There were present at that season some who told Him 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 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; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” (Luke 13:1-5)

Death At The Tower

The Bible is filled with stories without a background to explain their origins. Jesus tells two stories without historical references. Luke mentions the Galileans whom Pilate murdered while they were making sacrifices. Nothing in scripture or history explains the story, but those to whom Jesus is speaking know it. Jesus also mentions eighteen people who were killed when a tower in Siloam fell on them. This event is also silent in scripture and history. In the context of Jesus telling those present at that time, the tragedy at Siloam was an event in recent history they could relate to and understand.

Jesus explains to those present that those whom Herod killed were not killed because they were sinners. They may have been evil people engaged in idolatrous worship, but the fact that Herod slaughtered them was not because they were sinners. Why did the tower at Siloam fall? Nothing is said. Sadly, eighteen people were killed. Were these people killed because they were worse sinners than others? The question is whether the tragic death of the Galileans or those killed by the tower was caused by their deserved it through the agency of sin. The answer is no. Jesus is teaching the need for repentance from sin as a result of individual choice. Everyone suffers the consequences of sin, but men are not born blind because of the sins of their parents, nor are they killed for being the worst sinners in the world.

Every day, righteous people die tragically. Hurricanes, tornadoes, tsunamis, fire, earthquakes, and accidents kill thousands of people every day, whether they are good people or evil. Many evil and wicked people live wicked lives for many, many years without any apparent consequences for their lifestyle. Why do bad things happen to good people? The same reason good things happen to evil people. The world is filled with the tragedy of disease, accidents, and death because the world is a fallen place. Jesus came to save souls. He did not take away tears, sorrow, or death. In the past two thousand years, disease killed millions, wars massacred millions upon millions, and death has taken every generation in the billions.

Life is not about the here and now but the world to come. The greatest challenge the world faces is accepting the reality that life has nothing to do with what is experienced now. Jeremy Taylor correctly observed that life is short and yet upon this short life eternity depends. Life is filled with tragedy. God sent His Son to prepare the world for eternity, where there is no tragedy. The world is filled with sorrow. Jesus died to show the world that the answer to sorrow is eternal life with His Father. God will wipe away tears, but that will not be fully realized until after death. Sorrow and death are experienced in this life, but through the grace of God, the heart can find peace and solace.

Why do people get sick and die? The world is a fallen place. It is appointed for all men to die, and many die earlier in the day than others. That becomes hard to understand, but their death is not because they are worse sinners. They live in a world that has fallen through the consequence of sin. The joy of Jesus Christ is finding a path of light in a world of darkness, knowing there is hope in sorrow, joy in tears, and eternal life in Jesus Christ.