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Intense Interruptions that Can Instruct (Luke 13:1-9)
21 Plays5 months ago
Have you ever been trying to get some things done and yet had to keep stopping due to some unexpected interruptions? Life itself can be like this, right? Trials and tragedies can sometimes impact the plans that we are working on so feverishly.
This week, for example, a hurricane blew through Houston and has greatly impacted the lives of residents. Some still have no electricity. Others are waiting to have huge trees removed from their homes. Why do natural disasters like this even occur? What’s the best response when our comfortable lives are interrupted by the unexpected?
Jesus was interrupted three times during a discourse that He began in Luke 12:1. By Luke 13:1 the third interruption centered around a question related to an atrocity carried out against some Galileans by Roman troops serving under Pilate. As Jesus responds, He also brings up an additional accident that had occurred where a tower fell and killed 18 people.
Is there something that we can learn through a catastrophe or a serious crime? What should occupy our thoughts when life is interrupted by tragedy and loss? Jesus has the answer for us in Luke 13:1-9.
Prompts for Additional Explanation, 13:1
Prejudice behind Inexplicable Exploitation, 13:1
Problem of an Incorrect Evaluation, 13:2
Puzzle of a Random Expiration, 13:4
Primacy of Fervent Evangelization, 13:3, 5
Purpose (or Plan) for Divine Exaltation, 13:5
Patience despite an Unrealized Expectation, 13:6-7
Postponement to a Perplexing Equation, 13:8-9
Growing in Grace Devotions and Inspirations
Hosted by Pastor Victor Morrison
First Baptist Church
1700 Milam Street
Columbus, TX, USA 78934
http://fbccolumbustx.org/
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction to 'Growing in Grace'
00:00:08
Speaker
Welcome to Growing in Grace with Pastor Victor Morrison. This is a ministry of First Baptist Church located at 1700 Milam Street, Columbus, Texas. We are praying that God will bless you as you listen to this message. If you would like additional information on worship times and ministries at FBC Columbus, you can find out more at our website, FBCColumbusTX.org. And now take your copy of God's timeless word as Pastor Victor gives today's message.
00:00:43
Speaker
Welcome back to Growing in Grace. I'm always glad that you listen in.
Life's Interruptions: Initial Thoughts
00:00:47
Speaker
I want to make our time meaningful, and today I would like to share from Luke 13. Luke chapter 13 verses 1 through 9. I want to talk about interruptions. Have you ever been trying to get some things done, and yet it seemed like you have to stop over and over again due to some unexpected interruptions? Well, you know what? Life can be like that. You know, trials and tragedy, some interruptions are not mild at all. They can be very serious. But trials and tragedies can sometimes impact the plans that we're working on. And we're working so feverishly and trying to accomplish certain goals. And then all of a sudden we have to stop.
Hurricane Impact on Houston
00:01:29
Speaker
You know, this week, for example, a hurricane blew through Houston and has greatly impacted the lives of residents. Some still have no electricity and others are waiting to have huge trees removed from their homes. Why did these natural disasters like that, why did they even occur? What's the best response when our comfortable lives are suddenly interrupted by the unexpected?
Jesus's Interruptions in Luke 12 and 13
00:01:56
Speaker
Well, Jesus knows what that's like. He was interrupted three times during us a discourse that he was giving in Luke chapter 12 and 13. He began the discourse in Luke 12 verse 1. By the time you get to Luke 13.1, he's already been interrupted. This is the third time.
00:02:15
Speaker
And this time, it was centered around a question related to an atrocity that had just been carried out against some Galileans by Roman troops serving under Pilate.
Exploring Suffering and Repentance
00:02:27
Speaker
As Jesus responds, he also brings up an additional accident that had occurred when a tower fell and killed 18 people. How horrible! Well, is there something that we can learn? Through a catastrophe, a disaster, even a serious crime, what should occupy our thoughts when life is suddenly interrupted by tragedy and loss?
00:02:53
Speaker
I think Jesus has something he wants us to think about. Let me read this to you from Luke 13, verses 1 through 9. There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And he answered them, do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered in this way? No, I tell you, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or those are eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them. Do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem?
