2 Scriptural Thoughts on "Tragic Death" by Chris White

‘Now on the same occasion there were some present who reported to Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. And Jesus said to them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were greater sinners than all other Galileans because they suffered this fate?  I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or do you suppose that those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them were worse culprits than all the men who live in Jerusalem?  I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”’ Lk. 13:1-5

One of the common misconceptions people have about tragic deaths is that they were either deserved (presumably because the deceased was actively pursuing evil) or completely undeserved (presumably because the deceased was innocent).  Its corollary is that a long life is a sign of God’s favor while a short life is a sign of God’s displeasure.  When Jesus spoke to this issue he brought up two groups of people we would all readily recognize.  The first group were martyrs to the Roman regime.  In our recent history America saw 3000 of her citizens martyred by the terrorist regime of Al Qaeda.  The second group of people Jesus mentioned were in the wrong place at the wrong time when a civil defense tower collapsed.  Do we not see this almost daily on the news where a building fails or a tornado or flood wipes out a town without warning?  In both cases the Lord corrects our popular misconceptions.  First of all, there are no innocent bystanders anywhere.  Innocence in people is only found when God is excluded.  Before Him all men stand condemned of sin because all are sinners.  There may be differences in the degree of our sinfulness (certainly an infant has less guilt than Charles Manson) but that is the only difference.  What we fail to see is that all sin is a heinous crime against a holy and just Creator.  Our tendency is to make light of our sin and consider the sins of others as greater evil.  The second misconception is that there is such a thing as a tragic death.  Now mind you I would prefer to die in my sleep rather than be burned alive or face an entire platoon of angry Samarai warriors.  Certainly some ways to go are better than others but reality according to Jesus is that the only reason any of us are even alive is strictly the grace of God.  We are all going to die eventually and while physical death is unavoidable and inevitable, the second death, what is often called “perishing” by Jesus is completely avoidable.  Rejecting the Savior is a very deliberate act which forces us to live with the full consequences of a lifetime of sin before an utterly holy God.  This is the true tragic death and one that happens so often as to be commonplace.  People don’t hear about Jesus without a preacher.  Are you doing something to spread the urgent message of the gospel today?  I hope so.  Do you know you are not walking with Jesus?  Repent and turn to him today.  The life you save may be your own.