20Then Jesus began to denounce the cities in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent. 21"Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! 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. 22But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. 23And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to the skies? No, you will go down to the depths. If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. 24But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you."
Jesus is issuing a warning to the cities that had seen the powerful miracles and work of Jesus first hand but did not repent. I think this is really a warning to us as believers who are blessed and have been given so much such as the liberty to worship freely, born in Christian homes and brought up in the church, have unlimited access to the Bible and really any information/knowledge of God's word that we could ever want and have have seen miracles happen in our own lives and the lives of others.
We are the recipients of God's grace and every day blessings in ABUNDANCE yet we still lead unchanged lives, have not repented and turned from our sins completely to follow Him. Jesus is not just talking to these random far off cities like Tyre and Sidon but he is talking to me and to you. We should pray for repentant hearts and heed Jesus's warning in this passage.
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3 comments:
wow, christine, excellent reflection! this passage should convict every one of us of the urgent need to repent--today.
if we apply what Jesus said about cities to individuals, Jesus is saying something like this: some people repent when they hear God’s Word or experience God's deliverance; others hear the exact same message or experience a similar deliverance and do not repent.
I think Jesus's point is that God’s Word and these acts of grace in our lives are MORE than sufficient to lead us to repent.
if we still refuse to repent, it will be very bad for us. God warns us not to deceive ourselves. Jesus says, "I tell you the truth, it will be more bearable for sodom on the day of judgment than for you".
it will be more bearable for Sodom than for us because we received many more chances to repent than that ancient city did. we will be held accountable for every message and every evidence of God’s grace that we witnessed that did not lead to our repentance.
we will have all of eternity to think of all the chances we had to repent but didn’t.
I agree with everything that you said, Christine. This warning actually scares me because it's warning for those who have heard and seen God's hand working but their hearts are so hard that it doesn't move them to repent and change. I wonder if my heart's like that. Is it too hard to be broken and changed. And will God give up on me because I'm so stubborn in my sinful ways and continue to refuse to listen to Him or to repent. I want to believe that I'm wrong but sadly, I have to admit I don't know God's heart.
I guess the first step is to just come to God, even if I don't want to, and let Him take it from there.
I would like to exchange links with your site lovingthegodoftruth.blogspot.com
Is this possible?
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