Matthew 11:20-24

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.”

Opening Prayer: Lord God, you are the Lord of history and direct all things. I trust in your loving care to guide me to a good end. Enlighten my mind today to know your will and the path I need to take. Guide my decisions so that I may extend your reign in the world.

Encountering the Word of God

1. Responding to the Kingdom: In the Gospel, we begin reading from the two chapters in the Gospel of Matthew that lead up to the seven Parables about the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 13:1-53). The narrative of Matthew 11-12 highlights the division between those who follow Jesus and those who reject his teaching. The latter group includes those who refuse to repent (Matthew 11:20-24) and the Pharisees, who have hardened their hearts and even begun to plot Jesus’ death (Matthew 12:14). The Kingdom of God, inaugurated by Jesus, is mysterious. The humble understand Jesus’ parables and welcome his word so that it bears fruit. The prideful and arrogant, by contrast, are scandalized by the Kingdom's humility and by how it welcomes repentant sinners and God-fearing Gentiles.

2. Galilean Cities and Gentile Cities: In the Gospel, Jesus mentions three cities in Galilee – Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum – which have all experienced and seen his mighty deeds. These deeds include healings, exorcisms, and restorations of people to life. Jesus also mentions two Gentile cities outside of Galilee that were not privileged to witness his mighty deeds – Tyre and Sidon. These were Phoenician cities on the Mediterranean coast north of Israel. “From a Jewish perspective these were not only strongholds of Gentile corruption but, according to several Old Testament oracles, both cities were already under the Lord’s judgement (see Isaiah 23:1-17; Jeremiah 25:22; Ezekiel 26-28; Joel 4:4)” (Mitch and Sri, The Gospel of Matthew, 157). What Jesus says next must have been shocking to his audience: If the Gentile cities had seen what the Galilean cities had seen, they would have repented from their sins. At the judgment, cities like Tyre and Sidon will fare better than the Galilean towns. All of this speaks to us: How are we receiving the message of Jesus to repent? How are we reacting to the mighty deeds of Jesus accomplished in our lives through the sacraments? Are we no better than the people of the Galilean towns?

3. The Day of Judgment: The Galilean towns of Chorazin, Bethsaida, Capernaum, and the ancient city of Sodom all lay in ruins. This is a powerful image of the day of judgment. We will be judged at the moment of our death – this is our “particular judgment” – and at the end of time – this is the “universal judgment.” The resurrection of the dead of both the just and unjust will precede the Last Judgment. “This will be ‘the hour when all who are in the tombs will hear [the Son of Man’s] voice and come forth, those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment.’ Then Christ will come ‘in his glory, and all the angels with him .... Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will place the sheep at his right hand, but the goats at the left.... and they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life’” (CCC, 1038). “In the presence of Christ, who is Truth itself, the truth of each man’s relationship with God will be laid bare. The Last Judgment will reveal even to its furthest consequences the good each person has done or failed to do during his earthly life” (CCC, 1039). The message of the Last Judgment calls us to conversion while God is still offering us time to welcome his salvation (see CCC, 1041).

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, I hear your invitation to repent and change my mindset. I seek to conform my thoughts and my will to you. I want to imitate you and share in your life to the full. Help me to see your mighty works in the Church and the world today.

Living the Word of God: Today, in the Liturgy of the Word, we hear the voice of God and learn about his Son’s mighty works. God asks us to respond to him, not by hardening our hearts, but by opening up our hearts to his grace. Let us fully place our trust in the Lord. Unlike the people of Chorazin and Bethsaida, let us repent and accept the Power and Wisdom of God into our lives. Unlike the people of Capernaum, among whom Jesus made his home, let us truly welcome Jesus as Messiah and Lord and allow him to reign in our hearts and homes.