Repent or Perish. Pilate had Galileans murdered when they went to Jerusalem to sacrifice in the temple. There was the suggestion that the Galileans’ sins caused their deaths. Jesus does not deal with this. He does not give a direct answer, but adds another tragic story of when the Tower of Siloam fell. Do some people deserve death more than ever?
Jesus turns their speculation right back at them: the sole and necessary requirement for all humans is to repent. He doesn’t satisfy the “problem of evil” question that we all ask at some point in our lives. Jesus tells us that we should be more concerned with our struggle with sin.
About Corey Sharpe
Where do we get our beliefs?
Three theological perspectives have significantly shaped my Christian identity: Evangelicalism, the early Methodist tradition and liberation theology.
From my coming to faith in a Baptist church and throughout my education in a Baptist school and college, I was nurtured by convictions that emphasized a spiritual rebirth, a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and the centrality of the Bible. Even when I disagree with certain aspects of evangelicalism, it has deeply influenced my sense of what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ.
My seminary studies spawned my interest in early Methodism, particularly its approach to spiritual formation. Its leaders were convinced that only a foundation of doctrine and discipline would lead to a meaningful transformation of the heart and mind. In other words, having the mind of Christ enables me to be more like Christ.
Life in a suburban culture obscures the increasing gap between the poor and rich, as well as the Bible’s close identification with the poor. My doctoral work in socio-cultural context exposed me to liberation theology, which helps me see redemptive history as a history of oppressed groups, written from the perspective of the powerless, about a God who is actively involved with the poor in their struggles.
I am now the pastor at Mount Zion United Methodist Church in St Mary’s County, Maryland. Together my wife and I have 4 children.
The Other Six Days 