Unvarnished Jesus: A Lenten JourneyMuestra

Sunday, March 24

Luke 13:1–9

Jesus Warns Jerusalem

Some Galilean Passover pilgrims had been executed when they rioted against Roman occupation, and eighteen people had perished in a Jerusalem building collapse. Jesus commented on these tragedies by saying, unless you rethink everything, you will all perish in the same way. Jesus is not talking about afterlife issues, but warning Jerusalem against embracing the way of violence. Jesus is saying to them, if you don’t rethink war and peace according to what I’m teaching, you’re all going to die by Roman swords and collapsing buildings. And this is exactly what happened forty years later when Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans in AD 70 and according to Josephus, 600,000 people perished. Peace is the way.