Verse by Verse

I want to begin by quoting a scripture from Matthew chapter 11. Then he began to rebuke the cities in which most of his mighty works had been done, because they did not repent. Jesus goes on to specifically address the city of Capernaum, when he says, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you. Before we take a closer look at what he said, I want to ask a couple of questions. At first blush, this discourse can come across as a geography lesson, or you need to know your geography to ascertain what the message is really about.

Is Jesus just upset with these cities, or is there a deeper theological teaching involved in his criticism of them? Let's take a look. Now Matthew 11 verse 20. Then he began to rebuke the cities in which most of his mighty works had been done, because they did not repent. In the next two verses, it mentions the 2 cities of Korazan and Tyre.

But let's focus on verse 23, since we are probably more familiar with the city of Sodom. Matthew 11 verse 23. And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades. For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say to you, that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you.

Well, there's certainly a lot being said in these verses. However, you really don't need to know your geography to glean the deep meaning that is intended. We will delve into that in a moment. But first, what is it that most churches teach about what happens to people who sin and who are not forgiven of their sins? Simply stated, most churches believe that when you die, if you have sinned and have not been forgiven of those sins, that at your death, you go straight to hell, or you burn forever in the lake of fire upon your death.

Of course, there are variations of this teaching, but simply stated, you are judged right now during your life. And that judgment is either you go to heaven or you go to hell at your death. As we look more closely at this passage, we see that there is quite a bit of theology being taught about judgment and the timing of judgment. Here's what we learn. Sodom and her sister city, Gomorrah, were infamous for their sinful ways.

Such a disregard for human life and such aberrant behavior. Sodom was so flagrantly sinful that God rained down fire and brimstone on these cities and totally destroyed them and their inhabitants. The people of Sodom certainly did not seek or receive forgiveness for their sins. Therefore, as is taught by so many, shouldn't they be dispatched immediately to hell upon their deaths? Well, that's not what the scripture says.

It says that their day of judgment will be more tolerable, inferring a future day of judgment, and that judgment will be less severe or more tolerable than what Capernaum will receive. If they had already been judged and were already in the lake of fire, what would make it more tolerable? Now I don't wanna be silly, but how do you make the lake of fire more tolerable? Turn the heat down a bit? Well, fire is fire, and we can deduce that it is not addressing a more modest flame.

What it is addressing is that a judgment day is coming and it is in the future. The context of this verse is Jesus castigating Capernaum because they did not acknowledge the mighty works that had been done by Jesus in their city. Those mighty works should have made a deep impression on that city, and its inhabitants should have seen the work of God and should have accepted the person and teaching of Jesus Christ. The contrast is that even Sodom, known for its egregious sinful ways, would have been moved to repentance by those righteous works had they been done in their city in their day. Here's the lesson that I want for you to take away from today's verse by verse.

There is a time coming in the future where people who did not see or know the mighty works of God while they live their daily lives will have the mighty works of God shown to them. Or another way of saying this is, there is coming a time when they will be taught the way of God for the first time. They will see the true God and will learn right from wrong. When they have been taught the truth of God, then they will be judged. It will be more tolerable for them in that day of judgment.

Jesus is saying that they will be more receptive to the mighty works of God once they are exposed to them compared to Capernaum, which should have turned to God when those mighty works were before. The Bible reveals that God has a plan of salvation. He is most kind, and he is most forgiving. And yes, we serve a wonderful and merciful heavenly father.

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