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.” (Matthew 11:20–24 (ESV)
Jesus fulfilled the role of the of the Old Testament prophet of God in this narrative by Matthew. It parallels Matthew 23:1-36 and Jesus’ denouncement of the scribes and Pharisees.
The Old Testament prophet of God was responsible to herald God’s divine revelation. This occurred in the form of the oracle. An oracle (maśśāʾ,) was information transmitted from God to human beings. They were either answers to important questions or revelations about future events.
There were two types of oracles. First, there was an oracle of blessing. This would be good news from God producing joy and happiness (Psalm 1). Jesus began His Sermon on the Mount with the announcement of divine blessing (Matt. 5:1-12). Second, there was the oracle of woe. This was an announcement of judgment and condemnation (Isaiah 5:1-8; Micah 2:1-3).
In the context of today’s passage, Jesus invoked an oracle of woe against the Jewish cities Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum. These were three Galilean towns where Jesus performed most of His miracles. However, the people were unresponsive and did not repent of their sins (Matt. 11:20).
Jesus announced that the cities of Tyre and Sidon, which God judged (Ezek. 26-28), would have repented in sackcloth and ashes had Jesus’ miracles occurred before them. Jesus also said that Sodom (Gen. 19) would have repented of their sins in witnessing the Lord’s mighty works; unlike Capernaum.
“Chorazin! And Bethsaida! were cities very close to Capernaum, near the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee,” explains Dr. John MacArthur. “Tyre and Sidon were Phoenician cities on the shore of the Mediterranean. The prophecy about the destruction of Tyre and Sidon in Ezek. 26–28 was fulfilled in precise detail.”
“Capernaum, chosen by Jesus to be his headquarters, faced an even greater condemnation. Curiously, there is no record that the people of that city ever mocked or ridiculed Jesus, ran him out of town, or threatened his life. Yet the sin of that city—indifference to Christ—was worse than Sodom’s gross wickedness (cf. 10:15),” concludes Dr. MacArthur.
The phrase “more bearable” alludes to degrees of punishment in hell for the ungodly (See Matt. 10:15; Mark 6:11; Luke 12:47–48; Heb. 10:29 ).
“God is the one truly competent Judge, for He alone knows all things. Second, God is sovereign. He judges people according to the light they have. There are degrees of joy in heaven and degrees of misery in hell (Matt. 12:41; 23:14). Third, there is corporate as well as individual responsibility before God,” explains commentator Michael Doriani.
The religious are often the most hardhearted to the biblical Gospel. We also must not be shy concerning the biblical doctrine of hell and judgment, as some pastors and believers in Christ tend to be. Even the hard sayings in Scripture must be taught.
Soli deo Gloria!
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