May I suggest that instead of the pious little condolence notices people are putting on their websites nowadays, Christians should display these words of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ?
When did he say this?
The answer to that is highly instructive.
In fact he said it twice. In both cases he was discussing what we would call “The News” - in the first case, what today we would call a ‘crime against humanity’, and in the second, a ‘tragic accident.’
Let’s turn to Luke 13 verses 1 to 5.
And some were present at this time, telling him about the Galileans, whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices.
What was our Lord’s reaction - sympathy, indignation?
And answering Jesus said to them,
“Do you think that these Galileans were sinners beyond all the Galileans because they suffered such things? No, I’m telling you, but except you repent you shall all likewise perish!”
He then goes on to describe a piece of news himself:
“Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think these were sinners beyond all people who were living in Jerusalem?”
Once again he asks a question and at once answers it - in precisely the same words as before:
“No, I’m telling you, but except you repent you shall all likewise perish!”
No messages of sympathy for the relatives, no prayers for the victims. Just a terrible warning for those who remain.
“Except you repent you shall all likewise perish!”
When Christians glibly recite John 3:16, and pat themselves on the back for preaching the gospel, they usually skate over the word “perish”.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Why did God give his Son? So that we should not perish.
And what does the Son of God say in Mark 16:16?
“He that believes and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believes not shall be damned.”
Yes, “damned.”
While the Roman Pontiff bleats about world peace, perhaps Christians should heed the words of their Lord rather than those of the self-styled ‘Vicar of Christ.’
What did our Lord Jesus say?
“Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.” (Matthew 10:34)
What? No sweet tolerance, no ‘seeing the other person’s point of view’, no ‘not wishing to upset anyone’?
“For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.” (Matthew 10:35)
Division in the family - oh dear, surely not!
“And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.” (Matthew 10:36)
You mean Christians are going to be unpopular?
“If the world hate you, you know that it hated me before it hated you.” (John 15:18)
We’re actually going to be hated?
“Remember the word that I said unto you, ‘The servant is not greater than his lord.’ If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you...” (John 15: 20)
Persecution even?
And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceives the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. (Revelation 12: 9-11)
Even Death?
“but an hour is coming when everyone who kills you will think they are doing God a service, and they will do these things to you because they do not know the Father, nor me.” (John 16: 2-3)
Copyright © David Lawrie AD 2001
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