Unless You Repent

My Bible is open today to Luke chapter 13 and I would encourage you to turn in your copy of God's Word as well. As we shall consider another message on how we should respond to the coronavirus and to other tragedies, the message that I brought to you on Wednesday night along those lines seemed to be particularly helpful to many of you. And I thank you for the response that has come back and we are very encouraged. We've come to understand that we had more people with us on Wednesday night by Internet than we normally have in our Wednesday night service. And that is certainly encouraging and I suspect that the same thing is also true again here this morning. But on Wednesday night I addressed this problem of the coronavirus and how we ought to respond to it. And in the course of that message I touched lightly upon this text in Luke chapter 13.

My mind was directed back to that for this morning's meditation. And so laying aside for the time being our series in 2 Corinthians which we will, Lord willing, return to at the proper time, we want to look at this text to see how to respond to tragedies such as the coronavirus and other tragedies that we've had in our nation such as 9-11 and Hurricane Katrina and wildfires in California and of course in other countries as well in Australia and tragedies in many other places. How should we respond to those? These tragedies usually come suddenly and unexpectedly and we are generally unprepared. In fact even if we try to be prepared we can't be totally prepared because we don't know exactly what form that new event will take which will never be exactly like one that has gone before. And so these kinds of things cause disruption and uncertainty and for most people fear. And for many there are serious consequences, more serious for some than for others, but in the case of some it brings ruin economically and debilitation and even death. And in all of these things we see the normal political posturing, the finger pointing, the blame shifting, it's always the other party's fault, the other official's fault, somebody else's fault.

And we also see the overreaction and panic by some as alarmists are trying to arouse greater concern than perhaps is justified, but in the same fashion we see others who are minimizing and denying what is going on and say it is simply media hype and that sort of thing which obviously also is greatly underestimating the truth of the situation. But the question is not how do our politicians respond, how does the media respond, how do people on the internet respond. The question is how should we respond and the only way that we can know the answer to that question is from God Almighty.

The only way we can know His answer to that question is through the Bible, His word, His revelation that He has given to us. So let us learn from the Lord Jesus Christ how we ought to respond to tragedies like this. And we read in Luke chapter 13, There were present at that season some who told Him, that is Jesus, about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answered and said to them, Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans because they suffered such things? I tell you no, but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. Or those 18 on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem?

I tell you no, but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. He also spoke this parable. A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down. Why does it use up the ground? But he answered and said to him, Sir, let it alone this year also until I dig around it and fertilize it.

And if it bears fruit, well, but if not, after that you can cut it down. What do we have before us in this passage? We have two tragedies considered in verses one through five.

And we have one truth illustrated in verses six through nine. First of all, the two tragedies considered in the first part of this passage, the first recorded in verses one, two and three and the second in verses four and five. The first speaks of a shocking report that came to Jesus, reported by some who were in the audience of Jesus as he was speaking to the general multitudes at this time. And they reported to him what is evidently a very current event that appears to be unknown to most of the people at that time. Evidently it had just happened and of course there was no radio or television or Internet and so news traveled more slowly by word of mouth actually in that day rather than any other means. And so some were aware of this event and others did not yet know about it. But it was an occasion when a number of Galileans were slaughtered by Pilate, the Roman governor who was responsible for the crucifixion of Jesus, slaughtered by Pilate in the very act of their worshipping at the temple.

That's what they told us. They told him, we read in verse one, about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifice. Galileans, Jesus of course was a Galilean. The apostles of Christ were Galileans. But as we know from the New Testament, Galileans were generally considered less righteous than the Judeans, at least by the Judeans they were so considered. Those who were from Judea around Jerusalem were considered to be more observant of all of the laws and customs and regulations of Moses. They were certainly closer to the temple and able to worship there more often.

The Galileans further away were considered to be not quite so dedicated, committed, observant as the Judeans. Didn't get to the temple quite as often and therefore were not considered by them to be as righteous as the Judeans. But there were a number of Galileans who were slaughtered by Jesus at the temple in the very act of offering their animal sacrifices to God. The number that were slaughtered is not known, but it could have been a great many. Josephus, the Jewish historian, records a number of times when this type of event occurred, a number of similar slaughters.

