Matthew 11:21, commentary and pictures

Christ pronounced woe upon Chorazin and Bethsaida because most of His mighty works were done in and among them, yet they did not repent. They were exalted to heaven in privilege by His own presence, preaching, healing, pardon and great light day by day, while Tyre and Sidon, though notoriously wicked, would have repented long before in deep humiliation in sackcloth and ashes if they had seen such works. Guilt and punishment are measured by the light, privilege and evidence received, so judgment will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon and even for Sodom than for those who saw Christ and remained unrepentant. Mere hearing, belief and profession are not enough, for light must be obeyed, carried out in righteousness and spread to others until its sanctifying power is seen in life and character. The same woe rests on churches, institutions and persons today who receive abundant light and blessings yet continue in pride, unbelief, selfishness and disobedience, but those who humble themselves, confess and forsake sin can still be pardoned.

Privileged Cities Rebuked

Woe was pronounced upon Chorazin and Bethsaida because most of the mighty works were done in them and among them, yet they did not repent. They were upbraided and witnessed against and condemned for witnessing those works without repenting, for refusing to be benefited by them and persisting in sin, and for receiving great light and clear evidence yet rejecting it. If those same mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon they would have repented long ago and long before in sackcloth and ashes. Tyre and Sidon were notoriously wicked and regarded as wicked, yet they would have repented with those works while the privileged cities remained impenitent.

Repentance in sackcloth and ashes means turning from sin in deep humiliation and deep humility. Chorazin and Bethsaida were exalted to heaven in point of privilege by Christ's own presence laboring among them, with the Prince of life going in and out among them day by day. They were honored above other places and greatly favored by that presence, by preaching done in them in the most powerful manner, by most of the mighty works and powerful miracles done among them, and by great light, opportunities, blessings, pardon and healing. They heard that preaching but did not repent, did not accept the light, did not appreciate the privilege, and did not spread heaven's light to others.

The denunciation was a heaven-sent warning falling from the lips of Christ, sternly rebuking indifference and determination to continue in sin and refusal to be instructed. It was not merely a human rebuke from His human nature that hearers may dismiss as only the voice of man and feel at liberty to disregard.

Why They Refused Repentance

They heard His teaching and witnessed His mighty works, yet would not carry them out, work out the principles of righteousness, reform, or cooperate with Him in the work, continuing in unbelief and remaining unbenefited by what they saw and heard. Hearing and seeing truth without acting on it left them unchanged, for witnessing powerful signs does not by itself bring conversion. The woe was pronounced upon them precisely because preaching in the most powerful manner with mighty works did not move them to unite with Him.

The reason they refused stood in their own pride of disposition and defects of character. Their hearts were convicted and stirred, but they were unwilling to humble themselves to confess and forsake their sins, acting as if such humiliation were beneath their dignity.

They were under a deception of holding a spiritual creed while living a selfish, carnal life, for which God has no use. Instead of repenting under the Holy Spirit's influence they clung to worldly plans and sinful practices.

They rejected Him because those claiming to believe and teach the Word interpreted it to suit preconceived opinions so it would harmonize with human traditions and commandments. The people trusted what priests and rulers taught where God should have been, instead of searching the Scriptures for themselves, comparing scripture with scripture, and using the reason and judgment God gave them, thus rejecting the truth of God to keep their own tradition. In receiving great light and clear evidence but rejecting it they refused the power of the Holy Spirit and refused to yield the will to God. Having God's word and warnings does not itself lead to a changed life when people resist the light and fail to receive it. Rejecting the testimony that prepared the way for Jesus left people less able to receive His later teaching and the evidence of His Messiahship.

Greater Light Greater Judgment

Seeing mighty works done among them and receiving great light, precious opportunities and wonderful privileges lays serious responsibility on those who receive them, and spiritual growth and advancement must match the blessings of light and knowledge given. Tyre and Sidon, though notoriously wicked and regarded as wicked, would have repented long ago and long before in sackcloth and ashes if they had witnessed those same works and received that same evidence. To reject the truth and the messenger God sends after such evidence brings grave consequences, hinders the ingathering of believers, weakens witness that the truth is genuine, and leaves God's law unmagnified. Where abundant light is given, as at Battle Creek, it should lead to deeper and higher action, and receiving it without transformation and without valuing it or obeying God's requirements risks condemnation at the judgment, for greater privilege brings greater accountability.

Guilt, accountability and punishment are measured according to the light, truth, instruction and privilege received, and neglected privilege leaves the unrepentant condemned. The greater the position, light and evidence, the greater the responsibility to respond and the greater the punishment for remaining unrepentant and denying the Savior, so that failing to cherish God's light makes a person more guilty than those who had less opportunity. God's judgments correspond to the wickedness of a people and the truth they have been given, so cities where truth has long been known face particular responsibility. Guilt is also measured by the character of the messenger rejected, for the more earnest and faithful and praiseworthy the minister God sends, the more blameworthy are those who do not heed the message he bears but go on in their own way.

Therefore the day of judgment will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon than for Chorazin and Bethsaida, and more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah than for those who neglected such privileges, for their failure to respond brings a sterner judgment. Those exalted to heaven by Christ's presence and most of His mighty works and abundant heavenly blessings, yet not accepting the light or repenting, fall under woe, and punishment is given in accordance with their sin. Rejecting the gospel invitation after seeing the Son of God is a greater sin than the wickedness that destroyed Sodom, and those professing to know God and keep His commandments while denying Christ in conduct are guiltier still. Neglected opportunities to learn and accept truth bring condemnation, not merely being mistaken, and those who receive great light but choose darkness face condemnation for failing to use their opportunities.

