The passage we read today is from the 13th chapter of the Gospel of Luke in the New Testament, from verse 1. Did you read the title of the sermon? The title is, “Do you suppose they are worse sinners than you?”

At times, we see and hear news about natural disasters around the world. One example is the tsunami that hit Indonesia and took the lives of so many people. But following such news, we sometimes hear follow-up comments as well. There was a pastor made a mention of the news in their sermons, saying, “The reason those people died in the tsunami was because they did not believe in God!” Such comments from a pastor have hurt many people and even left a negative impression in people regarding our faith and church in general. Similarly, earthquakes occur frequently in Japan, and when there is an earthquake, some people say, “It’s because the Japanese worship so many idols that such disasters have taken over them!”

But is that really true? Or is it wrong? The answer to that question is found in today’s scripture we read.

About 2000 years ago, during the time of Jesus, His ministry took place in the region of Israel, the modern-day Palestinian region. There is a lake called the Sea of Galilee, and an incident happened near that area. At that time, Israel was ruled by the Roman Empire, and Pilate was appointed and sent as governor over that region. In those days, not only did the Jews of the Old Testament— in whom our faith is deeply rooted— -offer sacrifices to God, but the Romans also sacrificed to their own gods. Often, the sacrifices were animals and at times blood was offered together with the sacrifices.

However, around that time, an incident occurred near the region of Galilee. Pilate took the blood of some Galileans—that is, Jews—and mixed it with the sacrifices. It was horrible. For the Jews, it was unthinkable. Usually, the Jews sacrificed oxen or sheep. They were not even permitted to sacrifice pigs, for a pig was considered an unclean animal. So to have people’s blood offered as a sacrifice was utterly horrible.

Upon hearing such news, people told Jesus about it: “Pilate mixed the blood of some Galileans with their sacrifices!” In response, Jesus gave them a word. Those who told Him this were thinking to themselves, “How sinful were those Galileans that they were met with such a horrible death?” In other words, they believed such a horrific disaster fell on them because they had committed some terrible sin.

To those people, Jesus answered, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all others?” And right away, He gave them the answer: “I tell you, no!” He made it clear—it wasn’t because they were more sinful.

He then went on to tell them about another incident that occurred at that time. A tower in a nearby region called Siloam had collapsed. We also hear about similar accidents, don’t we? We often hear news about how a building structure in a construction site collapsed, killing some construction workers, or how a crane fell on a person, resulting in his death. Similarly, a tower in Siloam fell, and eighteen people were killed. And Jesus asked them as He mentioned the accident, “Do you think that those eighteen people were worse sinners than all the others who lived in Jerusalem?” And again, He answered, “I tell you, no!” So what happened? Does that mean they were without sin?

Now pay attention to Jesus’ words that follow immediately after. He said, “Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish!” What He means by that is, everyone is a sinner. All people are sinners. In our eyes, some may seem worse and others not so bad. But when God looks down from above, what does He see? From His eyes, they are six of one, half a dozen of the other. There is no difference. Everyone is a sinner.

Now imagine that a person who sins must suffer disasters. Right now, we are in a sound condition where all our limbs are intact and we are able to walk, nor are we faced with a catastrophic disaster that prevents us from having a normal life. Yet if we were to be punished according to our sins, would we be in the same condition as now? If sinners were to suffer for their sins, for example, a person who speaks a lie suddenly becomes mute; a person who commits theft becomes paralyzed in his limbs; or a person who harbors hatred becomes paraplegic. If that were the case, I would already be a paraplegic too.

What Jesus is saying is that everyone is a sinner. There is no exception. That’s why He said, “Unless you repent, you all will perish likewise!” His words, however, were not intended for our ruin; rather, it is His urgent call for all to repent. It is His message to all to be saved.

Our God intended to make His plan known to mankind, and for that, He has been working over a long time. However, it is difficult to grasp God’s will if we view His works in part or from a certain angle only. We have to examine all that God has been doing since the beginning. The people who were used by God for His work were the Jews—the nation we know as Israel. They were used for God’s purpose for a great length of time. The reason they were elected was because God had chosen their forefather Abraham, who lived in the Iraqi region about 4000 years ago. His descendants are the Israelites through whom God had been fulfilling His works. For this reason, the Jews were taken as an exemplary model and given the Law, through which they were rigorously trained.

This Law was not given to any other nation. Nevertheless, God has planted in our hearts something that does the same function as the Law. Do you know what it is? It is moral discernment which we all know as conscience. God has given us a conscience, so that deep inside us, we would have a heart that always discern good and evil.

For the Jewish people, the Ten Commandments and the Law served the same purpose. For this reason, the Jews believed they would be blessed if they followed God’s will by keeping the Law. Most of you have probably heard about the Ten Commandments and are aware of them. Let me go over it quickly. The first commandment is, “You shall have no other gods before Me.” The second is, “You shall not make idols and bow down to them.” The third is, “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.” The fourth is, “You shall keep God’s holy day which He has hallowed.” The fifth is, “Honor your father and your mother.” The sixth is, “You shall not murder.” The seventh is, “You shall not commit adultery.” The eighth is, “You shall not steal.” The ninth is, “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” In other words, don’t cheat someone with lies, nor bear false witness in court, because a person’s life can be at stake.

