But | |||
|  | eventually His patience runs out. | |||
|  | 
 | |||
|  | * * * | |||
|  | 
 | |||
|  | Help us to hate our sin, to flee from it, and rest safely under the shelter of | |||
|  | Your mercy. |