Spiritual Sunday! Eighteen people who were killed when the tower at Siloam fell on them

Lectio Divina: eighteen people who were killed when the tower at Siloam fell on them

Even now, we have this thought that bad things happen to people because they did something wrong; it is perceived as being a physical manifestation of wrongdoing. When someone is diagnosed with cancer, or someone is injured from being in a car accident, or whatever, they commonly say, "What did I do to deserve this?" There is still this undertone of thinking that bad things happen is because they did something to deserve this punishment. Jesus says, "[D]o you think they were more guilty than everyone else who lived in Jerusalem? By no means!" Jesus dismisses this line of thinking very bluntly.





By reading between the lines, it would seem that Jesus is saying that bad things just happen. It just happens. Humans want everything to have a purpose. By nature, we seek out patterns everywhere, even if there are none. Unfortunately, a part of life is dealing with suffering. When bad things happen, we deal with it in different ways. We search for purpose; We may ask, "Why me? What did I do?" We search for justice; We may say, "We need to punish those who caused this." These ways of dealing with suffering are not inherently bad. Reflection on what we've done may reveal that we are living with our own consequences, or seeking justice for something that blatantly led to people's injuries or death may help to prevent further suffering.

But sometimes, bad things just happen. It's the hardest thing to cope with because it seems so cruel to be the victim of something for no other reason than "just because." In this instance, we need to use this suffering as an opportunity to be closer to God. That may seem counter intuitive. When bad things happen, we react by being angry at God or despair that He let something like this happen. These are natural reactions. However, through God, all things are possible. And it is possible to get through and overcome bad times if you deepen your relationship with God. Ask Him for the strength to get through this ordeal, and He will give you strength. Ask Him for help to forgive or to show mercy to towards others, and He will give you the ability to do so. And then, the real healing can begin - the healing of our spirits. 

Luke 13:1-9

Some people told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingle with the blood of their sacrifices. Jesus said to them in reply, "Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were greater sinners than all other Galileans? By no means! But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will perish as they did! Or those eighteen people who were killed when the tower at Siloam fell on them - do you think they were more guilty than everyone else who lived in Jerusalem? By no means! But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did!"

And he told them this parable: "There once was a person who had a fig tree planted in his orchard, and when he came in search of fruit on it but found none, he said to the gardener, 'For three years now I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree but have found none. So cut it down. Why should it exhaust soil?' He said to him in reply, 'Sir, leave it for this year also, and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it; it may bear fruit in the future. If not you can cut it down.'"