And all of them had to do with political insurrections at various times when different Jews got together and tried to foment a rebellion against the Roman government. And that's the thing that would bring down this kind of reprisal and probably the only thing that could bring such a severe penalty. And on an occasion like that, the Roman response was swift and certain and brutal. And so Pilate, assuming that this is exactly what happened, Pilate brought down the soldiers from the fortress Antonia right there at the temple and slaughtered a, could have been hundreds of Galileans in the act of worshiping, but it was really an act of insurrection, no doubt, in the temple. And thus, this is reported to Jesus, a shocking report in verse 1.

But that is followed by a searching question in verse 2, a rhetorical question. Jesus answered and said to them, Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans because they suffered such things? Do you think that these Galileans were notable sinners? Do you think that this tragedy is retribution for exceeding sinfulness? In a day, I might add, when sin was acknowledged and taken seriously in Jewish society, as it once was in American society, though by great portions of American society today, is not taken very seriously.

But nevertheless, the attitude really is not that different, as we shall notice. But Christ is pointing out a common reaction to tragedies like this. Basically, He says, Do you suppose that they deserved what they got? Do you suppose that they were worse sinners than others? Do you suppose that this came to them because they had crossed the line in the extent of their sinfulness? And that something similar has not happened to you because you are not as bad a sinner as they are and therefore don't deserve this? I say that's a common reaction, certainly among the religious, certainly among Christians.

If we will be honest with our own heart, we will recognize that there have been times when we have entertained thoughts like that. I wonder how many of you are taking note of the fact that the greatest inroads of the coronavirus are in New York City and California. New York City reports nearly half of all of the documented cases in the United States and more deaths by far than any other place, hundreds of deaths more in New York City than any place else.

California also very hard hit and what do we know about New York City and California but their reputation for debauchery, lasciviousness, immorality, disregard for God? It would be very tempting for us to think they're getting the worst of it because they deserve it. And it was very easy for the Judeans in Christ's audience at this time to be thinking these Galileans who aren't as righteous as the Judeans, they were slaughtered by Pilate because they deserve to be. And even among those who are not particularly religious, we hear similar sentiments. We hear, as I heard reported recently on the news by someone from the left, that probably more conservatives are going to die from this than liberals because they're not taking it as seriously, the implication being that they deserve it. And someone who said they hoped that the president's wife would get the virus so presumably she would pass it on to the president because of course in their minds they deserve it. Similar sentiment even among those who are not religious and don't like to talk about sin, nevertheless the same common attitude, the same common wrong attitude according to Jesus.

And he answers his own question because he's the only one who can provide the right answer. The question is, do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans because they suffered such things? I tell you, no. But unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.

No, a solemn declaration, I tell you no. No, they did not perish because they were excessively sinful. Christ is not saying please understand that they were not sinners or that they were not sinful. He's simply saying that they were not more sinful than those who were reporting it and who were entertaining these thoughts of superiority. Nor is Christ saying that this tragedy is not related to sin in any way. Jesus didn't say that this slaughter did not fall upon them because they were sinners. He said it didn't fall upon them because their sinfulness exceeded yours. That they were no more sinful than those who were spared. And the warning is unless you repent, you will likewise perish.

And so the implications of this first reported tragedy are very clear. These Galileans were sinners as all men are sinners, but they were not excessively so. They were not any greater sinners than the Judeans.

Furthermore, the implication is they did not repent. They were involved in worship. They were religious people. They were involved in worship, but the implication is it was hypocritical worship. It was ceremonial worship. It was external worship.

They were going through the motions. They were, as we might say today, attending church, sitting on the pews, singing the songs, but their hearts were far from God and they were no doubt involved at that very time in an act of ungodly insurrection. The implication is that they suffered a just judgment. Jesus is not saying that they didn't deserve to be judged.

