Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish

Now at that same time there were some present who were reporting to Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. And Jesus answered and said to them, “Do you think that these Galileans were greater sinners than all other Galileans because they suffered these things? I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”

Luke 13:1-3

Introduction

It is easy to look at the affliction another faces and conclude he is worthy of greater punishment for his sin than you. But remember that the actual punishment anyone faces is eternal, while discipline is that which we face on earth. Our Lord points out in this illustration the fact that the end of life here in time is not the same as the end of life in eternity. The end of life here is the result of sin which we all commit (Romans 3:23; Romans 6:23). But at the end of all things, the hearts of men will be judged for eternity. And that judgment is where we should fix our eyes.

Unless you repent

When the Lord brings up this example, it is something quick to come to everyone’s minds as it is the prime news of the day: a tower has fallen on men of Siloam, and the blood of executed Galileans was mixed with their sacrifices. And as with other examples in scripture, it is easy for people to conclude that these men met their demise as a direct result of the sin which they had committed. All this in contrast against the relative lack of sin those on whom the tower did not fall had in their midst. But remember that all men die (Ecclesiastes 9:2), and the mere presence of sin itself takes us into death (Romans 5:14). So nothing special anyone does makes them more or less deserving of death, because any sin at all makes us deserving of death. And as Christ says here: unless you repent, you will likewise perish. These men of Galilee did not perish simply in body, but in their unrepentance, they faced a death that extended into eternity.

The way of hope

Our hope lies solely in the blood shed at Calvary. Only by the sacrifice of Jesus may anyone be freed from his sin. You and I will both perish. Whether by means of a tower, sickness, or some other way, the Lord will call each and every one of us away from this life. Death entered this world when our first father sinned in the garden. Do not expect others to live and behave as if they had never fallen. They are all fallen, just as you were (1 Corinthians 6:11). To expect a fallen man to behave in line with the holy and righteous Law of God is foolishness. He will not.

Instead, the fallen around us will act in line with what serves them in the best way they believe. That means gains in this world rather than the next. You will be cheated, swindled, and taken advantage of. But your hope does not lie in the things of this world. Comforts here and now mean nothing compared to the blessings you will have in eternity. Consider all the noble professions that take hours of dedication and hard work. Musicians, athletes, and wise men all spend many hours in intentional practice to build their skills. They put off worldly pleasures in order to achieve something greater and more esteemed than they would otherwise find in the immediate future. This is how we ought to view our spiritual walks.

Remember discipline, and repent of your sins. You will not grow in the faith if you continue to cling onto your pet sins. Whether that sin is something more culturally relevant like lust 0r malice, or if it something more subtle like a lack of charity, put it to death. That sin brings nothing but death and suffering, and it is your duty to repent of it and put it away. Do this, lest you perish in the way like these men of Galilee who were no greater sinners than anyone else.

May the Lord bless you and conform you into the image of His Son.