Mingled With Their Sacrifices
Luke 13:1-5
INTRODUCTION
Today, we’re going to look at an unusual story from the scripture, and try to glean from it what God would have us take away. In it, we find an account of HISTORY; Christ’s applied OBJECT LESSON; the underlying TRAGEDY of the situation; and finally the MESSAGE we are to walk away with.
Luke 13:1-5
13:1 There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.
2 And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things?
3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
4 Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem?
5 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
We’re going to focus on the first of the accounts; the account of the Galileans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. Let’s pray, and ask the Lord to speak to our hearts today, as we explore this idea "MINGLED WITH THEIR SACRIFICES"
I. THE HISTORY OF THIS ACCOUNT
Okay, first… let’s look at the HISTORY of the story. We step into an account where some who were with Jesus at this time began to recount a story to Him.
13:1 There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.
The wording makes me wonder about this. The way it’s stated, “There were present at that season some...” Right then, they were with Jesus. At that particular moment, they were with Him. The underlying implication was that they might not always be with Jesus. They might be here today but gone tomorrow.
A season is short-lived; seasons fade and seasons change. These were with Jesus at this present season, but might not be if the wind changes
How many are like that today? They are with Jesus at the moment, but gone, later on. Their faith changes with the wind. Ephesians 4 says they are like “…children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive.” They might be with God today; they might be with the devil tomorrow.
These particular people were SEASONAL ATTENDEES. They were there for the moment, but not for the long haul. It was from instability that the news came. These men were trumpets producing an uncertain sound, and they were hoping perhaps to make Jesus take up the battle and the offense. And from his reply, He had no intention of doing so. They had brought Jesus word of a recent happening.
13:1 There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.
It might have been something Jesus hadn’t heard about; or didn’t let on that He knew. They told Him. It was a matter of current importance, probably one of those stories that had been told around town. The way the story went, there had been some Galileans who were offering sacrifice in the temple. Pilate was a man who feared neither God, nor man, and his royal guard didn’t consider the temple a holy place.
The temple used to be a refuge where one could run, and find protection from those that sought to harm him. Not any more. The guards took this as an opportunity to lie in wait and bring punishment on these Galileans who offered sacrifice there. While they made their offering, Pilate’s troops killed those making offering. The blood of those who offered the sacrifices were mingled with the blood of the sacrifices themselves.
Why did they tell Jesus about this? Maybe it was just to fill the Lord in on current events. They probably assumed He hadn’t heard it. He was One to travel about a lot. Perhaps he hadn’t heard. Maybe it was a story they were lamenting over; maybe they were weeping, because these were their countrymen. It’s a healthy thing to talk about the things that sadden us, to mention the tragedies, and remember those lost. It was important to talk about 911. It is important to talk about the war in Iraq. Talking is part of healing process. And maybe that’s what they were doing.
Perhaps their bringing this to Christ was all about what He had just said in the last chapter. He had just been talking about how important it was to make your peace with God before it’s to late to make eternal arrangements. Making our peace before we’re delivered to the officer; or in other words, before we die. Maybe they were just trying to tell Him a story of just such an instance, where those who were not expecting it were delivered to the officer of death.
So what was this story? I will tell you this, the story is not recounted by any of the major historians of this time. The Bible is the only record of it. Much of what we would believe would simply be speculation. Probably, these Galileans were in some kind of rebellion against Caesar, and were themselves offering sacrifice to God. While they did what the law required, in the sprinkling of the blood of their sacrifice, Pilate’s officers probably took them unaware, when they were off their guard.
Galileans were considered rough around the edges – most of the time, they were pretty well-armed. Probably one of the only times they would have been without a dagger or a sword, would have been in the temple. Their blood was spilt, and poured out with the blood of the thing they were sacrificing.
So, now, what do we gain from this account? Jesus’s response interests me. He says...
Luke 13:2b
“…Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things?”
There had to be something in the tone of the one telling the story; something in the way they told Jesus. They had to have some kind of bravado with Jesus… some innuendo that the Galileans had somehow deserved what they got. “There you go, Lord. See what happens to those who anger God – to those who mess with God’s righteousness?”
It’s easy to look at the misfortune of someone else, and find in it a cause to smile. Somehow, they got what was coming to them. They deserved it. They got "theirs." But that’s not what Jesus taught us. He told us to “…love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven…” (Matthew 5:44b - 45)
“…bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic.” (Luke 6:28 & 29)
“Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord.” (Romans 12:14, 17, 19)
Our love shouldn’t delight in evil. It ought to rejoice with the truth. (1 Corinthians 13:5-6)
No, this is what the Apostle Paul said about himself:
1 Cor 4:12-16
12 We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; 13 when we are slandered, we answer kindly. Up to this moment we have become the scum of the earth, the refuse of the world. 14 I am not writing this to shame you, but to warn you, as my dear children. 15 Even though you have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. 16 Therefore I urge you to imitate me.
And the Apostle Peter said it like this…
1 Peter 3:8-9
9 Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.
Oh, it’s easy to crack a smile when someone you don’t care for, gets their just reward. But Jesus sees through our motives. “…Do you really think these Galilaeans were worse sinners than the rest of the Galilaeans, because they were killed in this way?” In other words, “Do you think this was God’s SPECIAL JUDGEMENT for them?”
It was obvious that they were trying to make an example out of these Galileans in their death. “See, Jesus... this is what happens to people who aren’t as good as us.”
Friend, it’s a dangerous place to be; to judge others based on what you think God’s standard to be. And Jesus turns it right around on them.
II. THE OBJECT LESSON OF THIS ACCOUNT
He relays to them the OBJECT LESSON of the whole thing.