00:03:43
Speaker
No, I tell you, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. And he told his parable, a man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. And he said to the vine dresser, look, for three years now, I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I have found none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground? And he answered him, sir, let it alone this year also until I dig around it and put on manure. Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good. But if not, you can cut it down.
00:04:30
Speaker
Those are sobering words, and I struggled with it in my quiet time this week, just trying to understand what's at the heart of it and what are the principles that we could draw from this. What does Jesus want us thinking about? Why do these kind of things happen anyway? I read one article that said on average, most people are interrupted every eight minutes. Well, that would be six to seven times an hour. If you have an eight-hour workday, it would be like you're interrupted 50 to 60 times during your day.
00:05:02
Speaker
But as we've said already, some interruptions are quite serious. And the one that we're going to look at here, it was quite serious. So let's look at some of the some of the principles that I think are all a part of what's happening in these verses that we just read.
Unexplained Mysteries and Faith
00:05:20
Speaker
The first thing that stood out to me, would I would call it the prompts, prompts for additional explanation. You know, it says, there were some present at that very time who told him. Huh, what does that mean at that very time? Well, we should take life's mysteries, whether atrocities or accidents, we should take those to the Lord, take them to Him in prayer, cast your burdens on the Lord. You know, I'm not promising that He will always explain everything. There are some things that God says in Deuteronomy 29, 29,
00:05:56
Speaker
that they're secret. The secret things it says belongs to the Lord, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children and our children's children. So sometimes He will tell us and other times He will not. Also in my quiet time this week, I was reading in Ecclesiastes 8, verses 10 through 17. And I was reminded, you know, there are so many things in life that are actually beyond human control. the The one right off the top was death, and that's what they're going to be talking about here. But also, the second one that I noticed in Ecclesiastes 8 and verse 11 was depravity.
00:06:38
Speaker
And why is it that mankind does terrible things like we're about to read? So let's move to the second observation, and that is the prejudice behind inexplicable exploitation.
Pilate's Brutality and Prejudice
00:06:52
Speaker
What had just taken place? what were they It's kind of like they were bringing a news report, like a bulletin. We have breaking news. Well, their news was that there were some Galileans who went into the temple to offer their sacrifices, and Pilate had them killed. And so right there, their blood was mingled, it says, with their sacrifices.
00:07:16
Speaker
Now, a couple of things just in terms of the historical realities that are involved here. ah One thing we have to know in advance is that Pilate's reputation was, he was inflexible. He could be bribed. He was like ah behind several robberies that had taken place. He was always insulting Jews. He was given to outrage. He was given to abuse. He would sometimes execute people without a trial. He was known to be savage and ferocious. And so what you have is here, you have this hot-headed man named Pilate, but then who is he coming against and why did he kill these Galileans? Well, we're not told in this passage. That's not a part of the report, so we don't know.
00:08:06
Speaker
But one thing we do know is that Galileans at that time were known for their rebellions, for their revolts. And so they also were somewhat of, well, let's just call it, they were like hotheads. And so what you have here is a collision. of two hotheads. You've got Pilate on one side, a brutal man, but then on the other side you've got Galileans who don't mind to shed blood ah to have a revolt and rebellion against any government that's going to be over them.
00:08:40
Speaker
You know, it's sad, but Josephus, he's a historian, wrote that there was a certain Passover where a leader named Archelaus, not Pilate, this is not the same thing, but ah a leader named Archelaus, during one of the Jewish feasts called the Passover, he slaughtered 3,000 Jews. That took place in 4 BC. Now it's totally different, but like I'm saying, what we're looking at here is a mysterious thing. Do you know it's possible that Pilate just assumed, I know those rebellious Galileans, if they're in town, they're going to be up to no good.
Challenging the Belief on Calamities and Sin
00:09:22
Speaker
And wouldn't it be sad if not based on evidence?
00:09:27
Speaker
but based on prejudice. This man, this leader, just suddenly had them all wiped out. And they were in there innocently, let's say, going to offer a sacrifice to God. Well, that's what had taken place. That's what the interruption was. Some people tell Jesus, hey, did you hear about the Galileans whose blood pilot had mingled with their sacrifices? So let's move to the third observation. It's very possible that when they said this to Jesus, they expected him, now I know this is gonna be a shock, but they may have expected Jesus to say those Galileans deserved it.
