Turn to
JesusTurn to
JesusNo. I'm not saying that. Let's look at the relevant Bible passages.
When Jesus was told about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices, he answered, "Do you think these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent you too will all perish. Or those eighteen who died when the towwer in Siloam fell on them - do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jeruslaem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish (Luke 13:1-5)."
This would apply to people caught up in any disaster. Good people can get caught up in the disasters that God sends: see Ezekiel 21:1-5 where this is specifically mentioned.
On another occasion, as Jesus walked akong, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents that he was born blind?" Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened that the work of God might be displayed in his life (John 9:1-3)." It's encouraging to read that.
However, before this, Jesus had healed an invalid who had been lying by the Pool of Bethesda for thirty-eight years. When the two of them met again in the temple later on, Jesus said "See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you (John 5:14)." It seems that in this case, the man's health condition was linked to past sin.
Psalm 41:1-3 states "Blessed is he who has regard for the weak; the Lord delivers him in times of trouble... The Lord will sustain him on his sick-bed and restore him from his bed of illness." Here again we read of a connection between health and life choices. These can affect our praying. God does not always give us what we ask for. For example, Proverbs 21:13 states "If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered." Before asking God to help, it is good to examine our hearts and humble ourselves (Psalm 130:3).
Two brothers, Er and Onan were both wicked in the Lord's sight, and he put them to death (Genesis 38:7-10). We don't know what Er's wickedness consisted of, but Onan died becasue he refused to carry out the obligation at that time to continue the dead brother's family (Deuteronomy 25:5-6).
Finally, the book of Job asks the question, why do bad things happen to good people? Following a string of disasters, Job's friends explain to him that it must have happened because he sinned, but at the end of the book, God comes in the whirlwind and says that the friends have not been right about this: they are the ones that need to repent (42:7f). The book also explains the role of Satan. It is he who inflicts the disasters, but he acts with God's permission (chs 1-2). Job attributes his suffering to God, and when God speaks to him directly at the end of the book, God does not dispute this.
There is a lot to reflect on here.