Wednesday, April 26, 2006
DEGREES IN PUNISHMENT
Matt. 11
Vv. 21-22. "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles had occurred in Tyre and Sidon which occurred in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22. "Nevertheless I say to you, it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment, than for you.
The woe pronounced on the cities of Chorazin and Bethsaida amount to a curse. These cities were suburbs of Capernaum; the place Jesus ministry was headquartered. The reason that these cities drew the woe is due to their indifference to the miracles that they personally had observed. MacArthur writes, “Indifference is a heinous form of unbelief. It so completely disregards God that He is not even an issue worth arguing about. He is not taken seriously enough to criticize.” Even if these people had not been eyewitness to His works they would have heard of the works He was doing yet few responded.
The next statement is interesting. For if the miracles had occurred in the port cities of Tyre and Sidon which occurred in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. The Jews of Galilee viewed these two cities as the epitome of Gentile corruption and worthlessness. However, these self-righteous, cold orthodox religious Jews were being cursed here by this friend of sinners. They would hold out their religion as righteousness and fail to see anything that they would need to repent from, or of. Jesus is drawing an analogy between these four cities; two profess to be righteous because they have the Law and the prophets, and the other two have only their own imagination inventing their own form of truth to uphold. Where knowledge abounds, so also does responsibility to act upon that information.
Jesus miracle working has gone on for some time now as we understand that they would have repented long ago. We are not given anything definite but can see an adequate timeframe has passed. The final verse in John’s gospel gives us the magnitude of Jesus’ works: (21:25) And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they were written in detail, I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books which were written.
To repent in sackcloth and ashes would be an outward sign of contrition for the wrong one has done. The transgressor would seek to pacify the wrath of the offended party by wearing an uncomfortable coarse hairy black cloth garment. (Rev. 6:12 And I looked when He broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became like blood) This material would be quite uncomfortable yet the symbolism is amplified by the ashes; either sitting in them of dusting themselves with them.
Speaking to the people of Chorazin and Bethsaida Jesus continues, “Nevertheless I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment, than for you.” In this verse we see degrees of punishment that shall be more tolerable. This situation is reconciled by Luke 12:47-48 "And that slave who knew his master's will and did not get ready or act in accord with his will, shall receive many lashes, 48. but the one who did not know it, and committed deeds worthy of a flogging, will receive but few. And from everyone who has been given much shall much be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.
Vv. 21-22. "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles had occurred in Tyre and Sidon which occurred in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22. "Nevertheless I say to you, it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment, than for you.
The woe pronounced on the cities of Chorazin and Bethsaida amount to a curse. These cities were suburbs of Capernaum; the place Jesus ministry was headquartered. The reason that these cities drew the woe is due to their indifference to the miracles that they personally had observed. MacArthur writes, “Indifference is a heinous form of unbelief. It so completely disregards God that He is not even an issue worth arguing about. He is not taken seriously enough to criticize.” Even if these people had not been eyewitness to His works they would have heard of the works He was doing yet few responded.
The next statement is interesting. For if the miracles had occurred in the port cities of Tyre and Sidon which occurred in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. The Jews of Galilee viewed these two cities as the epitome of Gentile corruption and worthlessness. However, these self-righteous, cold orthodox religious Jews were being cursed here by this friend of sinners. They would hold out their religion as righteousness and fail to see anything that they would need to repent from, or of. Jesus is drawing an analogy between these four cities; two profess to be righteous because they have the Law and the prophets, and the other two have only their own imagination inventing their own form of truth to uphold. Where knowledge abounds, so also does responsibility to act upon that information.
Jesus miracle working has gone on for some time now as we understand that they would have repented long ago. We are not given anything definite but can see an adequate timeframe has passed. The final verse in John’s gospel gives us the magnitude of Jesus’ works: (21:25) And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they were written in detail, I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books which were written.
To repent in sackcloth and ashes would be an outward sign of contrition for the wrong one has done. The transgressor would seek to pacify the wrath of the offended party by wearing an uncomfortable coarse hairy black cloth garment. (Rev. 6:12 And I looked when He broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became like blood) This material would be quite uncomfortable yet the symbolism is amplified by the ashes; either sitting in them of dusting themselves with them.
Speaking to the people of Chorazin and Bethsaida Jesus continues, “Nevertheless I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment, than for you.” In this verse we see degrees of punishment that shall be more tolerable. This situation is reconciled by Luke 12:47-48 "And that slave who knew his master's will and did not get ready or act in accord with his will, shall receive many lashes, 48. but the one who did not know it, and committed deeds worthy of a flogging, will receive but few. And from everyone who has been given much shall much be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.
# posted by Castusfumus : 3:22 PM
