The Gospel calls us to a life above labels Luke 13:1-4 – There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And he answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? Two ways we see tragedy: 1. Religious – Tragedy is tied to morality 2. Irreligious – Tragedy is tied to misery Jesus sees tragedy through the lens of hope Luke 13:5 – I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish… Luke 13:6 – And he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. “The more you try to avoid suffering, the more you suffer, because smaller and more insignificant things begin to torture you, in proportion to your fear of being hurt. The one who does most to avoid suffering is, in the end, the one who suffers most.” – Thomas Merton Luke 13:34 – O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not. Jesus lived simultaneously the most morally pure and most excruciatingly painful life ever