Matthew 11:20-24
Then he began to reproach the cities in which most of his deeds of power had been done, because they did not repent. “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the deeds of power done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, on the day of judgment it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon than for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? No, you will be brought down to Hades. For if the deeds of power done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I tell you that on the day of judgment it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom than for you.”
Anger or grief?
This seems to me one of the two key questions to ask about this difficult passage. Is Jesus reproaching the cities in which has been spending his time preaching and healing out of a sense of anger, or out of a sense of grief? “Woe,” here, can also be translated as “alas,” denoting a sense of sadness. And when someone speaks sharply to you, discerning whether it is out of sadness or anger makes all the difference.
Interestingly, the major difference between the cities that Jesus reproaches and those he speaks of more favorable is simply a matter of proximity, familiarity, and opportunity. The cities Jesus critiques are local, the towns and cities where has been traveling and to which he had been ministering. They’ve had ample opportunity to get to know him. The other cities, by contrast, are further away, foreign and, to a large degree, considered ungodly by many in Jesus’ audience.
That heightens the critique for the listeners, of course, as Jesus compares their cities unfavorably to those they despise. But it also clarifies the basis of the Jesus’ critique. The folks in Capernaum, Chorazin, and Bethsaida had seen Jesus on countless occasions, had heard him preach, and had witnessed his miracles. They had, therefore, every opportunity to receive his message and repent. But they didn’t.
And so he is…angry? Maybe, but I think also, and perhaps more likely, heartbroken. Why? Because in the end Jesus doesn’t call down fire from heaven to express God’s judgment but rather climbs up onto the cross to demonstrate God’s love….for all.
Jesus is heartbroken, I believe, because those with the greatest opportunity to hear of God’s love and be transformed by God’s grace do not respond.
Which brings me to the second question: is there any community that has had more opportunity to listen to Jesus, to hear of his deeds, even the account of his death and resurrection, and be transformed by God’s love…than ours?
Prayer: Dear God, open our eyes and ears and hearts to your call to repent, to follow you, and to share the news of your love with all people. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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