Matthew 11:23-24……Working

Matthew 11:23-24……Working

23 And you, Capernaum, (A village on the northern shore of the sea of Galilee.) will you be lifted up to the skies? (exalted unto heaven-K.J.V. Suggests the city expected to be eternally privileged by God as being Christ’s hometown and base for ministry. Or they had a high view of themselves, convinced that they were the chosen people of God who were heading for heaven.) No, you will go down to the depths. (Expresses the destruction of the sinner in hell. Literally fulfilled by Rome in A.D. 70.) If the miracles (Jesus’ healing miracles as in the Centurion’s Servant.-(Luke 7:1-10) The Nobleman’s sons.-(John 4:46-54) Peter’s mother-in-law.-{Matt. 8:5-15} The demon possessed men.(Mark 5:1-20) walking on water.-(Mark 6:45-51)-that were performed in you (Capernaum) had been performed in Sodom, (Expresses a euphemism for all that is wicked, deviant, and depraved.) it would have remained to this day. (Would not have been destroyed by God.-{Gen.19:1-29} Would have been made a monument of God’s mercy & grace.) 24 But I tell you that it will be more bearable (tolerable) for Sodom (Having never been ministered by Jesus.) on the day of judgment than for you.” (Capernaum had done no great evil, other than the sin of indifference and unrepentance.)

Continued From Book.

“Warns against remaining stubborn and unconvinced after the undeniable evidence God has given.”⇒ God has given sufficient evidence to convince human beings. God has provided evidence that is so powerful, so persuasive, so obvious that those who reject Jesus and the Gospel are simply fooling and hurting themselves.  The reason people are not convinced, is not because what they were given wasn’t sufficient to convince them. But rather it’s because of their sinful stubbornness that kept them from being convinced. To put another way, people are not convinced because they don’t want to be convince. Not because the information or the evidence wasn’t sufficient. The measure of whether something is true or not, is not you. The measure of it is God. And when God has given you truth and you reject it your going to be held accountable for it. Therefore it’s not whether you were convinced or not, it’s whether you should have been convinced!

“Warns greater judgment for those who have greater lighter. (Better to never have received the truth than to have received it and reject it.)” ⇒ Greater revelation leads to greater culpability before God.

“Even today, many believe because they’re moral person God will accept them. Or they think because they’re religious and go to church regularly, and follow all the rules makes them right with God. Yet they never truly repented or really put their trust in Jesus Christ.” ⇒ There many decent people just like those in these cities who think the same thing, “I go to church, therefore I must be safe”. “I was baptised therefore I must be safe”. “I observe the sacraments, therefore I must be safe.” “I go on mission trips, therefore I must be safe”. “I donate to the poor and give to charities, therefore I must be safe.” But we never truly repented or surrendered to Jesus Christ.

More Notes & Applications

Gives pause for thought, that out of the all the sins in the world, including homosexuality, rape, murder, etc. The greatest sin in God’ eyes is to remain indifferent to His Saving mercy & grace.

Interesting to note there is not anything in the four Gospels about Capernaum ever being hostile to Jesus. They never tried to throw Him off a cliff as they did in Nazareth-(       ) They never tried to run Him out of town. They never tried to beat Him or chase Him away. They never mocked Him, ridiculed Him, or slandered Him. If fact they tolerated Him. But yet they were indifferent to Him. Which goes to show that indifference is just as damnable as hostility. To reject the Gospel will make you just as guilty as if you pounded the nails into Jesus’ hands!