He doesn't say that at all. They suffered a just judgment because they were sinners. The implication is that you who are spared, in fact this is more than an implication, it's very clear, that you who are spared, however, are equally sinful. You are not to think of yourselves as less sinful than those who perished, and therefore, unless you repent, you will likewise perish. They did not repent. They perished. If you don't repent, you will perish. Your judgment hasn't come yet, but it will come unless you repent. That's the first tragedy. But there's a second one that's similar with minor differences. In verse 4, Jesus goes on to make a report of his own now. Not so much a report, but to remind them of a historical event that all of them were aware of. And so he goes on in verse 4, Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem?

I tell you no. Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Two events to underscore the lesson that Christ is making. Two events, similar responses to very different tragedies, but they show a common pattern of thinking and a common defect in our behavior and our relationship to God. The first one, a political event, a slaughter by the governor of people and the very act of worship. The other one, some workmen, presumably, working away, honorably, honestly, earning a living for their family in the tower of Siloam, fell upon them and killed them.

They were eighteen in number. The Bible doesn't specify where their origin was, but since it doesn't specify it, they probably were Judeans. The fact that Galileans died in Jerusalem in the temple requires special note. These were not Judeans, these were Galileans. But that the tower of Siloam fell in Jerusalem, collapsing and killing those who were around it, presumably those working on it, we can assume with a pretty high degree of certainty that these were Judeans. Not a political offense, but another tragic event. Not Galileans considered to be less righteous by the Judeans than the Judeans were, but Judeans upon whom the tower fell without seeming explanation and killed them.

What's the answer to that? Well, Jesus pinpoints the common thought. Do you suppose that they were greater sinners than other men in Jerusalem? What you're thinking, that God must have somehow known that they were more sinful than others, and so he caused this tower to fall upon them. That's a common reaction, and as Christ tells us, a common misconception, a very bad misconception.

And so he comes back with the very same warning that he gave in the report of the first tragedy. If that's what you think, you're wrong. No, that's not the explanation. I tell you no, they were not more sinful than others in Jerusalem, and unless you repent, you will likewise perish. Same implications. They were sinners, though not more sinners, more greatly sinners than their neighbors.

The judgment that came to them was not undeserved, for they were sinful and unrepentant at the time, but no more so than you that Jesus is talking to, or you that I'm talking to today by extension. But the message is the same. Unless you, you, not the Galileans, it's too late for them, you, not those upon whom the tower of Siloam fell, it's too late for them, but unless you repent, you will likewise perish, perish in time and perish for eternity. All of us, of course, will come to death at some point in this life, but the question is, what about beyond the grave? What about beyond death? And the answer is the same. Unless you repent, you will perish.

Two tragedies considered. Followed by one truth illustrated in the parable of the fig tree in verses 6 through 9, I'll read it again. A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. Then he said to the keeper of the vineyard, Look, for three years I've come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down.

Why does it use up the ground? But he answered and said to him, Sir, let it alone this year also until I dig around it and fertilize it, and if it bears fruit, well, but if not, after that you can cut it down. One truth illustrated, and it's the same truth that was followed in the first examination of the two tragedies, the exhortation, the need for repentance, both in act and attitude. That is, there needs to be an initial act of genuine repentance before God to recognize our sinfulness and our need of cleansing by God.

And then there needs to be an ongoing attitude of repentance, a lifelong humility that is continually repenting before God. The parable of the fig tree, the barren fig tree, shows us something about this. An unfruitful fig tree is introduced in the parable in verse 6 in the vineyard, in the corner of the vineyard.

At least I'm told that was a common occurrence of that day. In order not to waste any of the possible production of the vineyard, oftentimes a fig tree or something like that would be planted in the corner so that every possible usable fertile space could be utilized. And this fig tree had been there long enough to bear fruit.

In fact, the years of its fruitfulness were ticking by. The first year for fruit bore none. The second year of expected fruit bore none.