Luke 13:2-3
2 And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things?
3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
He tells them that they are trying to discern from an external perspective, how close a person is to God. If they are suffering, then they have obviously angered God. If they are happy, and healthy, then obviously God is happy with them. If that be case, then the book of Job is a farce and a lie. By that standard, Jesus would be called a sinner, because of the violence He suffered. Friend, that is not the case.
If this is the standard by which we measure the approval of heaven, then there are a lot of happy, healthy people that obviously MUST be pleasing God. The pornographer, the homosexual, the addict and the molester – any can find a degree of happiness in what they do. By that standard, they must be pleasing God, regardless of their lifestyle and behavior issues. They obviously please God, or God would be punishing them.
No, that’s not what scripture teaches us. Bad things happen to all of us, and God doesn’t judge on that standard. We often find that quite the opposite is true. If you’re really serving God, that’s when evil begins to befall you, because that’s when the devil gets it in for you.
You can’t interpret God’s favor by your level of happiness or adversity in the circumstances of life. God doesn’t work like that. Your adversity isn’t about God being mad at you. And your blessings don’t necessarily indicate that God is pleased with you.
Jesus said it:
“…Do you really think these Galilaeans were worse sinners than the rest of the Galilaeans, because they were killed in this way?”
Do you honestly think they were worse because of the way they died?
Now, some of the wording in our text indicates that those who perished weren’t in right standing with God, and we’ll get into that in a moment.
Jesus is saying… “What they suffered, was not about whom they were to God.” Jesus was telling them to be careful how they weigh out situations.
III. THE TRAGEDY OF THIS ACCOUNT
There is a TRAGEDY of this story. Jesus used a word that indicated a Spiritual finality.
When he talked about Lazarus being asleep, he finally had to tell the disciples very plainly “Lazarus is dead.” The word He used was “apothnesko (ap-oth-nace’-ko)” – that literally means “to die off” or “to be slain.” But that’s not the word He used in his description in today’s text.
In Luke 13, He said this:
Luke 13:3
3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
In the same way THEY perished, you’ll also perish. He used the word, PERISH; a much different word. He used the Greek word, “apollumi (ap-ol’-loo-mee)” That’s literally translated, “TO DESTROY FULLY, as in body, mind, soul; completely destroyed.” It’s different than the Greek Word for physical death; this word for perish encompassed the Spiritual aspects of it as well.
Jesus was telling them, “No, they weren’t any worse than any of the other Galileans, but unless YOU REPENT, you’ll face your eternity the same way they faced theirs.” That seems to lead one to believe that they hadn’t repented; that they weren’t right with God.
A tragic idea – here were these Galileans… obviously religious folks. They were in the act of offering sacrifice to God. Standing in the holy place and, probably the tenacity of their beliefs ultimately led to their demise. Religious to the bone, and yet they had never repented. Spiritual, yes. But Jesus’ commentary on it seems to say that it was a form, not power. They even gave their own blood for it, and yet it couldn’t spiritually save them.
No, there is no record of these Galileans as Martyrs. There is no record of them in the historical record of Josephus. History doesn’t hold them, and scripture only gives them a passing mention. They died holding on to their beliefs, but they died in vain. I wonder how many people do that same thing today?
People give their very life for the church. Everything about them is the church. They "live" at the church. They work at the church. They strive for the church. They struggle for the church. But when the chips fall, and on the day that their soul is required of them, have they ever genuinely repented? Have they gotten it right with God?
You’ve heard the old saying; getting something done with “blood, sweat and tears…” Church work can be like that, too. People put 100% of themselves into it. The text says about these Galileans that they were “the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.” You know people like that. Those people with whom you can hardly tell where the sacrifice stops, and the servant starts. You can’t tell where the church stops, and where they start. They are so wrapped up in what they are doing, it winds up killing them. Killing their faith; killing their passion; killing their eternity.
Their blood mingles with the sacrifice. But the tragedy of it is -- it might all be for nothing. They very well might PERISH without God, unless they have scripturally repented.
The sacrifice of these Galileans didn’t save them. Their own death didn’t save them. It didn’t secure them an eternity with God. There had never been repentance. It was obvious that Jesus, while he might not have heard the account, discerned the situation. He knew what the ultimate end of these men was.
“…but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish…” Your eternity will be like theirs if you don’t repent.
IV. THE MESSAGE OF THE ACCOUNT (Conclusion)
So what’s the MESSAGE of the whole thing? The message is repentance. We must REPENT. The Greek Word most often used for “repent” in the New Testament literally translates… “a change of mind; to think differently afterwards, or to reconsider…” The Hebrew Word most often used for “repent” in the Old Testament literally translates “to turn… to return… or to turn back.” They are in perfect harmony one with another.
Put them together for the full picture. Repentance is the inner change of mind that results in the outer turning back or turning around. So, the New Testament emphasizes the inward nature of true repentance; the Old Testament emphasizes the outward expression that proves the inner change. The BIG PICTURE -- Repentance is an INNER CHANGE OF MIND THAT RESULTS IN AN OUTWARD TURNING BACK, OR TURNING AROUND, TO FACE, AND TO MOVE IN A COMPLETELY NEW DIRECTION.
Jesus was telling these men, “Don’t let yourselves be caught up in this current event.” If you don’t have an inner change of mind that results in an outward turning back, an outward turning around – if you’re not facing a new direction when you’re finished, you’ll perish just like they did. Without hope… without help… without God.
All your religious duties won’t help you. All your sacrifice will accomplish nothing. Even if people can’t tell where YOU STOP, and CHURCH STARTS. Even if you’re a fixture. It won’t benefit you if your blood mingles with your sacrifice. If you don’t repent, you’ll die the same way.
