In this passage, we find the combination of our two previous themes, God's hard providence and His hard precepts. Many who claim to admire, love, and even to follow Jesus would be shocked at His response to the tragedies described here. However, what seems to be a cold response to suffering and death is actually a warmhearted, compassionate call to peace and life.
- Jesus' seemingly compassionless words - Cruelty and Calamity - Jesus confronting a specific error in judgment - Jesus proclaiming a universal reality - Jesus' compassionate call to sinners
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
- The gospel is an inherently offensive message to those who are perishing. In our proclamation of it, it should be the message and not the messenger which is the source of offense. How then do we keep form being offensive ourselves in our proclamation of this offensive message? - Why do we so often assume that people “had it coming” with regard to particular hardships in their lives? - Why are we sometimes afraid to say what Jesus said in this passage? - What sayings or teachings of Jesus are quoted most popularly in our culture? How are His teachings typically twisted?
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