00:10:09
Speaker
Because what the Jewish people believed, the main belief system at that time, was if someone has a calamity like this one, no matter how bad it was, no matter how cruel it was, a calamity happened to bad people because they had not been doing the right thing. Do you know in Job chapter 4 and verse 7, one of those so-called friends of Job's says, ah who was it is it? Is it the innocent that perished? Is it not the guilty that perished? Is the implication there?
00:10:47
Speaker
But you know, in John chapter nine, verses two through four, Jesus' own people come to him and they say, you know what? ah Here's a man that was born blind. And so what we're wondering is, who was it that sinned that this man should be born blind? And Jesus was like, no, no one sinned that this man could was born blind. And so if we begin with an erroneous belief about God, that we may attribute something to God that was actually the work of sinful men. And that could be very well the case with this case of all of these Galileans who were slain in the temple as they were just simply going to offer a sacrifice to God.
00:11:36
Speaker
But you know, I thought about a fourth puzzle though, and that is the puzzle of random expiration. Whenever they brought that news bulletin to the Lord Jesus, he shared something that was also a current event that perhaps was viewed as somewhat of a mystery. We don't know exactly where this tower in Salome would have been, but some tower had just fallen and had killed 18 people. And so Jesus asked them a question, and here's the question he asked them, or those 18 on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse offenders than the others who lived in Jerusalem?
00:12:25
Speaker
You see what I'm getting at? He's thinking these people are already assuming that you know if something bad happens, then these people deserve judgment from God. Well, we don't know anything more about this tragedy either, but we know from Jesus' words, whenever he says, do you think that these 18 who fell underneath the tower, that these 18 were worse offenders? The word there is debtors. Do you think that they had a sin debt far worse than anyone else who lived in Jerusalem?
00:13:03
Speaker
You know, Jesus' probing question is trying to get them to answer something. Do you think they died because of sin, their own sin? Do you think this is what they deserved? I just want to remind you of something that scripture reveals to us.
Sin's Impact on Nature
00:13:20
Speaker
It's not the only passage, but in Romans chapter 8, verses 18 through 22, it brings up the idea of suffering. And do you know that some suffering is a result of what happened in the Garden of Eden. When mankind sinned, and because mankind continues to sin, do you know that this world, it has impacted our environment. It's impacted nature. Listen to what the Apostle Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, writes in Romans 8,
00:13:53
Speaker
verses 18 to 22 about a broken fallen world. He says, and I quote, for I consider that the sufferings of this present time. are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us, speaking about Christians, for the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God, for the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope.
00:14:27
Speaker
that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. You know, if I were just to summarize what he's saying, he's saying some things are like a puzzle. And some tragedies that happen, some natural disasters that happen, we could say, oh, I bet the people in that area, they all deserve to die.
00:15:03
Speaker
But you know what? We would be wrong in making that kind of a conclusion about random expiration of their lives. No, it could be that's just a result of this broken world. This world, God designed it. God made it. where it was so perfect, but we messed it up. Our sin damaged everything. And so now things do not work the way the Lord Jesus created them to work. And so I just wanted you to know that some things are a great mystery. It's like a puzzle. And so we're not going to understand why when a tower falls, why did it fall on those 18? It's an accident.
00:15:49
Speaker
We can't explain it all. But let me share with you a fifth thing. What can we know? Well, that's where Jesus says it twice. So we know that he's trying to emphasize something two times at the result of the atrocity committed by Herod and his soldiers. But then also a second time, after Jesus himself brings up the idea of this, or the occurren occurrence of this falling tower that fell on 18 people and killed them at random,
00:16:22
Speaker
Both times he says the same exact words, no, I tell you, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. You know, there were some that were there in the crowd that day who would have been shocked by Jesus's negation saying, no, I tell you, have you ever thought that something was God's fault and yet you learn later? No, it wasn't God's fault. You know, also, I think they would have been shocked by his imperative. You know what we do know? We do know that all of us have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. And we do know that Jesus came into the world trying to recalibrate us to line up with God's will rather than our own human choices. And so what he says is, unless you repent,
00:17:12
Speaker
And so he repeats that application of the importance of repentance. So instead of asking why these tragedies occurred, we should be asking, what can these tragedies teach us? What do we need to know about life? What do we need to know about life? I would say the brevity of life. What do we need to know about death? I would say the inability to control our death. You and I don't know when our life will end. Something could happen to us just as tragic as it it happened to the people under that tower of Siloam. And we also need to be saying, you know what? It's not how I will die, but am I ready to die?