The third year of expected fruit bore none. And so the owner of the vineyard proposes a very sensible solution. After giving it time, time, and more time than the usual, and no fruit is forthcoming, then cut it down. Get rid of it. Put something else in its place. Don't let it take up space that could be utilized for some other plant, some other tree that would be fruitful.

But the keeper of the vineyard made a respectful appeal. Please, please, just give it one more chance. Please give it one more year. I will work extra hard with this tree. I will be careful to cultivate it a lot. I will dig around it regularly. I will give it fertilizer.

Please, let's give it one more year. And then if it bears fruit, well and good, we'll all be happy that it's doing what it's supposed to do. But if it doesn't, after that special attention, if it bears fruit, let it live.

Let it not proceed on with the deserved destruction, a merciful concession. How do we apply this parable? Well, first of all, it needs to be applied to the nation of Israel, which is no doubt the main application that Christ had in mind as he spoke these words in his day. The vineyard was a well-known figure for Israel, God's vineyard. And yet this is the fig tree in the corner of the vineyard, but I think should represent Israel not being what it ought to be.

Not a grapevine, but a fig tree. But nevertheless, in the vineyard that belongs to the owner, that represents God, and given many opportunities by God. But no fruit is forthcoming, so finally the time has come for judgment.

The time for the nation of Israel has come. They were given many opportunities to bear fruit, and none was forthcoming. But God is reluctant to judge. That's one of the lessons of this parable. God is not eager to do so, and so he is happy when this appeal is made to extend time that there may yet be a change of heart. And only if after one more opportunity, on top of many other opportunities, innumerable opportunities of a gracious God have been extended and have been rejected, only then will the time of judgment finally come.

It must come inevitably at some time if there is no repentance, because of course repentance must predicate fruitfulness. But surely the same thing applies in principle to the United States of America. America is not Israel, but these general principles of God's dealings with men certainly apply.

Has there been another nation in modern times that's had more advantages and opportunities than this nation, more blessings, more richness of heritage and favor than this country? And I think there was a time in our earlier history when we could see at least some fruit was being born to the one who extended such opportunities to us, but it seems that that time is quickly fading and we see fewer and fewer people in America, fewer and fewer segments of American society who are even willing to acknowledge the one who gave us such wonderful opportunities, much less bear fruit, spiritual fruit, to Him. And yet we can take encouragement in the fact that, as the parable teaches, God is a reluctant judge. He's not eager to bring down judgment. He is just, He is righteous, judgment must fall for unrepentant sin, but God is reluctant to do that, and so He gives many opportunities for repentance, for a change of heart. But if no repentance is forthcoming, what should we expect?

Judgment will come. Now what is true of Israel and what is true of America as nations is also true of individuals. It's true of you and of me. We have been given much by our Creator. We have been given life. We have been given many opportunities, many opportunities to hear the Word of God, many opportunities to believe it and respond to it and to yield fruit to our Creator and to Jesus Christ, our Redeemer, if we have trusted in Him. And God is patient and long-suffering. He's not eager to rain down judgment, but He will. Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. The principles are the same. Now there's so many lessons from this parable.

I don't know if we can get them all in. The main lesson, obviously, is the need for repentance. As I said, both an initial act of repentance, that great turning point in one's life when he turns from sin and turns to Christ when he acknowledges his need of Christ and turns to Him in faith for cleansing and forgiveness, but then an attitude of ongoing repentance throughout the remainder of life. But we learn so many things in this parable.

For example, we learn the truthfulness of our own sinful hearts, even redeemed sinful hearts, in the inclination to assign blame. Tragedies, we sometimes think, are evidence of deserved judgment. As I was writing home yesterday, I was listening to NPR, National Public Radio, and they were talking about an event, I think a great hurricane and flood, that happened in Louisiana and particularly struck an island off the coast of Louisiana. This goes back maybe nearly 200 years ago. And that island was a favorite vacation spot of wealthy people and slave owners, and many of them were gathered there at the time of this tragedy, and every one of them lost their lives, and the only one who escaped was a slave who managed to live. And the implications were just hanging thick in the air. Those rich slave owners deserved the judgment they got. Look how they perished.

