Thursday, April 27, 2006
CAPERNAUM'S CONCEITEDNESS
Vv 23-24. "And you, Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you? You shall descend to Hades; for if the miracles had occurred in Sodom which occurred in you, it would have remained to this day. 24. "Nevertheless I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for you."
We now turn to the city of least excuse, Jesus primary location for ministry; Capernaum. S.L. Johnson (who worked portions of the NIV translation) renders this rhetorical question as such: “And as for you, Capernaum, you shall not be exalted to heaven, shall you?” The answer is an expected No! However, the Jews of this city expected full vindication because of their self-righteous acts of religion. Their expectations were to merit heaven by their “exaltedness” yet their realization would be just the opposite: you shall descend to Hades.
We draw parallel analogy between cities of Chorazin and Bethsaida with Tyre and Sidon and now between Capernaum and Sodom. Sodom was the city along with Gomorrah that was so wicked that God destroyed them with the raining of fire and brimstone (Gen. 19:24). Sodom is a synonym for moral depravity. The word sodomy is a word derived from this very city known for passionate homosexuality. This is a serious curse on Capernaum to think that this people deserved a worse fate than Sodom.
Jesus says, “If (a second time) the miracles had occurred in Sodom which occurred in you then it would have remained to this day. Here is another example of Christ’s kingdom suffering violence by the violence of indifference. And again we are confronted with degrees of punishment in verse 24. Nevertheless I say to you is a clear and definite proclamation elevating the sentence for the self-righteous city of Capernaum over that of Sodom. He says that Sodom will have a more tolerable punishment than Capernaum will in the day of judgment.
We are not quite through these passages until we look upon thorny little word, “if”. The question that begs to be asked is: If Tyre and Sidon along with Sodom would have repented had these miracles been done for them, then why were they withheld these blessings? Calvin slams the door on such questions when he says, “Lest any should raise thorny questions about the secret decrees of God, we must remember, that this discourse of our Lord is accommodated to the ordinary capacity of the human mind.” S.L. Johnson says, “in the final analysis one must admit that “The secret things belong unto that Lord our God; but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of the Law” (Deut. 29:29). And in this case the question is more embarrassing for the Arminian than for the Calvinist. Someone has said, “Arminianism is the religion of common sense, but Calvinism is the religion of St. Paul!” The question is very hard for human common sense, but for St. Paul it was somewhat easier (cf. Eph 1:11; Rom 9:6-29).” I will admit that these kinds of questions fascinate me because they go beyond what the human mind can grasp. I think that in this we can grasp another sliver of comprehension of God’s majesty and glory. Calvin writes, “Let us therefore aware of our own weakness, learn to contemplate this height and depth with reverence for it is intolerable fretfulness and pride that is manifested by those who cannot endure to ascribe praise to the righteousness of God, except so far as it comes within the reach of their senses, and who disdainfully reject those mysteries, which it was their duty to adore, simply because the reason of them is not fully evident.”
We now turn to the city of least excuse, Jesus primary location for ministry; Capernaum. S.L. Johnson (who worked portions of the NIV translation) renders this rhetorical question as such: “And as for you, Capernaum, you shall not be exalted to heaven, shall you?” The answer is an expected No! However, the Jews of this city expected full vindication because of their self-righteous acts of religion. Their expectations were to merit heaven by their “exaltedness” yet their realization would be just the opposite: you shall descend to Hades.
We draw parallel analogy between cities of Chorazin and Bethsaida with Tyre and Sidon and now between Capernaum and Sodom. Sodom was the city along with Gomorrah that was so wicked that God destroyed them with the raining of fire and brimstone (Gen. 19:24). Sodom is a synonym for moral depravity. The word sodomy is a word derived from this very city known for passionate homosexuality. This is a serious curse on Capernaum to think that this people deserved a worse fate than Sodom.
Jesus says, “If (a second time) the miracles had occurred in Sodom which occurred in you then it would have remained to this day. Here is another example of Christ’s kingdom suffering violence by the violence of indifference. And again we are confronted with degrees of punishment in verse 24. Nevertheless I say to you is a clear and definite proclamation elevating the sentence for the self-righteous city of Capernaum over that of Sodom. He says that Sodom will have a more tolerable punishment than Capernaum will in the day of judgment.
We are not quite through these passages until we look upon thorny little word, “if”. The question that begs to be asked is: If Tyre and Sidon along with Sodom would have repented had these miracles been done for them, then why were they withheld these blessings? Calvin slams the door on such questions when he says, “Lest any should raise thorny questions about the secret decrees of God, we must remember, that this discourse of our Lord is accommodated to the ordinary capacity of the human mind.” S.L. Johnson says, “in the final analysis one must admit that “The secret things belong unto that Lord our God; but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of the Law” (Deut. 29:29). And in this case the question is more embarrassing for the Arminian than for the Calvinist. Someone has said, “Arminianism is the religion of common sense, but Calvinism is the religion of St. Paul!” The question is very hard for human common sense, but for St. Paul it was somewhat easier (cf. Eph 1:11; Rom 9:6-29).” I will admit that these kinds of questions fascinate me because they go beyond what the human mind can grasp. I think that in this we can grasp another sliver of comprehension of God’s majesty and glory. Calvin writes, “Let us therefore aware of our own weakness, learn to contemplate this height and depth with reverence for it is intolerable fretfulness and pride that is manifested by those who cannot endure to ascribe praise to the righteousness of God, except so far as it comes within the reach of their senses, and who disdainfully reject those mysteries, which it was their duty to adore, simply because the reason of them is not fully evident.”
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.
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
THE REPROACH BEGINS
76. Woes upon Chorazin and Bethsaida for failure to repent
Matt. 11:20-30
Matt. 11: 20. Then He began to reproach the cities in which most of His miracles were done, because they did not repent.
