20 Then he began to denounce the cities where most of his mighty works had been done, because they did not repent. 21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 But I tell you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. 23 And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You will be brought down to Hades. For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. 24 But I tell you that it will be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you.”
25 At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; 26 yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. 27 All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. 28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
(ESV)
STOP! Think a little 🤔 What is God saying to you?
- What is the writer saying?
- How do I apply this to my life?
Jesus had performed a number of miracles to prove that He was the Messiah and yet Israel had rejected Him. Tyre, Sidon, and Sodom were all evil cities of the Old Testament. The miracles Jesus performed in Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum would have moved even those evil cities to repentance. Because of this, the people of those evil cities would be better off in the day of judgement. Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum did not repent in the personal presence of Christ. As a result, their accountability is greater and their judgement will be more severe. In this passage, we learn that there will be degrees of punishment in hell just as there are degrees of reward in heaven. Everyone is condemned to hell unless they believe (John 3:36). But the depths of suffering that someone will endure is conditioned on what they did in this life. These three key cities of Galilee serve as an example of how Jesus is not being received by Israel.
But there were those who did receive Jesus. Jesus thanks the Father that, while those who may have considered themselves wise rejected Him, others who had faith like children received Him. Such is God’s gracious will. The older we get, the smarter we think we are and the less likely we are to believe something. Children are much more likely to just believe. God is not calling for a blind faith though. Jesus had been performing incredible miracles right there for them to see that He was who He said He was. We have those and the rest of God’s works written down in His word (1 Cor 10:11). It is through Jesus that we know the Father.
Jesus offers a spiritual rest to those who would come to Him. The Pharisees had made religion impossible to bear (Mat 23:4). Jesus offers us rest from the impossible task of trying to deal with our own sin. He offers a free gift of rest (Rom 6:23). Then He offers that we take on His yoke. A yoke is a collar for two bulls to pull a plough, not one. When we take on Jesus’ yoke, we are choosing to work with Him. He has work for us to do, but not to do alone. His burden is light because the work He has for you to do is perfectly suited to you and is to be done in His strength, not your own. Are you struggling to do something you were never meant to do? Are you struggling to deal with your sin problem on your own? Or are you finding rest doing exactly what God wants you to do in His strength?