What Judgment Awaits You

What judgment awaits you? For the three towns of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum, that is a question Jesus answers for them. It is a judgement far worse than that which has befallen other towns. Why does such a fate await them? Because they have been given the message of the Gospel and refused to accept it. We, too, have been given the message of the Gospel. Have we accepted it? That is a question worth pondering.

Gospel - Matthew 11:20-24

Jesus began to reproach the towns

where most of his mighty deeds had been done,

since they had not repented.

"Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida!

For if the mighty deeds done in your midst

had been done in Tyre and Sidon,

they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes.

But I tell you, it will be more tolerable

for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you.

And as for you, Capernaum:

Will you be exalted to heaven?

You will go down to the netherworld.

For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Sodom,

it would have remained until this day.

But I tell you, it will be more tolerable

for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you."

Scriptural Analysis

Chapter 11 of Matthew’s Gospel focuses on the theme of unbelief, and that continues in this passage. Jesus now prophesies the judgement that will befall the unbelieving. He denounces, in scathing words, three Galilean towns that have not received his call to repentance. These towns, Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum, are north of the Sea of Galilee and only a few hours’ walk from one another. They had not repented. Each of these towns had the privilege of seeing the Messiah, hearing his teachings, and witnessing his miracles. Yet, each one of these towns refused to commit to the new way of life demanded by the Gospel. Jesus announces the doom that will befall these towns using the same formula the prophets used, “Woe to you.” (See Isaiah 5 or Micah 2)

Jesus details the fate that awaits Chorazin and Bethsaida. He compares them to Tyre and Sidon, two Phoenician cities on the Mediterranean, located north of Israel, which were known to be strongholds of Gentile corruption. Furthermore, according to the Old Testament, these cities were already under God's judgment.

• For Tyre is laid waste, without house or haven. - Isaiah 23:1

• Be ashamed, O Sidon, for the sea has spoken. - Isaiah 23:4

• Behold, I am against you, O Tyre, and will bring up many nations against you - Ezekiel 26:3

• What are you to me, O Tyre and Sidon, and all the regions of Philistia? Are you paying me back for something? If you are paying me back, I will requite your deed upon your own head swiftly and speedily. - Joel 3:4

To then say that Tyre and Sidon will fare better on the day of Judgement than the unbelieving towns of Galilee would have come as quite a shock to the people. Jesus tells them that had he performed his deeds in those towns, they would have repented, unlike Chorazin and Bethsaida.

As bad as the judgment will be upon Chorazin and Bethsaida, Capernaum will fare far worse. This is the city where Jesus chose to make his home in Galilee. However, even this town refused his teaching and became a target of rebuke. Jesus quoted the prophet Isaiah, telling them that they will go down to the netherworld. (Isaiah 14) Jesus then tells them that the great sinners of Sodom will face a lesser judgment than the people of Capernaum. Sodom was a city that was entirely laid waste by flaming brimstone coming down upon it from heaven. A fate worse than that is hard to imagine, yet that is what Jesus says awaits Capernaum.

Daily Application

This is perhaps one of the most dire passages in the Gospel. Jesus puts all of the cards on the table, holding nothing back. He tells the cities of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum what judgment will befall them because they refused to accept the Gospel. The Messiah was in their midst; they witnessed His mighty deeds, yet they chose to ignore Him and continue with their lives as they were.

We, too, have received the message of the Gospel. We have witnessed the nightly deeds of the Lord. Yet oftentimes, we choose not to accept the Gospel but instead continue with our lives as they were. This can often be hard for us to see.

We tell ourselves that we have received the Gospel and that we believe it. Yet our lives don’t reflect that. When we accept the Gospel, truly accept the Gospel, there should be a complete and radical transformation of our lives. The Gospel should permeate every aspect of how we live, think, behave, and what captures our attention. We should strive to root out every instance of sin in our lives.

The reality is that it is hard to do this. It is hard to pick up that cross every day and follow the Lord. It’s hard to stop and avoid gossiping about a colleague at work. It is hard to turn off YouTube and pray as we should. It is hard to live a life that is so different from the rest of the world. Yet this is precisely what our Lord calls us to. He knows we were created for more and, with his grace, we can achieve that life.

If we desire to spend eternity in heaven, then we must accept the Gospel and allow it to permeate every aspect of our lives. We must transform the way we live so that it matches how Christ instructs us to live. We must realize that one day we will stand before our Lord and face judgment. Do we want to go to our judgment knowing that we accepted the Gospel and strived to live by it, or do we want to face our judgment knowing we rejected it? What judgment awaits you?