Reasons for Repentance
00:18:01
Speaker
We also need to realize that there's this unpredictability about life. We can't predict everything that's going to happen in life. Who would have predicted that that storm would have ah hit Houston so strongly? But it did. And there's just some things like that that are so hard. You know, in addition to like, let's say a tragedy or a disaster, something like that, You know, the Bible mentions four things that should lead people to repentance. Four prompts, if you will, that should say, you know what? I need to be right with God. Right now, I'm not right with Him, but He's made the way through His Son, Jesus, so that I can be right with Him. So one of those is the knowledge of the truth. A second one is sorrow for sin.
00:18:51
Speaker
When we sin and it makes us feel bad, we ought to say that ought to drive me in the direction of repentance. Do you know that God's kindness, when we realize, you know what, I don't deserve the good things that God has done for me. I'm a sinful man. Perhaps some of you out there are thinking, I'm a sinful woman. But you know what? that The fact that God has been so good to you should make you say, I want to be right with him. But then lastly, it's the fear of judgment. We will stand before God. Are we ready? That's what we can know, is that if we repent and we believe in the gospel, we can be saved. We can be spared, even if we die.
00:19:34
Speaker
So let me share a sixth principle or sort of like an observation from this passage.
Parable of Fruitfulness and Purpose
00:19:41
Speaker
As we go into verses 6 through 9, Jesus presents a parable. He chose this parable, I think, for its optics. It was like he's saying, I could share any story to try to help you understand this. And so he chose this parable to talk about what those people were standing around him, asking him and what he had said to them about the tower and so forth. And so what was he trying to say?
00:20:14
Speaker
He says in the parable that a man had a fig tree. He says that a man owned a vineyard. And so in the vineyard, the man chooses to dig a fig tree. And so he plants it. So I got to thinking about one thing he's trying to get across with this parable is the owner of the property. Who owns this earth? Who owns life? Did you create your own life, or did God create your life? Did you create the air that we breathe, the water that we drink, or did God create that? You know, God's the owner of the property, and you know what He chose to do on this property called the earth?
00:20:58
Speaker
He gave us the air to breathe, the water to drink, but He also said, you know what I'm going to do? Out of the goodness of my heart, I'm going to plant this man, this woman, this boy, this girl. And so the origin of the planting is Him. And so what I wanted to say as the sixth principle is this, what's the purpose for our lives? Our purpose is to glorify God. Our purpose is to exalt God in whatever we do. That's what 1 Corinthians 10.31 says, whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Whatever your occupation or career, do it for God's glory.
00:21:43
Speaker
God said through the prophet Isaiah in Isaiah 43.7 that he created us for his glory. That's why he formed us and made us. And so one thing we need to remember during a tragedy is to just hold the phone. Let's slow down everything. Let's push pause on life for a second and say, have I been glorifying God in everything that I'm about? Let me tell you two more things that maybe you haven't considered when it comes to tragedies. Let's look at number seven. The seventh um observation is about God. It's about this owner of the vineyard, the one who created the whole earth and all that it contains. Here's what it says.
