QUESTION:
"How should I think about the tragedies of this world?"
God provided a way to have victory over sin and evil and the grave.
ANSWER:
During Jesus' earthly life, two disasters had taken place about which people had drawn false conclusions: a natural disaster (a tower that fell) and a manmade disaster (a massacre carried out by Pontius Pilate). Back then, people were as anxious about how to respond to such tragedies as we are today, so they brought the matter to Jesus. He assured the crowd that those who had died were not worse than any other sinner and warned them, "But unless you repent, you too will all perish" (Luke 13:3, 5).
In effect, Jesus was saying to the crowd and to us today, "You are asking the wrong question. The question is not ‘Where is God in times of disaster?' or ‘What did these people do to deserve death?'" Rather, Jesus challenges us to ask ourselves: "Have I examined my heart to see if I have escaped from eternal death to eternal life in Christ?"
God provided a way to have victory over sin and evil and the grave, a solution to suffering: the perfect life, atoning death, and triumphant resurrection of Jesus Christ. So in the face of crises, Jesus calls us to take each tragedy as God's loving warning. Today is the day to repent. Today is the day of salvation. Today is the day to share the hope found in Christ alone.
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