1 There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2 And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things? 3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. 4 Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. (Luke 13:1-5 KJV)
Repent or Perish
We have here tidings brought to Christ about the death of some Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices (Luke 13:1).
1. This tragic story is briefly told here and isn’t recorded by historians of the time. Josephus does mention Pilate killing some Samaritans heading to Mount Gerizim, but that seems to be a different event. Some believe these Galileans were followers of Judas of Galilee (Acts 5:37), who opposed Caesar’s authority, or were merely suspected of being part of that faction and were unjustly killed. Being Herod’s subjects, Pilate’s violence against them may have sparked the hostility between him and Herod (Luke 23:12).
We don’t know how many were killed, but the key detail is that their blood was mingled with their sacrifices—perhaps while they were offering them in the temple courtyard. Though they might have feared Pilate, they still went up to Jerusalem as the law required. Dr. Lightfoot suggests they were actually offering their own sacrifices when Pilate’s officers ambushed them. The Galileans, known to be brave and usually armed, were likely caught off guard. Their blood was mingled with that of their sacrifices, as if both were equally acceptable to God. Neither the holiness of the place nor the sacredness of their activity protected them from the violence of an unjust ruler. The altar, once a sanctuary, became a place of danger and death.
2. Why this was told to Jesus:
- Possibly as news, believing he hadn’t heard it and would mourn with them, since the Galileans were his countrymen. Sad events should be shared so we can reflect on them and draw spiritual lessons.
- Perhaps to confirm what Jesus had just said about making peace with God before judgment (Luke 12:58-59): “Here is an example of people taken suddenly in death, so we all need to be ready.”
- Possibly to provoke Jesus, being a Galilean himself, to seek revenge on Herod for killing his countrymen. If so, they misunderstood him, for Jesus was going to Jerusalem, not to avenge others, but to offer himself as a sacrifice.
- Maybe to warn him not to go to Jerusalem, fearing Pilate would treat him the same way. Pilate might accuse him, as he possibly did the Galileans, of stirring rebellion under the cover of worship.
- Christ’s reply suggests they hinted that these Galileans must have been wicked, or God wouldn’t have allowed them to be killed in such a way. They wouldn’t allow the possibility that they were martyrs or that their deaths were honorable. Instead, without proof, they assumed the worst, possibly because they belonged to a different group or disagreed with them. They labeled a tragic event as divine punishment, not knowing the truth.
Christ answered with another story of sudden death. A tower in Siloam had collapsed, killing eighteen people. Dr. Lightfoot thinks the tower stood near the pool of Siloam, which may have been the same as Bethesda (John 5:3). The victims could have been those waiting for healing or those purifying themselves for temple worship. Regardless, it was a tragic accident. Such events still happen, catching people by surprise (Ecclesiastes 9:12). Towers built for protection can become instruments of death.
Jesus warned his listeners not to misjudge those who suffer sudden deaths. “Do you think these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans because they suffered like this? I tell you, no” (Luke 13:2-3). He turned their attention to the Jerusalem victims of the tower collapse, reminding them that tragedy can strike anyone, regardless of merit. We must not assume those who suffer most are the greatest sinners. Many suffer as a test of faith, not as punishment. Harsh judgment can make us like Job’s friends, who wrongly accused a righteous man. God’s dealings with people aren’t always visible (Ecclesiastes 9:1-2), and we shouldn’t assume that those who succeed are saints or those who suffer are sinners. We should judge others with the same measure we want used for us (Matthew 7:1).
Jesus used both tragedies to call for repentance, repeating, “Unless you repent, you too will all perish” (Luke 13:3, Luke 13:5).
- This reminds us that we all deserve to perish just as much as they did. If God had judged us strictly, our blood might have been mingled with our own sacrifices.
- We must repent—turn from sin and change our lives. God’s judgments on others are warnings for us. Jesus used every opportunity to call people to this most important duty: to repent.
- Repentance is the only way to avoid perishing. It is a sure way.
- If we don’t repent, we will certainly perish, as others have. Some think the word “likewise” refers to the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans during the Passover, when many were slaughtered and their blood flowed like the Galileans’. Others were crushed in falling buildings, like those under the tower of Siloam. But the warning reaches further: unless we repent, we will perish eternally. Jesus calls us to repent, not only because heaven is near but because hell is real.
- Those who harshly judge others but fail to repent themselves will face even greater condemnation.