00:22:30
Speaker
He came seeking fruit on it and he found none. And he said to the vine dresser, look for three years now, I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground? So here's the thing, if God created it all and he wants to see the fruit of his name being magnified and glorified and exalted, and let's say he doesn't find it. It's a legitimate expectation of God to expect that from us, to have that that unrealized expectation. So here it is, but notice what the parable packs within it. He didn't come one season,
00:23:18
Speaker
He came for three different years looking over and over again. And so I'm thinking what he's trying to get at is this disappointing discovery of the failure of those fig trees. It's happening over and over and over again. But I want you to notice the fact that he didn't destroy the fig tree right away. You see, there's a prolonged opportunity given for those those fig trees to bear fruit, a prolonged opportunity to say, hey, I've not been glorifying God, I haven't been exalting him, but you know what? If he gives me life and breath, he here if he helps me through this situation, I'm gonna do everything I can within my mind
00:24:13
Speaker
to live for Him, to glorify Him. That would honor the patience that He has given us all our lives. Just recently, I was talking to someone about how as a teenager, I was so foolish. When someone would pass me on the highway, I would pass them back. I took it personal. It was it was lunacy to do that kind of thing. I'm so glad that God didn't just say, that's it. This guy has no sense whatsoever. I'm going to take him out of life. But he didn't. He had patience with me and he's still patient with me. And you know what? I would submit more than likely he's patient with you as well. So why don't we say, you know what? I want God to find the fruit that he's looking for in my life.
00:25:02
Speaker
But let's go to one last thing.
God's Mercy and Its Limits
00:25:04
Speaker
I love this eighth observation. It's the postponement to a perplexing equation. So what is that owner of that vineyard going to do? Well, thankfully, there was a vine dresser there. some Some scholars say, you know who the vine dresser is? It's the Lord Jesus Christ. Some people say that's who was in there taking care of those fig trees. And here's what he says. He intervenes with mercy and says, sir, let it alone this year also until I dig around it and put on manure. And then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good, but if not, you can cut it down.
00:25:50
Speaker
Think about the intervention of mercy over and over again. God has postponed because it's a perplexing situation. What does He do? What does He do as our Creator when we do not give Him glory? What does He do when we walk away from Him rather than toward Him? Well, He continues to give us extension after extension with mercy. But the thing I want to remind you of that's not just based on one parable, it's based on the whole counsel of the word of God is this. Yes, there is mercy. Yes, God has intervened by sending his son Jesus to down a cross. He raised him from the dead so that we know he's the way, the truth and the life. But you know what?
00:26:40
Speaker
As gracious as he is and intervening, there's there's an extension to mercy, but there's also this, a limitation of mercy. And Jesus says these words, if it is the Lord, but whoever it is, in the parable they say, but if not, if it doesn't bear fruit in the next year, then you can cut it down. You know, I think that we need to know that god doesn't God doesn't owe us anything, right? Didn't He create us? And so that's what Job had to learn whenever Job was asking some very pointed but sincere and honest questions to God. It's like what he learned was, wait a minute, God doesn't answer to me, I answer to Him.
00:27:29
Speaker
And so whenever you're going through a difficult time, I encourage you to go to God with it and ask Him, what do you want me to learn? What are you trying to say to me? You know, ah that's why I love the Toby Mack song, Faithfully. Faithfully, it was it was out of written out of Toby Mack's experience at the loss of his son. And so those words are precious to him, I'm sure. But what he says is that he went to the god went to the Lord and God was there faithfully with him, walking him through that terrible time in his life, and that he learned, God will never leave me nor forsake me.
00:28:11
Speaker
And so he said, all I can tell you is I'm a different man, but I'm a man who still believes. Do you still believe? Or have you been through a tragedy? Have you been through some sudden something or another that has just totally wiped you out? Well, let's go to the Lord and let me pray.
Closing Prayer and Reflection
00:28:31
Speaker
Let me pray that you will recognize the faithfulness of your Creator, the faithfulness of your Savior. Lord, thank you so much for this time. I know I've dealt with a delicate subject, and so I pray you would comfort your people today. I pray that somehow these words would sink down deep. I know that suffering has a lot of mystery to it that I could never even begin to explain.
00:28:55
Speaker
But the one thing that's not a mystery is that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life that no one comes to the Father except through Him. And so Lord, help us to repent and believe. Help us not to pass judgment on those who are going through difficult times. Help us to pray for them that those who survived the tragedy would say, do I need to repent and believe? Thank you, Lord, for the clarity that your word brings to life. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Thanks again for listening today. God bless you. Bye.
00:29:40
Speaker
This is a ministry of First Baptist Church, located at 1700 Milam Street, Columbus, Texas.