Considering these nine commandments I just mentioned, do you feel that you satisfy them all? Ask yourself. Do you satisfy them all? There may be some brave souls who might say, “Yes, I’m confident! I honored my parents! I didn’t murder! I didn’t commit adultery! I didn’t steal! I didn’t lie!”

However, there is still the tenth and final commandment. Do you know what it is? The tenth commandment is, “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that belongs to your neighbor.” It’s not about stealing but coveting. Can anyone really escape this commandment? Even if a person may not have committed adultery, if in his heart, he lusts over another man’s wife thinking, “Oh, she’s beautiful!”, he has already violated the Ten Commandments. Let’s say someone bought a new car and another person says in his heart, “I wish I had that car!” He has already broken the Ten Commandments. If a person covets another person’s money, thinking, “I wish I had that money!”, that too is breaking the Ten Commandments. So then, is there anyone who can satisfy the entire Ten Commandments? No—There is none.

In this way, whoever thinks he can satisfy and please God by keeping His commandments and be blessed, will in the end be caught by the Law. In the end, he will have no choice but to confess, “Ah, surely I am a sinner!” If that’s the case, why did God give mankind the Ten Commandments, which they would only stumble over in the end? It was to teach mankind, “You are a sinner!”

Earlier, I mentioned that our conscience functions just like the Law. Why did God give us a conscience? It wasn’t so that we may judge others with our conscience. Yet aren’t we so good at judging others? Don’t you condemn and curse others when you watch the news? You might judge a lot when you’re driving. How do I know that? Because I do that. We tend to judge other people, especially when we are on the road. “Why does s/he drive like that?” In addition, we get infuriated by certain news we hear, particularly political news. When we hear about crimes committed in our society, we even say, “Such criminals deserve the death penalty!” But personally, I feel guilty whenever I hear comments like that—because I’m not any different. In fact, we all are guilty.

God’s intention for giving the Law and a conscience is for us to admit we are sinners. Why does He want us to admit that? Jesus said, “I came for sinners!” He also said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick!” The reason Jesus came to this earth—the reason God sent Jesus to the world—was to save us. However, it is man who is not ready to receive salvation. People argue, saying, “I don’t need salvation. I’m not in danger of perishing!” This is tragic in God’s eyes.

In order for someone to be saved, man first needs to recognize he is doomed to perish. Take someone who has cancer. Before they can receive treatment—whether it’s medicine or surgery—they must first be told: “You have cancer.” They need a diagnosis so they can recognize, “I’m sick.” In some cases, the doctor may immediately recognize that the patient has cancer or other conditions, such as liver cancer or cirrhosis. Why? Because the patient’s face is dark, the whites of their eyes are yellow, and all the signs are there. However, the patient might disagree with the doctor and refuse further examination because he feels it is unnecessary. In that situation, the doctor shouldn’t offer treatment but thoroughly explain to the patient of his condition. The patient may feel offended by the doctor, saying, “Why are you telling me I am sick when I feel perfectly fine?” Yet, he must accept the truth if he wants to live. Only when a person recognizes, “I’m dying!” will he finally cry out, “Please help me, doctor!”

Jesus came to save us—but first, we have to recognize and admit, “I am a sinner who deserves to perish! If there is heaven and hell, I am a sinner who rightly deserves hell!” And to such people who confess, “I am a sinner,” God will not say, “You’re a sinner, are you? Well then, you deserve to be cursed!” Rather, He wants sinners to be saved. There’s a scripture which says, “God desires all people to come to the knowledge of the truth and be saved.” He doesn’t want sinners to perish but to receive salvation.

There are instances where people condemn others who are experiencing adversities. They say, “S/he deserves it!” Even when a person has died, they say, “S/he got what s/he deserved!” Recently, I saw news about a mother who was murdered. After her death, her daughter made a leaflet and began handing them out—because she wanted to clear her mother’s name. Her mother used to work in a shopping mall. And the rumor was that her mother was such a backbiting slanderer that another woman couldn’t take it anymore and murdered her. After committing the crime, the woman fled, but as she was running, she fell from a height and remains in a coma. People were sympathizing with the murderer and condemning the victim who was killed. They were saying of her, “She deserved to die!” However, those rumors were groundless accusations. That is why the daughter gathered all the relevant facts and made a leaflet, telling the real story of her mother and the injustice she faced. In this way, even when a person has died, people will say, “They deserved it!” When the tsunami hit and killed tens of thousands of people, some said, “They got what they deserved.” This is sad but it is the reality of the human heart.

However, our God is not like that at all. He doesn’t say, “You sinned, so you deserve to perish!” No matter how sinful a person may be, He wants him to turn back—to repent—and live. He wants to save them. But a sinner cannot be saved without a price being paid. Which is why God has made many sacrifices. To save man— the sinner—He sent His sinless Son to be put to death in the place of man and receive punishment. That is why Jesus was cursed for us and died.

