Changing Direction

Scripture – Luke 13:1-5: 1Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. 2Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? 3I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. 4Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? 5I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”

Reflection: There are references here to a couple incidents with which the people would have been familiar. It’s like we might refer to the attacks of September 11 or the recent outbreak of this so-called swine flu.

The point Jesus makes is that things happen. Sometimes there is a tragic loss of life through an accident or outbreak of violence. People die. That’s a sometimes harsh reality of life. The question is, am I ready for that personally? In my spiritual life, am I ready to die?

Jesus calls us to repent. That’s an old Biblical word that means turn around. Stop moving away from God and begin moving toward Him. Let Him embrace you and draw you closer. Accept His love for you and His forgiveness. Then you, too, will be ready. It’s that simple. It’s that important.

An Invitation: A small group will be meeting this coming Sunday morning from 9:45 – 10:30am to share what we’ve learned and seen in this week’s readings. We meet in the Pastor’s office at Bethel Baptist Church, 13330 Trenton Road in Southgate. Everyone’s welcome to join us.