Luke 13:5 “I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.”
It’s easy to assume that tragedy strikes only those who somehow “deserve” it more than others. But in Luke 13, Jesus confronted that dangerous assumption head-on. When the crowd brought up the Galileans who had been killed by Pilate, or the eighteen who died when the tower of Siloam fell, Jesus didn’t dive into why they died—He went straight to what mattered most: “Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.”
Jesus wasn’t being harsh. He was being urgent. He told a story about a fruitless fig tree. Year after year, the owner came looking for fruit but found none. The command was simple: “Cut it down.” But the gardener begged for more time—just one more year. One more year to dig, to fertilize, to give the tree a chance to change. That’s grace. That’s mercy. But even mercy has a limit. If there was still no fruit, it would be cut down.
Friend, we are living in that “one more year” moment. God is being patient, giving space to repent—not because we deserve it, but because of His longsuffering love. But that window won’t stay open forever. The wages of sin is still death. And the only thing that separates the fruitful from the fruitless is repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.
The question is not whether you’ve been religious, moral, or sincere. The question is: Have you truly repented and believed the gospel? Have you turned to Christ in faith, bearing fruit that shows your heart has been changed? You won’t perish because of tragedy—you’ll perish without Christ. Today is your chance to turn. Tomorrow may be too late.
Bible Scripture Reading: Luke 13:1–9, John 15:5–6, Romans 3:10–23, 2 Peter 3:9, Hebrews 9:27