Whenever people make judgmental comments about someone facing a curse like, “He probably did something bad that this happened to him!” the One who would be most heartbroken is none other than our Lord Jesus Christ. When Jesus died, many people ridiculed Him, saying, “You deserve it! Surely You are a sinner! It serves You right! If You’re the Son of God, ask God to save You!” To this day, numerous people believe Jesus as a deceiver who misled the people. How upsetting would He be if people were to say that He was cursed for some legitimate reason?

It doesn’t work like that in this world. Sinners are not immediately punished and put to death, nor are the righteous people always successful. That’s not how things go here. Instead, this world is where those who harass and do ill to others can prosper. In that sense, it’s so unfair, isn’t it? But this world where we live in the flesh is not a fair and just place. Only in the Kingdom of God, where our spirits will enter after the resurrection, will everything be fair and just. Therefore, in this world, we haven’t any right to judge those experiencing misfortune. Rather, Scripture warns us, “Be sober, and fear!” In other words: “I, too, deserve such things. I must stay watchful.”

Though we may be watchful, we are still doomed to be cursed, punished, and perish. Yet, what I can tell you with confidence is this: I am no longer in that state. I am not afraid of the punishment for sin. I’ve come to possess eternal peace and happiness. Why? Because I know that if I were to stand before God just as I am, I would have no excuse—even if I were cursed or ended up in hell. I can’t argue with that. It is what I deserve. However, I don’t fear curses in this world, nor will I go to hell later. Why? Because I believe that Jesus bore the curse and punishment for me. That is why I am filled with the peace and hope our Lord has given me. And I have not just one or two, but many testimonies of this. So I sincerely hope you also will enjoy this favor of God.

So we, who believe in Jesus, are not justified by our own works, but by faith—by grace—as a gift freely given. It’s so easy, isn’t it? If we accept and believe that Jesus died for us on the cross, then we no longer need to pay the price for our sin. It’s that simple. For this reason, some people criticize, saying, “That’s too easy. If it’s that easy, anyone can be saved!” Yes, that’s right—anyone can be saved.

However, not everyone is saved. Why is that? Because it’s so simple that people don’t believe it. Then there are others who stubbornly resist and refuse to repent. They claim, “I have done nothing wrong! My conscience is clear!” They justify themselves based on their own conscience—and such people often point fingers at others and judge: “That person has no conscience! People like them should not exist!” While they point their fingers at others, there will be other fingers pointed at them probably. They too are judged.

So are we going to remain living by our conscience, or are we going to live by the Lord’s grace? We must decide. Faith life means to live by grace.

There is someone that I know, and a while back, he got divorced in his later years. It was unfortunate that he had to divorce. Jesus said we must not divorce, but that doesn’t mean that anyone who divorces is under a curse. That’s not what Jesus intended behind His words. It is a difficult topic to comment on, because there are numerous situations where there is no other option but divorce. The circumstances of others are something we cannot comment on so easily. There are situations where divorce is inevitable. Also, he was in that situation, and he was quite troubled by the fact that he had gone through a divorce.

At the time, I didn’t know he had gone through a divorce—I wrote him a letter. He was not a Christian. In my letter, I wrote, “You are a sinner,” and shared how he needed to receive the grace of Jesus. He never wrote back to me, but I found out much later that he was upset after reading my letter. At the time of his divorce, he was under a strong sense of guilt. As a dignified and gentle person, he was ashamed of having done something that was forbidden. But on top of that, I told him, “You are a sinner!” He took it as a criticism and was offended by it. However, he misunderstood my intention. I wasn’t trying to tell him that he alone was a sinner but that we all are sinners, yet due to his being uptight and under the sense of guilt, he took it the wrong way.

Likewise, the same goes for us. When God says to us, “You are a sinner!” please do not misinterpret His intention. Do not be overcome by a sense of guilt or shame. He does not intend for you to perish; rather, He ultimately wants you to repent, and be forgiven, to accept the grace He is pouring out.

God’s heart is like that of a mother’s heart. In the old days, some mothers would say things like in anger, “Get out! I don’t want to see your face again!” to their children when they caused much heartache. I know mothers these days wouldn’t say such things. But just because a mother might say something like that, the child shouldn’t obey and say, “Yes, mother!” A mature person doesn’t get hurt even if they’re told such things by their mother because they know how much their mother loves them. They don’t misconstrue their mother’s words. Similarly, when the Lord tells us, “You are a sinner,” He wishes that the sinner would repent and turn, to be saved, receive eternal life, and be filled with God’s happiness and joy. He is exhorting us to turn away from sin, which hinders us from receiving these.

In Jesus’ name, I bless you all to be those who understand God’s heart—a heart like that of a mother—and to receive everything God is willing to give you.

Let’s pray.

Thank You, Father God. While we were still sinners, You sent Jesus Christ to die for us and pay the full price of all our sins. Because of this, we—who were unworthy to meet God—are now able to call on the name of God. We—who were undeserving of Your love— have now come to share in God’s glory. We ask You to help every single person to acknowledge what our Lord Jesus Christ has done and thus receive this great grace. Help them to understand that we were originally sinners, but through Your mercy, we have been given this great grace. Inspire them to understand this by the Holy Spirit. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen!