NOTES for Luk 13:1-17

Many people often wonder about the meaning of suffering. They do not understand why the most innocent people tend to suffer most often—apparently they assume that suffering is sent as punishment for sins. Jesus is asked this question in connection with a tragedy that occurred in Jerusalem. But He moves the question onto an entirely different plane. He does not deny the connection between sin and punishment, yet at the same time He says that God’s instruction is founded on His patience and mercy. The question becomes not “Why is everything so bad when I have done nothing bad?” but, on the contrary, “Why is everything so good when I have done nothing good?” Jesus Himself immediately gives the answer: everything is so good because God gives us one more chance to change for the better.