Scripture Passage:  “Woe unto thee, Chorazin! Woe unto thee, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.  But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment than for you.  And thou, Capernaum, which are exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.  But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee.”   Matthew 11:21-24

 

Dear Friends,

 

     In the rocky landscape surrounding the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee, lie the remains of three early prominent cities.  This is the area of the feeding of five thousand as well as the teaching of the beatitudes.  It was the area of many miracles as well as the operating base for Jesus and His disciples.  Capernaum was the fishing village of Peter, James, and John located on the shores of Galilee while the other two cities lay further inland.  It was from this area that the majority of Christ’s disciples were called.  It was also the final meeting place for Jesus and His disciples after His resurrection from the dead.  Capernaum was the largest of the three cities and contained its own synagogue.  What upset Jesus so that he would utter a curse of destruction upon them?  Did his prophecy come true and how does that relate to us today in America?  Let us see.

     The city of Nazareth where Jesus was raised lay west of these cities and was accessed by a mountain pass.  The city of Magdala lay between Nazareth and Capernaum and was the marketplace where fish were stored and sold.  This is the city where the woman was healed from her issue of blood by touching the hem of Jesus’ garment.  It was also the hometown of Mary Magdalen who was delivered from demon possession.  It also was large enough to have its own synagogue.  The city was known for its commerce and its prostitution.  These five cities comprised the setting for Jesus’ adolescence and early years of ministry.  It is where His extended family would be found and the common people as well as merchants lived, played and worshipped.  There was an abundance of wealth, poverty, pleasure and religion.  There was  the availability of sinful depravity as well as meaningless spiritual activities.  Even though the atmosphere was one of bustling activity the underlying current was one of hopeless desperation.  It was in this setting Jesus did some of His most memorable work.

 

     Jesus opened blinded eyes and caused the deaf to hear.  He caused lame men to walk and healed the afflicted who were bedridden and paralyzed.  He even touched Peter’s mother-in-law in Capernaum and brought her back to health. He turned water into wine and multiplied five loaves and two small fishes into a feast adequate to feed five thousand men not including women and children.  He preached and taught Scripture in the synagogues and hillsides and more than once provided miraculous catches of fish.  He preached repentance as well as the goodness and mercy of God.  He spoke of prophecies that revealed He was the promised Messiah who was to come and performed miracles to back it up.  In the end, they ignored His words, dismissed His miracles, and blasphemed and denied His name.  They were complacent, lethargic, and unrepentant even though they had seen it all first hand.  Jesus said that if the ungodly cities of Tyre, Sidon, and Sodom had experienced what they had, they would have repented in sackcloth and ashes.  Instead they refused the very gift of God and treated Him with contempt.  Does this sound familiar?

 

     The only city that remains in the area is Nazareth.  The other cities lay in ruins, with not even one building still intact.  They are uninhabited and desolate.  The only buildings that exist are those built by the Catholics to be tourist attractions.  The cities of Chorazin and Bethsaida do not even have those.  Four of those five cities lay in ruins because Jesus placed a curse upon them for their treatment of Him and their unbelief.  They had everything and lost it all.  My warning is this:  America has been blessed beyond measure and was built upon the foundation of God.  We have seen the miracles and heard the Word proclaimed but have chosen to ignore or outright reject the gift of God’s own Son.  Surely we are more guilty than any of the cities I have mentioned.  If He did not let them get away with their sinful and insolent behavior, what make us think He will spare us?  HE WON’T!

 

In Christ, Pastor Johnny