Luke 10:13, commentary and pictures

Christ spoke the rebuke when sending out the seventy to proclaim the kingdom in every place He was about to visit Himself. Chorazin and Bethsaida had enjoyed His daily presence with heaven's richest blessings and mighty works, yet Tyre and Sidon, despite their notorious wickedness, would long before have humbled themselves in outward repentance if they had received the same. Judgment is measured by light and privilege, so greater opportunity brings greater responsibility and leaves the unrepentant without excuse. To reject His messengers is to reject Him and the Father who sent Him, and those lifted high in privilege who harden their hearts against such mercy will face a more severe condemnation than those with lesser light. The same woe rests now on all who receive clear light and blessing yet refuse to repent and obey.

Words and Historical Setting

After the sending of the twelve, seventy men were sent out to go into every place preaching the kingdom of God and the gospel of truth, with Christ Himself to follow afterward in every place where they were sent. Chorazin and Bethsaida had His daily presence among them, with heaven's richest blessings, offered mercy, and a plain message. Mighty works were done among them by Him and by His disciples, giving them great light and opportunity. That light and those works left them without excuse when they did not appreciate and accept what was given.

Tyre and Sidon were notorious for wickedness, yet they would have repented a great while ago, long before, if the mighty works done in Chorazin and Bethsaida had been done in them. Their repentance would have been shown sitting in sackcloth and ashes. The contrast measures the privilege given to Chorazin and Bethsaida by the evidence they witnessed and rejected.

Sackcloth and ashes express outward repentance and humiliation for sin.

Light Brings Greater Accountability

Judgment is given according to light and privileges, so greater light and opportunity bring greater responsibility and accountability. Chorazin and Bethsaida were condemned because they rejected great light and mighty works despite Christ's daily presence among them, and the woe falls for refusing offered blessings and refusing to repent. Tyre and Sidon, though notorious for wickedness, would have repented a great while ago, long before, in sackcloth and ashes, if they had witnessed the same works. Being lifted high in privilege does not secure a favorable judgment, for those with superior advantages and the freely given light of truth face stricter accountability. The same test applies now as to Sodom and Gomorrah, which would not have perished in their sins if they had received what is now given: what use is made of God's blessings, whether there is walking in the light and working in accordance with the holy character of professed truth.

Chorazin and Bethsaida were left without excuse and pronounced guilty and condemned for witnessing mighty works and holy influences yet hardening their hearts, resisting conviction, and refusing to repent and accept mercy, message and truth. Their guilt is measured by neglected privilege, because they had the plain word from Christ and chose fables in place of the Word. Refusing conviction and conversion by a message from heaven brings grave judgment, and refusing such great light is grave sin bringing more severe judgment. Even Tyre and Sidon would have repented long ago if they had received the same signs, and others who never had the truth would appreciate it and repent if they had it. Neglecting the light God gives through His messengers is grave sin, and disregarding God's warnings and appeals brings judgment and fearful punishment for those with great light who refuse repentance.

Rejecting the message carried by God's messengers is rejecting Christ and the Father who sent Him, and mistreating His servants is mistreating Him. Reproving that rejection is to make people understand its seriousness, not to express resentment or wounded pride. Because they rejected greater evidence and mercy, their judgment will be more severe than that of Tyre and Sidon and others with lesser light. Chorazin and Bethsaida had received great opportunity through the ministry of Christ and His disciples with heaven's richest blessings, yet rejected truth and opportunity, so greater light brought greater responsibility and greater condemnation. Rejecting the opportunities God gives makes the judgment more severe.

Those who become firmly resistant to truth can remain unmoved even by Christ's works and pleadings. People who witness mighty works and receive holy influence are accountable for resisting them, for even Christ's works and pleadings may fail to convert those firmly resistant. Conviction had come to Chorazin, but they did not benefit from the light, and as its impression faded they continued to harden their hearts until Christ's woe fell upon them. The wonderful miracles did not bring repentance but produced conviction without conversion, as the Jews who saw them did not submit to the evidence of truth but wickedly charged Him with doing them through Beelzebub, the prince of devils, miracles of sufficient power to have convinced Sodom and Gomorrah. The same effect the power of the gospel now exerts upon the multitude, who are convicted but determined not to yield their will to the will of God, framing excuses for not yielding and deceiving their own souls by not loving Jesus nor accepting the terms of salvation.