21. "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.
23. "And you, Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you? You shall descend to Hades; for if the miracles had occurred in Sodom which occurred in you, it would have remained to this day.
24. "Nevertheless I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for you."
25. At that time Jesus answered and said, "I praise Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that Thou didst hide these things from the wise and intelligent and didst reveal them to babes.
26. "Yes, Father, for thus it was well-pleasing in Thy sight.
27. "All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son, except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father, except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.
28. "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.
29. "Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls.
30. "For My yoke is easy, and My load is light."
V20. Then He began to reproach the cities in which most of His miracles were done, because they did not repent.
It is at this point that Jesus ministry takes a dramatically different complexion. Donald G. Barnhouse draws on the intensity of the intensity of the word “then”. He says, “You can draw a thick black line between verses 19 and 20. There is a great divide here. Truth flows down to opposite oceans from this point.”
The reproach of the cities begins with the idea of John the Baptist questioning his imprisonment and the multitudes listening in on Jesus’ words to his inquirers and a fickle crowd interested in playing childlike charades. The reproach is specific in that it takes aim at those cities in which most of His miracles were done. Even though these people came in droves to see the miracle worker they did not repent.
Matt. 11:20-30
Matt. 11: 20. Then He began to reproach the cities in which most of His miracles were done, because they did not repent.
21. "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.
23. "And you, Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you? You shall descend to Hades; for if the miracles had occurred in Sodom which occurred in you, it would have remained to this day.
24. "Nevertheless I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for you."
25. At that time Jesus answered and said, "I praise Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that Thou didst hide these things from the wise and intelligent and didst reveal them to babes.
26. "Yes, Father, for thus it was well-pleasing in Thy sight.
27. "All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son, except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father, except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.
28. "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.
29. "Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls.
30. "For My yoke is easy, and My load is light."
V20. Then He began to reproach the cities in which most of His miracles were done, because they did not repent.
It is at this point that Jesus ministry takes a dramatically different complexion. Donald G. Barnhouse draws on the intensity of the intensity of the word “then”. He says, “You can draw a thick black line between verses 19 and 20. There is a great divide here. Truth flows down to opposite oceans from this point.”
The reproach of the cities begins with the idea of John the Baptist questioning his imprisonment and the multitudes listening in on Jesus’ words to his inquirers and a fickle crowd interested in playing childlike charades. The reproach is specific in that it takes aim at those cities in which most of His miracles were done. Even though these people came in droves to see the miracle worker they did not repent.
Monday, April 24, 2006
VINDICATION
Matt. 11:16. "But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the market places, who call out to the other children,
17. and say, `We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.'
18. "For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, `He has a demon!'
19. "The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, `Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax-gatherers and sinners!' Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds."
Luke 7:31. "To what then shall I compare the men of this generation, and what are they like?
32. "They are like children who sit in the market place and call to one another; and they say, `We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not weep.'
33. "For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine; and you say, `He has a demon!'
34. "The Son of Man has come eating and drinking; and you say, `Behold, a gluttonous man, and a drunkard, a friend of tax-gatherers and sinners!'
35. "Yet wisdom is vindicated by all her children."
On the other end of the spectrum we find Jesus, the Son of Man, who came eating and drinking and they weren’t satisfied with this approach either. He attended Matthew’s banquet, as witnessed by the religious leaders, who consequently would say, “Behold a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax-gatherers and sinners!”
William Barclay says, “The plain fact is that when people do not want to listen to the truth, they will easily enough find an excuse for not listening to it. They do not even try to be consistent in their criticisms; they will criticize the same person, and the same institution, from quite opposite grounds.
If people are determined to make no response they will remain stubbornly unresponsive no matter what invitation is made to them. Grown men and women can be very like spoiled children who refuse to play no matter what the game is.”
Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds/all her children. When one begins with a corrupt wisdom, his fruition will be corrupt results or offspring. It has been said that when you start out with a lie, you never come any closer to the truth but farther from it. The proverb is: “The proof is in the pudding.” John’s converts began with the truth and were repentant to a new existence. Jesus came in the same wisdom and truth and was opposed to the point of crucifixion even though he came at the other end of the spectrum as compared with John the Baptist.
17. and say, `We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.'
18. "For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, `He has a demon!'
19. "The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, `Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax-gatherers and sinners!' Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds."
Luke 7:31. "To what then shall I compare the men of this generation, and what are they like?
32. "They are like children who sit in the market place and call to one another; and they say, `We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not weep.'
33. "For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine; and you say, `He has a demon!'
34. "The Son of Man has come eating and drinking; and you say, `Behold, a gluttonous man, and a drunkard, a friend of tax-gatherers and sinners!'
35. "Yet wisdom is vindicated by all her children."
On the other end of the spectrum we find Jesus, the Son of Man, who came eating and drinking and they weren’t satisfied with this approach either. He attended Matthew’s banquet, as witnessed by the religious leaders, who consequently would say, “Behold a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax-gatherers and sinners!”
William Barclay says, “The plain fact is that when people do not want to listen to the truth, they will easily enough find an excuse for not listening to it. They do not even try to be consistent in their criticisms; they will criticize the same person, and the same institution, from quite opposite grounds.
If people are determined to make no response they will remain stubbornly unresponsive no matter what invitation is made to them. Grown men and women can be very like spoiled children who refuse to play no matter what the game is.”
Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds/all her children. When one begins with a corrupt wisdom, his fruition will be corrupt results or offspring. It has been said that when you start out with a lie, you never come any closer to the truth but farther from it. The proverb is: “The proof is in the pudding.” John’s converts began with the truth and were repentant to a new existence. Jesus came in the same wisdom and truth and was opposed to the point of crucifixion even though he came at the other end of the spectrum as compared with John the Baptist.
