Cities without Repentance - Matthew 11:21

Matthew the apostle shared how Jesus asked, “where-unto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows. And saying, We have piped unto you, and you have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and you have not lamented. For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He has a devil. The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children. Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not”, and in chapter eleven and verse twenty-one of his book, Matthew shared how Jesus spoke against more cities without repentance where we read:

Woe unto you, Chorazin! woe unto you, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.

The verse reads, “Woe unto you, Chorazin! woe unto you, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, ...” Matthew began with the word “woe” which means “alas” and is an expression of grief “unto you” or “to the people who reside in” “Chorazin” which means “a furnace of smoke” and was “a town in Galilee”! “Woe” which means “alas” “unto you” or “to the people who reside in”, “Bethsaida” which means “house of fish” and was “another town in Galilee”! “for if” which means “because, since, and on account that whether” “the mighty works” or “the strength and ability of performing miracles”, “which were done in you” which means “that happened, came into existence and appeared to the people within the city of Chorazin”, “had been done” or “would have happened, came into existence and appeared to the people within the city” “in Tyre” which means “a rock” and was “a Phoenician city on the Mediterranean, very ancient, large, splendid, flourishing in commerce, and powerful by land and sea ” “and Sidon” which means “hinting” and was “an ancient and wealthy city of Phoenicia, on the east coast of the Mediterranean Sea, less than 20 miles (30 km) north of Tyre”. Matthew shared how Jesus presented the condition as to whether the “miracles” He performed in “Chorazin and Bethsaida” were performed in the cities of “Tyre and Sidon”.

The verse continues, “... they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.” Matthew added the words, “the would have repented” which means “the people of Tyre and Sidon would have changed their minds, reconsidered and amended their abhorrence to their past sins” “long ago” or “a great while ago or in the past” “in sackcloth” which refers to “dressed in garments of the like material, and clinging to the person like a sack, which was wont to be worn (or drawn over the tunic instead of the cloak or mantle) by mourners, penitents, suppliants and also by those who like the Hebrew prophets, lead an austere life” “and ashes” or “burnt residue which was placed on sackcloth as a token of grief”. Matthew shared how Jesus declared that the cities of “Tyre and Sidon” would have”turned back to God” by wearing “sack like material with ashes poured upon them” as a demonstration of their repentance and humility.

When we meditate upon Matthew's words in this verse, we notice how Jesus is aware of the “judgment” that awaits “cities” before God. “Tyre and Sidon” were two maritime cities spoken of in the Old Testament which did not have the benefit of seeing the miracles of Jesus. Jesus said they would have “repented” of their sins if He performed miracles in them, however, “Chorazin and Bethsaida” did not. God desires people to receive Him through His Son Jesus, and when they refuse to accept Him as their “Savior and Lord”, they bring eternal judgment upon themselves. Those who are wise shall consider the mighty works of Jesus and yield their lives to Him today.

Next time Matthew shares how Jesus declared it would be, “more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.