Matthew 11:21 "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the deeds of power done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
1. Chorazin – Bethsaida: Jesus did many ‘miracles’ or works in these cities, yet there is no record of the miracles or works. We must always remember that what we have in the Bible is only a small number of miracles and mighty works that Christ did. As John says, if every one of Jesus’ activity was written down even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.
2. Chorazin was probably a town an hour’s journey north of Capernaum; Bethsaida was a fishing village on the west bank of Jordan, just as the river entered the northern end of the lake. Clearly the most tremendous things happened in these towns, and yet we have no account of them whatever.
3. Jesus is not actually cursing the village but it is an expression of a sorrowful pity at the hardness of the heart of these people. These cities did not attack Jesus Christ; it was a sin of indifference.
4. It was the sin of the people who forgot the responsibilities of privilege. To the cities of Galilee had been given a privilege which had never come to Tyre and Sidon or Sodom and Gomorrah, for the cities of Galilee had actually seen and heard Jesus.
5. The greater the privileges have been, the greater is our condemnation if we fail to shoulder the responsibilities and accept the obligations which these privileges bring with them.
The last son in the family whom the mother loves so much, had become an addict to alcohol. The mother had shown him more affection and care than the rest of her children. She had high hopes and dreams for her son. But when the son grew up, due to his bad company, became an addict to drinks and brought shame to the whole family. I had a chat with the mother during a family visit. She was in tears, she occasionally reproached her son, but it was all expression of wounded love. Thought the son had abandoned her love, the mother still continues to love her son. Jesus is in a similar situation. Several times we behave like the people of Chorazin and Bethsaida; We have the greatest privilege of partaking in the Eucharist. If we do not realize the worth of it, we all can easily incur a curse. Let us be aware.
Reference
William Barclay’s Series
The Preacher’s Outline and Sermon Bible
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