Woe to Unrepentant Towns - Matthew 11:20-24
Woe on Unrepentant Towns
20 Then Jesus began to denounce the towns in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent. 21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. 23 And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades. For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. 24 But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”
Reflection: Although we properly call the Gospel, the Good News, for some it will become bad news if they don't accept it. Although Jesus performed miracles, which were a manifestation of the Good News (remember the Good News was that the kingdom of God was at hand through Jesus), he pronounces woe on the towns that rejected the Good News. And the reason that this has become bad news is that they did not repent.
Repentance, is a change of mind, which leads to a change of behavior led by the Holy Spirit. All behavior starts in the mind with a bad idea that is acted upon. When we are tempted, we get an idea from our own sinful nature, the world or the devil, and then act on it. If we continue in a specific bad behavior it can become a destructive part of our lives. There are two senses to this word repentance. There is initial repentance where we go from trusting in our own works and trust in Jesus as our Savior and Lord for our salvation and justification. We realize that we can never be good enough to live up to God's standard of perfection in the Law, but turn to His Son who died for us and set us free. So we repent from trusting in ourselves and put our faith in Christ. This is most likely the repentance Jesus is talking about in these cities. Instead of hearing the Good News which has come in Jesus, they reject Him and the miracles he did, which were a sign that He was the Messiah.
The other sense of the word repentance is once we believe, we are still sinners and do things unbecoming as a son or daughter of God. As believers, God wants us to turn from what we know is wrong, and the things we have done which we know are wrong, and turn to Christ. The sooner the better. Repentance is always initiated by the Holy Spirit, who leads us to know God's will, and where and when we have turned from it. Our initial coming to Christ is also initiated by the Holy Spirit, who guides and leads us to have faith in Christ not ourselves. God desires all people to be saved and come to know Jesus, but some people reject the work of the Holy Spirit, who works through the Gospel being preached to lead them to salvation.
Unfortunately there are those who will die having rejected God, His Son, and the Holy Spirit. Since we don't know who those people are only God does, our goal is to make the Gospel known, and pray for all to come to a knowledge of the truth. We can do this through our own testimony and witness to what Christ has done in our lives. People are attracted to the Good News through those who are living out the Good News in their lives empowered by God's Spirit. God does the work of salvation but He uses us to be salt and light in the world! Where are you salt and light right now?
Heavenly Father, thank you for sending the Holy Spirit so we might repent from a life of trusting in ourselves to trusting in your free gift of salvation in Jesus Christ. If there is sin in our lives we repent of it, knowing you have a great plan and will for our lives as we surrender to your leadership in our lives each day. Amen.
20 Then Jesus began to denounce the towns in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent. 21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. 23 And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades. For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. 24 But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”
Reflection: Although we properly call the Gospel, the Good News, for some it will become bad news if they don't accept it. Although Jesus performed miracles, which were a manifestation of the Good News (remember the Good News was that the kingdom of God was at hand through Jesus), he pronounces woe on the towns that rejected the Good News. And the reason that this has become bad news is that they did not repent.
Repentance, is a change of mind, which leads to a change of behavior led by the Holy Spirit. All behavior starts in the mind with a bad idea that is acted upon. When we are tempted, we get an idea from our own sinful nature, the world or the devil, and then act on it. If we continue in a specific bad behavior it can become a destructive part of our lives. There are two senses to this word repentance. There is initial repentance where we go from trusting in our own works and trust in Jesus as our Savior and Lord for our salvation and justification. We realize that we can never be good enough to live up to God's standard of perfection in the Law, but turn to His Son who died for us and set us free. So we repent from trusting in ourselves and put our faith in Christ. This is most likely the repentance Jesus is talking about in these cities. Instead of hearing the Good News which has come in Jesus, they reject Him and the miracles he did, which were a sign that He was the Messiah.
The other sense of the word repentance is once we believe, we are still sinners and do things unbecoming as a son or daughter of God. As believers, God wants us to turn from what we know is wrong, and the things we have done which we know are wrong, and turn to Christ. The sooner the better. Repentance is always initiated by the Holy Spirit, who leads us to know God's will, and where and when we have turned from it. Our initial coming to Christ is also initiated by the Holy Spirit, who guides and leads us to have faith in Christ not ourselves. God desires all people to be saved and come to know Jesus, but some people reject the work of the Holy Spirit, who works through the Gospel being preached to lead them to salvation.
Unfortunately there are those who will die having rejected God, His Son, and the Holy Spirit. Since we don't know who those people are only God does, our goal is to make the Gospel known, and pray for all to come to a knowledge of the truth. We can do this through our own testimony and witness to what Christ has done in our lives. People are attracted to the Good News through those who are living out the Good News in their lives empowered by God's Spirit. God does the work of salvation but He uses us to be salt and light in the world! Where are you salt and light right now?
Heavenly Father, thank you for sending the Holy Spirit so we might repent from a life of trusting in ourselves to trusting in your free gift of salvation in Jesus Christ. If there is sin in our lives we repent of it, knowing you have a great plan and will for our lives as we surrender to your leadership in our lives each day. Amen.
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