Breaking the Word

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.

 

 

 

"Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth. I have come to bring not peace but the sword. For I have come to set a man 'against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and one's enemies will be those of his household.' "Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. "Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me. Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and whoever receives a righteous man because he is righteous will receive a righteous man's reward. And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones to drink because he is a disciple — amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward." When Jesus finished giving these commands to his twelve disciples, he went away from that place to teach and to preach in their towns. (Mt 10:34-11:1)

 

 

Peace and unity are the pillars on which the kingdom of God is built. Division which is just the opposite of peace and unity is considered the scandal of the kingdom. But here Jesus says that he has come to bring not peace but sword. He seemed to say that he has come to cause division among people. In fact that is what he says as the reading proceeds.

 

For I have come to set a man 'against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and one's enemies will be those of his household.' He clearly says that the division in the family comes because of their attitude towards God and Jesus.

 

Those who are in the kingdom or those who want to belong to the kingdom should have their priorities right. The first and the top most priority is God. That is the primacy of God. After this the members can have any number of relatives and friends. Jesus is not against the family relations or friends. They have their roles and their places.