Look how the slave lived. Ah, yes, even those who are not particularly religious have similar sentiments. Yes, our inclination to assign blame to others, seldom to ourselves. Our inclination to judge others severely and ourselves favorably, Jesus talked about that with the moat and the beam, remember? How easily we can see that teeny little speck in our brother's eye and how difficult it is for us to see the beam, the log in our own eye. It's a human failing, isn't it?

And it comes out so clearly in times like this. We learn in this passage in Luke the need to deal with our own sins. Unless you repent, unless I repent, our business is not somebody else's sins. Ah, look at how great sinners they were. God allowed Pilate to take care of them. Ah, look at how great sinners they were.

God allowed that tower to take care of them. Banish those thoughts from your mind and focus on yourself in your own heart. How great a sinner I am. Oh, Lord, I need cleansing.

I need to repent. I know some husbands and wives who have terrible marriage problems for that very reason. As far as he's concerned, it's all her fault, and as far as she's concerned, it's all his fault, and each one is blaming the other and refusing to look at their own part. If they could just hear the words of Christ and reverse that. I'm not going to concern myself with the other person.

If that's between them and God, let them deal, let God deal with them. I'm going to deal with myself. I'm going to focus on my part. I'm going to look for my failings. I'm going to correct them before God. I'm going to repent.

I'm going to become the husband and wife that God wants me to be. Oh, what a change that would bring to marriages and to all kinds of human relationships because this certainly isn't exclusive to marriage. We need to deal with our own sins. This passage also teaches us about the suddenness of judgment and how when it comes, we are generally unprepared.

That's part of the finger pointing, isn't it? The blame. It's your fault because you should have been prepared. You should have prepared this country.

You should have taken action sooner. No, it's the previous administration's fault. That's why we're not as prepared as we ought to be and back and forth it goes and so forth with the political wrangling. But the truth of the matter is we can never be fully prepared because we are not God. We do not know the future.

We don't know what form a tragedy will take. And it's impossible for any person. It's impossible for any society.

It's impossible for any nation to be prepared for anything and everything that could happen. Come on, folks. Be reasonable.

That's impossible. We have to respond. Well, there's certain preparations that we can take, but the only thing we can reasonably do is respond as quickly as possible when things happen because we don't know before then when they will happen. But you see, Jesus says that's the way judgment is. It falls quickly. It falls unexpectedly. My dear friends, there's a judgment coming that will be the final one beyond which there will be no opportunity for repentance or change or fruitfulness. And when it comes, it's going to fall quickly.

And unless you're prepared before it falls, it'll be too late when it falls. There's a great day coming. There's a great day coming. There's a great day coming by and by when the saint and the sinner will be parted right and left. Are you ready for that day to come? Yes, we need to prepare for greater judgments to come. No one knows. There may be greater tragedies coming to our nation than we have experienced thus far.

Only God knows. But we shouldn't be surprised if that be true. We shouldn't be surprised if it happens as if it shouldn't happen. The history of tragedies tells us that they will happen. We should not be surprised. But the one we'd better be ready for is the final one.

Are you ready for that day to come? That's why we need to be in a state of readiness. That's why we need to be repentant. That's why we need to be believing.

That's why we need to be trusting the Lord Jesus Christ. That's why we need to be living every day for the Lord Jesus Christ so that whenever that day comes, we're ready. We're ready. Our lamps are burning. We're ready. We're not caught short, unprepared, without any oil, without any preparedness for that day to come.

When it comes, you will come suddenly. And so the great lessons out of this passage of Scripture are that we need to examine our own hearts and deal with our own sins. That's where it begins.

That's where it must begin. And then beyond that, to minister to others for Jesus' sake as Jesus would. I was reading again the other day that account of Jesus and the woman taking an adultery in John 8, the first 11 verses.