Professed truth and belief alone have no practical value unless its sanctifying power is seen in life and character. Receiving great spiritual light without repentance brings serious accountability, and when light is not appreciated and obeyed, people are left in the same condemned condition as those cities. God gives each person enough light to guide right action, but when that light is not valued and obeyed, a person remains in that condition. Holding and repeating correct doctrines is not enough; truth must enter the heart and shape conduct and change the life. Those who receive great light and blessings but do not let truth change their lives are like Chorazin and Bethsaida.

Present Warning and Application

The same woe pronounced on Chorazin and Bethsaida falls now on people who receive clear light, blessings, and appeals yet refuse to repent and obey. Those cities were condemned because they rejected great light and mighty works despite Christ's daily presence among them, and Tyre and Sidon would have repented long ago if they had received the same evidence, so greater light brings greater responsibility and rejecting offered blessings brings woe. Their guilt was measured by neglected privilege, for they had the plain word and plain message from Jesus Christ and chose fables in place of the Word, leaving them without excuse. Those who have great light and refuse repentance face fearful punishment.

No one can even repent unless divine impressions are made upon the heart. Christ pardons none but the penitent, and those whom He pardons He first makes repentant. Without the saving grace of God no one can endure temptation and no one is fit for any good work. The wonderful miracles of Christ did not bring the Jewish nation to repentance, for Bethsaida and Chorazin witnessed miracles of sufficient power to have convinced Sodom and Gomorrah yet did not submit to the evidence of truth, and Jews who saw the miracles wickedly charged Him with doing them through Beelzebub the prince of devils. These manifestations produced conviction without conversion, the same effect the power of the gospel now exerts upon the multitude, who are convicted but determined not to yield their will to the will of God, framing excuses for not yielding and deceiving their own souls by not loving Jesus nor accepting the terms of salvation.

There can be no sinless departure from the words of Christ, and earnest attention must be given to every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. Those who humble their hearts and confess their sins will be pardoned and their transgressions forgiven. The one who thinks confession would show weakness will not find pardon nor see Christ as Redeemer, but will go on in transgression adding sin to sin until the day the books are opened and every person is judged according to the things written in the books.

The verse calls God's people to a serious work requiring the whole being — heart, mind, soul, and strength — in His service. That work is not to be confined to believers but must be extended to unbelievers by becoming acquainted with them, placing truth before those who are living up to all the light they have, and reaching precious souls in the cities, such as Melbourne and unreached places such as Boston. Others who never had the truth would appreciate it and repent if they had it, so evangelistic labor should go to such places rather than rest where the plain message has already been rejected. Love to God with all the heart necessarily includes love for those for whom He gave His only begotten Son, whom Christ died to redeem from sin, and an open door stands before God's people to bring others into fellowship with the saints.

Its warning applies specifically to those who suppose they are safe in obtaining their education in Battle Creek, where the Lord has blotted out two of the largest institutions, for Christ gave warning after warning to Bethsaida as He did to Capernaum and the Saviour urges the erring to repent. A family that allows unchristlike words and deeds to replace right conduct may face that same woe against Chorazin and Bethsaida, for every departure from righteousness works against Christ, so parents and children must guard their hearts and conduct. People who receive great light and witness God's works are accountable for how they respond, and Chorazin and Bethsaida failed to walk in the light they had received, describing those who bring pride and worldliness into the church and influence others to follow worldly customs.

The verse presents a shut door against unbelief, as against Chorazin and Bethsaida and Tyre, and an open door for the humble, the believing, and those who obey God. The same division between a shut door for unbelievers and an open door for believers seen in Noah's time, in Sodom with Lot, and in Jerusalem will be repeated at the end of time. Then those that are ready will go in to the marriage and the door will be shut.