At that very time there were some present who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. He asked them, “Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans? No, I tell you, but unless you repent you will all perish as they did. Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them—do you think that they were worse offenders than all the other people living in Jerusalem? No, I tell you, but unless you repent you will all perish just as they did.” —Luke 13:1-5

Why do the innocent suffer? (Luke 13:1-2)

Surely, people reasoned, the Galileans must have done something terrible for God to

them that way… (Luke 13:1-3)

Jesus wants to make sure

get it! (Luke 13:4-5)

So…exactly how are we to understand God’s

in the light of suffering?

Leslie Weatherhead was a Methodist pastor well trained in the theology of John Wesley. He talked about the will of God in three ways:

1. God’s
   Reveal Answer
   Will: What God willed for creation in the beginning…no suffering…no death…and a deep relationship with God.
2. God’s
   Reveal Answer
   Will: After the Fall in the Garden of Eden what God wills for us now…salvation, healing and eternal life.
3. God’s
   Reveal Answer
   Will: God’s ultimate will is for the restoration of all creation, including you and me.

According to Wesley and Weatherhead:

• God does not want

to suffer.
• We create suffering by the

Reveal Answer

we make. And those choices are so powerful they affect all of creation.
• God’s will for all of creation, including you and me, is that we experience

Reveal Answer

and eternal life.

We can begin experiencing healing and eternal life ourselves by

to God for help.

Here’s what’s important: In suffering God will be

. (Luke 13:5)

Jesus is telling each of us to take care of our own spiritual life and not to judge others—especially when those others are

.

You have choice to make: you can either let suffering make you cold and bitter or you can use it to

you to make the world a better place.

Every day towers fall. The question is: how will we

when they do?

Action Step:

Go back to your prayer journal. Each day answer the question: How can I help someone who is suffering today?

“My additional notes:

”.