The Teachings of Jesus in Luke: Life through Repentance

At that very time there were some present who told (Jesus) about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. He asked them, “Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did. Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them—do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others living in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did.” ~ Luke 13:1-5

Repentance is the turning of the soul from the way of midnight to the point of the coming sun. ~ Henry Ward Beecher

Bad things happen to good people.
That's just how it is. So Jesus wants us to be clear that being tragically killed doesn't mean you are any worse than someone who hasn't been.
And being alive doesn't mean you are more blessed than someone who has been killed.
And there are more ways than one to perish.
Perish here for Jesus is worse than actually having your heart stop beating. Here, perishing is more of a destroying of our true selves, our soul, our actual personhood.
For Jesus, given the sometimes unavoidable randomness of life here on earth, we ought to be more concerned with the life offered to us by God. A life that is made new through repentance: turning back toward God and away from sin.
Don't be comfortable, he is saying, simply because you haven't been killed. Instead, look back toward God so that you can see the true life that is offered to you.
Oh, and as a side note...see that in the first part of this text that it is Pilate who causes the slaughter of the Galileans. He gets off easy sometimes when it comes to the trial and crucifixion of Jesus. But we should remember that he was genuinely a violent, tyrannical dude!

Prayer: I am grateful for the life I have been given and know that it is precious and fragile. Help me to not take that for granted and to live a life worthy of the calling you have called me to. Amen



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