Then he 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." (Mt11:20-24)
Sodom was like the garden of the Lord (gen 13:10). It was all green and watered well. That was the reason that Lot chose Sodom and dwelt in there. But the inhabitants of Sodom were very wicked in the sins they committed against the LORD. They were punished by the Lord. Their sins were so many and all of them had sinned that there was not a single man who was good in the sight of the Lord.
Tyre and Sidon were pagan cities and they did not belong to the people of the Lord. Yet Jesus was positive about the people of these cities because they would have repented if they mighty deeds that were done among the people of Israel were done among them. These people were open to the Lord only that the Lord had not revealed himself to them.
Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum were the towns were the mighty deeds of Jesus were done. People who witnessed these mighty deeds were mostly the Israelites yet they did not repent. So Jesus condemned them. Places were not important (it could be Capernaum or Tyre or Sodom). People were not important (people of Sodom, of Tyre or of Capernaum). What is important is repentance at the deeds of the Lord.