What an instructive account. Here's a woman who was sinful, exceedingly sinful. A publicly known adulteress caught in the very act and brought to Jesus. And they demanded of Jesus what to do. Moses said, Stoner, what do you say? You remember how wisely, how incredibly wisely Jesus handled that situation, stooping down and writing on the ground. Eventually, whatever it was he was writing, the Bible doesn't tell us, but something caught their attention after Jesus said, He who is without sin, let him cast the first stone. And one by one, from the oldest to the youngest, they went out and they were gone and Jesus looked up and said, Where are your accusers, woman?

Now, she was going to be stoned. The law required two or three witnesses. Where are they? None. They're all gone, every one.

Where are your accusers? They're gone, Lord, neither do I condemn you. Go your way and sin no more. Grace, mercy, incredible kindness, forgiveness based upon His oath of vicarious death to come upon the cross, and yet righteousness, there is a standard, there is a requirement, don't live this way any longer. Bear fruit unto your Creator. Bear fruit unto your Savior. Live as He would have you live. Live with the same kind of gracious kind heart that our Savior displayed.

Minister to others with the same kind gracious heart that our Savior displayed. One of the concerns I have for the present political climate that we have in America, which is more divisive than I've ever known it, is that politics tends to make people very angry, no matter which side of the aisle you're on. There's a great deal of anger, and I see a great deal of perpetual indignation. It never goes away. Those on this side are perpetually angry and indignant with those on this side. That anger never goes away. But those on this side are perpetually angry and indignant with those on this side.

Their anger never goes away. Now listen to me, folks. If you're a Christian, I'm not asking you to forget what is right and wrong. I'm not asking you to bend righteousness. But I'm asking you to think about this, to think about how our Savior treated this woman who was clearly a notorious sinner. I'm asking you to realize that to carry out the mandates of Scripture, you need to carry them out to those that make you quite indignant.

In other words, we're going to need to swallow our indignation and manifest grace and love and kindness. Not they are notorious sinners and they deserve whatever they get, but, oh, dear friend, can I help you? Can I feed you if you're hungry? Can I give you water if you're thirsty? Can I tell you about the bread of life? Can I tell you about the one who extended mercy to me? I was deserving of condemnation and he graciously extended mercy to me.

Let me tell you about him. And if you won't let me do that, then just let me serve you like Jesus would. Let me serve you for Jesus' sake. Oh, that God would give us that heart. Do you think that these are greater sinners than all others?

No, no, no, I tell you, no. But unless you have a heart of repentance, you will all likewise perish. We're not living for ourselves, or shouldn't be. We're not living for a political cause upon earth, or shouldn't be. We're living for the Lord Jesus Christ and we're living for an eternal cause, the kingdom of heaven, which rises far above this earth and will live on forever after all the kingdoms of this earth are gone. And we are representatives of Christ here upon the earth, kingdom agents of His eternal kingdom, that kingdom of love, of mercy, of grace. May God help us to live that way. Not to us be glory, Lord. Not to us, favor or reward.

All honor and glory goes to Him. Shall we pray? O Heavenly Father, forgive us for our sinful attitudes.

Forgive us for condemning others while justifying ourselves. Teach us to deal with our own hearts. And when a tragedy like the coronavirus hits our nation, O Lord, help us to be kind and generous and thoughtful. Help us not to live in fear. Help us not to demonstrate the same kind of panic and fear that people who don't know Christ demonstrate. But help us to demonstrate the love of Christ to others. Help us to help others to see truth and to find the help which You alone, O Lord, can give. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen.

If we were singing together in closing, here's what we would sing. More secure is no one ever than the loved ones of the Savior, not yon star on high abiding, not the bird in home nest hiding. God His own doth tend and nourish. In His holy courts they flourish. From all evil things He spares them.

In His loving arms He bears them. Neither life nor death shall ever from the Lord His children sever. Unto them His grace He showeth, and their sorrows all He knoweth. Little flock, to joy then yield thee. Jacob's God will ever shield thee.

Rest secure in this defender. At His will all foes surrender. Though He giveth or He taketh, God His children ne'er forsaketh.

He has the loving purpose solely to preserve them pure and holy. May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.