There’s no doubt: death is an inevitable part of life, occurring with staggering frequency—approximately 150,000 people pass away each day, equating to 6,000 deaths per hour or 2 deaths every second. It’s a stark reminder of life’s transient nature. Even as you peruse these words, two souls somewhere on this earth have departed. By the time you finish reading, around 500 lives will have ended.
That’s just how life is. Yet, amidst the natural course of mortality, there are those who meet their end in seemingly random and inexplicable ways. Some slip away in their sleep, others are struck by lightning, while some are simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.
We can grasp the concept of death due to illness or even as a consequence of one’s actions. However, random deaths leave us grappling with unanswered questions, shrouded in the trauma of the unexpected.
Thankfully, we can turn to the Bible for insight into how Jesus (Yahshua) addressed these perplexing occurrences. In Luke 13:1-5, we find a poignant exchange:
1 There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2 And Jesus answered and said to them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? 3 I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. 4 Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.”
Christ didn’t deny the fact that people can die randomly — in unexpected ways. Jesus knew that we live in a broken world where death often happens and sometimes, we can’t explain or see the reason why it happened.
However, instead of explaining to His audience the reason behind these random deaths, Christ gave us the right perspective. So many people think that these people suffer random deaths because they are sinners. However, our Savior corrected their wrong thinking.
You see, the most important lesson from this passage in Luke 13:1-5 is not knowing why random deaths happen, but rather it is the call to repentance and a reminder of the universality of human sinfulness and mortality.
Jesus uses two tragic events—a massacre by Pilate and the collapse of a tower—to illustrate that experiencing such calamities does not indicate greater sinfulness in those who suffer them. Instead of focusing on why, Christ redirects us to focus on the “what” — what lessons should we learn from this?
Because in this life, you don’t have to know the answer behind every “why” that you have as you put your trust and faith in God.
The most crucial thing here is to recognize that life is unpredictable and fragile. Thus, we must always be right with God and have a close relationship with Him. We must have the sense of urgency to turn away from sin and turn toward God before it is too late.
So that no matter what happens, we are prepared to meet our Creator!
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