Today’s Living Word
Hello dear friends,
Lu 13:1 There were present at that season some who told Him
about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.
2 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?
3 "I tell you,
no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.
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?
5 "I tell you,
no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish."
I live in Menasha Wisconsin, the place where just days ago
was rocked by a terrifying tornado. Miraculously no fatalities and mostly minor
injuries reported. But when you see the trees that were uprooted and the houses
destroyed and power lines down everywhere you realize what a miracle this was.
I think it’s a good time to bring in Jesus and His take on
such calamities.
Let’s modernize His take on some recent headlines in His day
by substituting Menasha in our day. . Lu 13:1 There were present at that season
some who told Him about the tornado that hit the citizens of Menasha’
2 And Jesus answered and said to them,
"Do you suppose that these people from Menasha were worse sinners than all
other citizens of the Fox Valley because
they suffered such things?
3 "I tell you,
no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.
4 "Or those citizens
of Menasha on whom their houses were
destroyed, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who
dwelt in the city?
5 "I tell you,
no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish."
It’s not about the degrees of sin, we are all sinners and
deserve the wrath of God!. It’s about the necessity of repentance and believing
the gospel., and every such catastrophic event serves as a reminder to all of
us. Without personal repentance and faith, you and I won’t make the cut and our
eternity will be worse than any catastrophe faced now on
this earth.
I will never forget what I saw today at ground zero. Some of
the fallen trees were pushed over and but most were violently
thrown to the ground. It was a
visual allowed by God to give us just a little idea of what the wrath of God
looks like. And why Jesus gave us the
cure to avoid it. Repent (Turn from your sins,) and believe the
gospel and you will be saved.
The fact that there was not a single fatality stands out in
this f3 tornado. And it was a visible
illustration of 2Pe 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as
some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any
should perish but that all should come to repentance.
Jesus, thank You for sparing lives in Menasha. , let this
tornado be a forever reminder to us to repent and believe the gospel. May it always remind us of the wrath of God
against sin, and at the same time pointing us to Jesus who took the full brunt
of God’s wrath in our stead on the cross.
I’m Duane Matz and that’s Todays Living Word.
