The city I live in recently experienced its worst storm on record – a category two hurricane. Many families experienced great loss and damage. How do we reconcile such loss with the reality of God’s goodness?

The good news is that Jesus revealed God’s view on the big matters of life, humanity, and eternity.  While referencing the Tower of Siloam, Jesus revealed to mankind God’s view concerning disasters.

What comfort can we find from His words? What truths did He reveal? 

Introduction

One day a crowd was listening to Jesus speak. Like a balloon rising to a water’s surface, the topic of disasters and humanity suddenly rose from among the crowd. After discerning their thoughts, He proceeded to teach:

…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!” – Luke 13:1-5

Siloam was a small neighboring community devastated by the loss of its citizens (and perhaps additional people injured) from the collapse of a large tower. 

These lives likely represented the same cross-section of today’s society – mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, friends, co-workers, & cousins.  There were no doubt people in the community who owned businesses, worked on farms, and were living their lives as they normally did when the disaster struck.

Based on Jesus’ words, we see that some in the crowd believed that the disaster was caused by the victim’s own wrongdoings and sinfulness. Maybe having such a belief was an attempt to rationalize the tragedy.

Bad things happen to bad people because they are bad, and good things happen to good people because they are good, right? Not really.

What about COVID-19, earthquakes, or hurricanes? Are people suffering from these because of their sin? As Jesus put it bluntly: 

“I tell you, no!” – Luke 13:3a.

Then why? This brings us to point 1.

Point #1: Jesus taught randomness!

For many Christians, there are typically two schools of thought for situational outcomes: man’s will and/or God’s. However, it may be a surprise that Jesus revealed a third factor – randomness.

Jesus seemed to blame the tower’s collapse on physics (the effects of living in a physical world) – not on man, God, or the devil. It just happened randomly and naturally, and tragically resulted in great loss.

The tower of Siloam likely fell the same reason a dollop of ice cream may fall to the ground – excessive wind loads or degradation of materials. Like the Tower of Siloam, disasters today can also occur because we live on the same earth the people in Jesus’ day did – an earth ruled by neither complete randomness nor complete divine or spiritual control.

Like a shooting star bustling through the galaxy, activities often happen without human or divine influence. While without question God is sovereign and preordains some events in our lives and throughout world history, ‘random suddenlies’ could happen to anyone anytime. What then should our response be? 

That leads us to point #2. 

Point #2: Converting losses into wins is God’s specialty! 

Our Father has given His people a critical role to play to help shape natural history with Him. Here are a few of biblical examples to consider: 

• A tempest arose in the sea – random. Disciples sought Jesus, and the storm calmed– changed by divine influence. 
• Lazarus dies from a sickness – random. Disciples sought Jesus and he is raised to life – changed by divine influence. 

An early church prophet named Agabus received a revelation from the Holy Spirit concerning a great famine that was soon to strike the land.  The disciples then worked together to send relief in advance to God’s people:

One of them, named Agabus, stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world. (This happened during the reign of Claudius.) – Acts 11:28

We see that although God did not stop this famine, the Spirit worked with the Lord’s Body and used it as an opportunity to show God’s grace and lovingkindness.

Just like in the early church, many disasters, both small (like a deer leaping in front of your car) and large (like COVID-19 or a hurricane) begin randomly and naturally. 

But (a very big ‘but’ might I add), converting losses into wins is your Father’s specialty! 

Like a pendulum, such events can swing to the other side and be converted into big wins through God’s creative handiwork when we begin to pray and obey God’s direction. 

His influence and sovereignty are often applied through prayer because He wants us to rely upon Him as our Father. God can convert ALL things, even random tragedies, viruses, and losses, into wins for those that walk according to His Spirit. Let me repeat that: EVERY loss you face can be converted into a win! 

It’s also important to realize that ‘all things work together for the good’ does not equal ‘all things are good and work together. So, God’s wins may look different than the wins we have in our minds.

The Church’s proactive role (and its maturity) is critical in shaping the goodness of God in the earth. Through prayer and following the Spirit’s leading, we have the privilege of influencing random and negative events and converting them into God’s goodness!

Many in the world are suffering in some form or fashion. Through our prayers, God is altering this reality– on a local, national, and global level. His hand can bring supernatural healing, while in parallel work in collaboration with subject experts and those bringing disaster relief and aid to bring about closure.

#3 – Keep an eternal view

Let’s conclude. After dismissing human and divine causation for the Tower of Siloam disaster, Jesus ended the teaching by emphasizing the need to keep an eternal view:

But unless you repent, you too will all perish. – Luke 13:5b.

Obviously, one cannot bypass death by repenting. The latest stats tell us that 1 out of every 1 person dies. So, what did Jesus really mean by that statement?

Repent – To change our view. Decide to turn from sin and towards Jesus, who is the living and resurrected One. 

Perish – To Jesus, ‘perish’ is what happens to those who die without eternal life and face God’s Judgment. Eternal life is graciously given to anyone who repents and believes in Christ personally. 

Jesus was talking to those in the crowd that day who had not made personal decisions to follow Him. He used the Tower of Siloam to reemphasize His mission, grace, and love towards them. 

Conclusion

When we consider life’s uncertainties, accidents, and random disasters these days, it reveals our time is limited. Therefore, if we have not put our faith in Christ, the time is now to do so. It also teaches us to number our days, enjoy them, and live them to the fullest, so that we may acquire a heart of wisdom.

God’s Spirit directs us to how to help others effectively when disasters strike around us.

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