Christ's Sorrow Over Lost Cities

But to what shall I compare this generation? It is similar to children who sit in the marketplaces and call to their playmates,

and say, 'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; We mourned to you, and you did not lament.'

"For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon.'

"The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' And so wisdom is justified by her children." Mat 11:16 -19.

Beliefs Are Not A Game

You grown-ups, my peers, are just like children at play when they pretend that they are at a wedding and they say, We played the flute for you, and you did not dance. Then we put on a play in which we were at a funeral and we sang a dirge and We mourned to you but you didn't even pretend that you felt sad.

This is what I am saying, said Christ, John came and lived the lifestyle of a hermit and you complained about him and said He has a demon. Then I, a son of the human race, came eating and drinking and you say, Look, a glutton and a drunkard.

wisdom is justified by her children. Wisdom's children are the output of wisdom's activities and they will, in the end, be proven to be right. No Christian's lifestyle will ever please all critics. Some critics will never approve of any Christian's conduct. However, after all, is said and done, those who acted in wisdom will be vindicated; and Christ said by their actions, not by their words, you shall know them.

Tyre, Sidon, Sodom, Ninevah

Then He began to reproach the cities in which His very many miracles had been done, because they did not repent:

Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! Because if the miracles which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.

Nevertheless I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you.

And you, Capernaum, the one having been exalted to heaven, you will be brought down to Hades; because if the miracles which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. 

But I say to you that it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you." Mat 11:20-24.

A History Lesson

Woe to you - The word Woe carries the idea of sorrow rather than condemnation; A primary exclamation of grief. Strong G3759. Christ is not speaking to them as a judge but rather as an intercessor.

Christ compared some local "cities", where miracles had been performed, with other "cities" which did not have that advantage. People are responsible to live and believe according to the light they have received.

1. Chorazin - the precise situation is unknown. Barnes (deceased in 1870). Interestingly, time and archaeological research have changed that fact. Chorazin is about 2.5 miles north of the Sea of Galilee ... on the hill are the ruins of 1st century Chorazin. Retyped from Associates for Biblical Research.

According to Christ, many miracles were done in Chorazin.

2. Bethsaida - The home of Peter, Andrew and Philip. Easton Bible Dictionary. A city near which Christ fed 5,000 and where the blind man had his sight restored. The people in these cities had witnessed the power of Jehovah and had, in spite of that, rejected His chosen messenger.

Tyre - When visited by Christ Tyre was, perhaps, more populous than Jerusalem. At the time of the crusades, it was still a flourishing city. It was deserted by its inhabitants, in A.D. 1291. ... This was the turning-point in the history of Tyre, which has never recovered from the blow. It is now known as a rock whereon fishers dry their nets. Smith's Bible Dictionary.

Sidon – The Old Testament prophet, Joel, reproves Sidon and Tyre for selling children of Judah and Jerusalem to the Grecians, and threatens them with a like fate, Judah selling their sons and daughters to the Sabeans. Fausset's Bible Dictionary.

It was in the region of Tyre and Sidon that Christ exorcised a demon from a pleading woman's daughter. Perhaps Christ could contrast the region of Tyre and Sidon with Chorazin and Bethsaida because Tyre had a huge population and only one miracle is recorded for that area whereas the population of Chorazin and Bethsaida was much smaller and many more people had witnessed Christ's miracles and still they didn't believe.

It was in Nazareth that the Jewish leaders attempted to kill Christ by throwing Him over the cliff. However, Christ did not mention it as one of the cities for which He felt sorrow. This might indicate that He was not as interested in His own well being as He was in the eternal welfare of those who rejected His message.

3. Capernaum - It was the home of Christ when He was not out on the road preaching.

You, Capernaum, the one having been exalted to heaven. As far as altitude goes Capernaum was lower than either Nazareth or Cana so, obviously, Christ was not speaking of physical altitude but, perhaps, rather spiritual blessings.

you will be brought down to Hades. We need to be careful that we do not confuse "Hades" with "the lake of Fire". Hades or the place (state) of departed souls: - grave, hell. Strong G86. We also must not confuse "hell" with "the Lake of Fire". The Revelation says Then Death and Hades were thrown into the Lake of Fire. Rev 20:14. Obviously, if "Hades" or "hell" is thrown into the Lake of Fire "Hades" or "hell" cannot be the same as the Lake of Fire.

Christ continued on: if the miracles which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. From studying the Old Testament we learned that Sodom was destroyed because of its wicked lifestyle, but, Christ says, if they would have seen Jehovah's works as you, the people of Capernaum, have they would not have been destroyed and when judgment day comes they will not be judged as harshly as you will be judged.

The men of Nineveh shall stand up in the judgment with this generation and shall condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah. The Ninevites heard Jonah preach repentance and they repented so they will be in a position to condemn the people of Capernaum because the people of Capernaum did not repent even though they heard the message from one who was greater than Jonah. Mat 12:41.

The queen of the South (the Queen of Sheba) shall rise up in the judgment with this generation (Christ's audience) and she shall condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; (she was looking for the truth from Solomon, and she found it) and behold, a greater than Solomon is here but you are not interested in knowing the truth. Mat 12:42.

she came from the ends of the earth. Many Bible scholars believe that she was from Ethiopia. Ethiopia is about 2500 Km (1500 miles) from Israel and the people back then called that the ends of the earth. Today we drive further than that just to go on a vacation!