What Would Jesus Say About 9/11?

Often, when looking back on the events of September 11, 2001, people have asked the question:

"Where was God on September 11th?"

Obviously, the answer being looked for is not the physical location of God on that day. The assumption behind the question, of course, is that God should have done something to prevent the evil from taking place that resulted in the death of thousands.

If one recognizes the sovereignty of God as He reveals Himself in the Bible, one is left with few options to explain the tragedy of ten years ago. To quote an old song, "God is not dead, nor doth He sleep." That much we can be sure of.

However, I think we can be even more sure of what Jesus might say about the events of 9/11. How? Because He already has responded - in a way. I am thinking of, specifically, the events related at the beginning of Luke 13:

" ¹ There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. ² And Jesus answered and said to them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? ³ I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. ⁴ Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? ⁵ I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.” " (Luke 13:1-5 - NKJV).

I don't mean to suggest that there is an exact parallel between 9/11 and the events referenced here. What I do mean to suggest is that I believe Jesus' response here is just as relevant to our situation as to theirs.

Let me break it down a bit so that my point is clearly understood:

• God is sovereign

That is to say, nothing happens outside His control. This is obvious from places like the book of Job. Satan requested the opportunity to attack Job. God granted Satan's request - in order that He might be glorified through Job's patience - but He set strict limits on how far Satan could go in his chastisement of Job.

• 9/11 happened by God's will

I must be careful in stating this point. By 'will', I do not necessarily mean by His direct action, so much as by His allowance. God does not directly cause evil. Unlike the role of storms and earthquakes in recent events, the actions at 9/11 were caused directly by evil men. But at the same time, they would have no power to act in that way unless it was allowed by God.

• Jesus commands repentance

Interestingly, what Jesus' statement regarding the events of that time tells us is extremely relevant for us today:

The suffering of Jews by the actions of Pilate and the death of some by a tower's collapse did not happen outside of God's control, but neither were they directly acts of judgment on the men who died.

The basic problem in the world is, and always has been, sin. We talk a lot about God's love, but very little about God's justice. But let us be very clear: If God were not just, the world would be a far worse place. Because of our sin, God will inevitably judge the world and send many to hell at the final judgment before the Great White Throne (Rev. 20:11-15).

So what does 9/11 - to say nothing of other tragedies where many die - mean for us today? It means that God is not going to tolerate sin indefinitely. God's patience is long, but not permanent. Sometimes He allows these tragedies to occur to remind us that we live in a sinful world and that judgment for sin is coming. This first happened when God destroyed the world by flood, saving only Noah and his family. Since then, He has judged the world many times as a vivid and sharp reminder that our lives are like a vapor and that sin will be judged. We have no reason to assume we will live a full life or that we will have time before we die to repent of our sin. As Jesus stated so plainly, "Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish."

People often ask, "Why do bad things happen to good people?" As one theologian commented on this question,

"That only happened once.  And He volunteered for it."

America, perhaps more than any other country, is extremely moralistic. Yet for all our pretentious claims of goodness, we are also an extremely sinful nation. The truth is, the events of 9/11 might have been far worse if God had not restrained them from being so.

For unbelievers, the take-home message that believers need to share with them is that Christ Jesus - The Son of God and Son of Man - came in the form of human flesh to live the perfect life that we should have lived, and thus was able to exchange - by His own free and loving choice - His prize for our penalty and punishment. He died so that those who believe in the name of Jesus - bringing nothing to salvation but their repentance - might be saved.

But for believers, this salvation doesn't necessarily translate to material riches, perpetual good health, or anything else that we might desire on this earth. God simply does not promise that our life here will be all hunky-dory. Our life here is ultimately not where our blessings will take place. We can lose our job, go bankrupt, or even die in a terrorist attack. The thing to remember is to have a God-centered mindset. If we live or die, we belong to the Lord.

So, remember those who died; support the lawful punishment of those who would seek to terrorize our nation; but never forget the higher citizenship we have in Heaven or the One Whom we serve. Most importantly, when He speaks to us through calamities, don't miss the forest for the trees.