Reproaches to Unrepentant Towns

Today's Reflections 

      

 

Reproaches to Unrepentant Towns

Mt 11:20-24

²⁰[Jesus] began to reproach the towns where most of his mighty deeds had been done, since they had not repented. ²¹“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. ²²But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. ²³And 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. ²⁴But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”

THEY HAD NOT REPENTED. Have you ever tried correcting some persons, to make them realize that they are on the wrong track in life? Have you tried doing it to family members, warning them of bad habits that will surely ruin their health? It can be difficult and frustrating.

In the Gospel, Jesus reproaches three towns around the Sea of Tiberias in which he has preached and done most of his miracles. He reproves them not because the people are rejecting him. In fact, they feel so enthusiastic about him that they miss the meaning of Jesus’ mighty deeds. Because they are recipients of his miracles, they probably think that they are in a right relationship with God, the miracles being their “reward.”

Jesus corrects these overly enthusiastic towns. His mighty acts are a call to repentance. These show that the “finger of God” is at work, and the way to welcome the kingdom is repentance, to be aware of one’s unworthiness before God’s presence. Isaiah speaks of himself as “a man of unclean lips, living among a people of unclean lips” when he has a vision of God in the temple (Is 6:5). When Simon Peter witnesses a miraculous catch of fish, he falls at the knees of Jesus and says, “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man” (Lk 5:8).

To praise the Lord and rejoice at his marvelous deeds is certainly commendable. But the better response is to be humbled and to repent of one’s sins.

Have you counted your blessings lately?

How do you account for these blessings?