We Must Turn from Our Sins

Note from today’s Bible reading: Luke 13-14

As we often do today, the people in Jesus’ day were discussing current events. Some reported to Him “about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices” (Luke 13:1). On the same occasion, Jesus spoke of “eighteen” who died when “the tower in Siloam fell and killed them” (Luke 13:4).

When discussing current events, there is a tendency to try to figure out why something happened. Why did Pilate kill some of the Galileans? Why did the tower in Siloam fall? Why do certain things happen today? Sometimes these questions are answerable, but sometimes they are not.

However, rather than discuss why these events happened, Jesus immediately went to the lesson that we should all take from such tragedies as the ones being discussed on that occasion. He said twice, “Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3, 5).

It may be interesting, informative, and even helpful to discuss current events; but we must not allow them to distract us from our spiritual needs and condition. When tragedies occur, we should be reminded of the brevity of life and our need to make sure we are right before God. We see regular reminders of this in the news today.

So remember that we must turn from our sins. It is far more important to know how to be right with the Lord than to know why a governor did what he did or why a building collapsed. One day, those events will not matter; but we will see that the condition of our soul was of utmost importance.