Eternal Perspective

Eternal Perspective

Read: Luke 13:1-5

“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? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”

Luke 13:4-5

“We have all eternity to celebrate our victories, but only one short hour before sunset in which to win them.”

—Robert Moffatt

IN WORD In this world, towers fall. People die. Survivors mourn. And we all think about the coming day when we will slip away from this visible world to whatever lies beyond. As Christians, we know what lies beyond; it is the secular world that panics at the thought. Yet even we are shocked when this world is rocked.

The current events of Jesus’ day were no less alarming. Pilate killed some Galileans as they worshiped (v. 1). A disastrous collapse of a tower killed eighteen residents of Jerusalem (v. 4). And Jesus’ spin on the headlines of the day was, in effect, to say this: “Everyone will die, whether ‘prematurely’ or from old age. Have you prepared for that by repenting?”

Jesus points to the real issue—the eternal tragedy that many die without acknowledging their need for the Savior. This eternal tragedy far outstrips anything this world can dish out. The number of the dead is higher than in our disasters—billions, not thousands; and the consequences are infinitely more profound—not just a funeral service but eternal isolation from God and true life. There is no resurrection, no rebuilding, no reprieve in an eternity without Christ. It is forever.

IN DEED We need to view life and death—and our neighbors—with an eternal perspective. We must understand that physical death separates us from those we love for a short time, but death without Christ separates those we love from the presence of God forever. May a passion for God and an awareness of eternal realities compel us to live and to preach the gospel. Speak about it to someone today.