'Then he began to reproach the towns where most of his mighty deeds had been done, since they had not repented. “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. And as for you, Capernaum: ‘Will you be exalted to heaven? You will go down to the netherworld.’ For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you (Mt. 11:20-24).”'
The two towns Chorazin and Bethsaida were thriving cities near the Sea of Galilee and lie in ruins today. Tyre and Sidon were Gentile towns in Phonecia, modern day Lebanon, which were doomed by the prophets (Isaiah 23; Ezekiel 26-28). Capernaum was where Jesus lived; “He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali (Mt. 4:13).” Jesus frequently preached in those cities and his miracles were done to move people to repentance and conversion. Since the people in those towns who experienced the miracle first-hand did not change, they will be judged more harshly than the people of Sodom. All of the towns mentioned by Jesus were towns of ‘ill repute’ and worthy of divine punishment because they had many opportunities to know Jesus and learn from his teaching, but they refused to change. Even through his warning Jesus is giving them the opportunity to repent. While we are alive there is always the opportunity to receive God’s mercy through repentance and conversion.
Almighty God, in your mercy you sent your beloved Son Jesus Christ into the world not to condemn it but to bring those who accept his teaching to repentance and conversion. Grant us sanctifying grace that his words may find fertile soil in our hearts and that through our continuing conversion we may lead others away from divine punishment. This we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen!
References:
Raymond E. Brown, Joseph A. Fitzmyer, & Roland E. Murphy, (Eds.). (1990, 1968). The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentis Hall, Inc.
Jose M. Casciaro, Santiago Ausin, Gonzalo Aranda, Claudio Basevi, Vincente Balaguer, Francisco Varo, James Gavigan, Brian McCarthy & Thomas McGovern (Eds.). (2017). The Navarre Bible - New Testament. Dublin 8, Ireland: Four Courts Press.
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