Great privileges and power commending God do not save recipients nor place them in safety. There is safety only when privileges are prized, wisely improved and used to advance God's glory and honor God, while abuse of privilege brings rejection and more severe condemnation. Those who walk in the light receive more and increased light, but those who lightly regard great opportunities and precious light, who receive blessings, opportunities and privileges without using them to walk in the truth and turn from sin, face denunciation and the same sentence of condemnation as those cities. The depth of ruin is measured by the exalted light and goodness to which God had raised up the fallen, as seen when Jerusalem fell from an exalted height that Tyre and Sidon had never reached. Those blessed with the most exalted heavenly truth ever entrusted to mortals face the same danger if they refuse to walk in the light.

Faith Must Transform Life

Belief alone does not remove the woe, for receiving truth, understanding it, holding it firmly, making religious profession, giving courteous reception, and showing apparent interest are not enough unless its light changes character and turns the person away from sin. Light must be appreciated, obeyed, and followed until its sanctifying power is seen in life and character, or the person remains under the woe pronounced on Chorazin and Bethsaida. Knowing truth or professing it will not save, and knowing it does not excuse disobedience or replace repentance, but calls for a renewed heart, confessed and forgiven sins, a character shaped by grace, unity with Christ, and full dedication to His service. To be represented by those cities is to hold correct doctrines and speak them without letting truth enter the heart and transform daily conduct, so that when challenged the unpracticed truth gives way to harmful feelings and behavior. Mere nominal assent improves no heart, and firm belief or religious profession without practical obedience and a sanctified character is of no value and can deceive the conscience.

Truth must be brought with its power to sanctify body, soul, and spirit into all that is done, rather than holding a spiritual creed while living a selfish, carnal life. It must be interwoven in life practice and its pure principles brought into the character to elevate, soften, refine, and beautify the whole man. A teacher who holds up sound doctrine without backing it with daily right actions is in no better condition than those cities, and such truth will save neither teacher nor listener.

Having the clear light of the gospel shining on the pathway brings fearful responsibility to follow Christ step by step with eyes fixed on Him, who never leads out of the right way, and to live by the truth revealed. The pathway is to grow brighter and brighter by walking in light received, gaining daily a clearer understanding of God's will, consecrating all that one has and is, seeing the sinfulness of sin and God's willingness and power to save, and accepting partnership with Christ to work the works of God. Christ longed to see fruit from His mighty labor in lives standing in freedom from sin, like Him in character, partaking of His nature, with works testifying to faith in God and to the obligation to work for Him, and He longs just as greatly to see such fruit from the church today. Those who have caught a glimpse of heaven's truth must not turn away or stifle conviction when obedience requires self-denial and sacrifice. Being at the great center of the work does not make anyone nearer heaven, and those who maintain integrity there must have a firm hold on the Mighty One.

Those who do not appreciate the light, do not walk in it, and do not help others to see and understand the truth come under denunciation, for the warning applies to those who receive special instruction and blessing and then fail to impart what they received and grow by sharing it. Receivers must spread heaven's light to others and magnify God's law, and failing to heed the message and proclaim the truth hinders the ingathering of believers and weakens the witness that the truth is genuine. A church that has received much yet remains dark itself and cannot diffuse light, remains cold at heart without overflowing and subduing influence to pour out upon the lost, remains weak and worthless for the service of Christ and unable to shine, and does despite to the Spirit of God, stands under this same woe. Such self-indulgence and unconsecration make it spiritually dark, hinder its witness, and risk harming new believers. If Chorazin and Bethsaida had accepted the message, repented, and carried the light of truth to other cities, thousands of people would have been converted.

Those who reject such light will never have greater privileges, for churches that know the truth and have had great labor and piled-up evidence bestowed on them, yet remain selfish, exacting, covetous, unbelieving, critical of messengers and message, and sowers of unbelief, are not prepared to be benefited by more ministry of the Word. Without faith and doing the Word and without a new heart they hear not and see not, miss opportunity after opportunity until senses are blunted and perceptions confused, and stand as unfaithful stewards who did it not unto Christ. Defects of character must be corrected now because education is for the higher school that continues beyond this life.

Warning Applies Today

The woe spoken against Chorazin and Bethsaida rests on Battle Creek, because there abundant light, blessings, messages of pardon and righteousness, and the clearest evidence were given, yet the necessary moral transformation did not go on and righteousness, justice, and heeding of God's word did not follow. Perpetuating wrong principles in the face of clearest light and covering over injustice and wrong judgment wearies God, and receiving great light without deeper and higher action brings condemnation. The same warning rests on Battle Creek and on every place and people that receive great light, recognize its divine source, and then turn from it, for greater light and opportunity bring greater responsibility. The Lord blotted out two of the largest institutions established there and gave warning after warning, and obtaining an education there does not make a person safe. It is fearful to build up great institutions where truth has long been known, because accountability increases when everything shakable is shaken.

The same woe falls on churches and workers now who claim to believe the truth but do not practice it, enjoying great light yet standing in impenitence, self-centeredness, unconsecration, and spiritual darkness. Their hearts may be convicted and stirred, yet they are unwilling to humble themselves to confess and forsake sins, acting as if it were beneath their dignity, and they remain selfish, exacting, covetous, unbelieving, critical of messengers, and sowers of unbelief. Some pursue a course under Satan's intriguing and cling to hereditary and cultivated tendencies, while others stay in harmful self-indulgence, spending God's talents of means on disgusting, defiling indulgences put into the mouth instead of working cities and the highways and byways. A church given light on health reform but not receiving or living it becomes spiritually dark, cold at heart, weak and worthless for service, unable to diffuse light or shine, hindering its witness and risking harm to new believers. Such a church does despite to the Spirit of God, is accountable for the influence for good it might have exerted, and is called to purify the soul by obeying truth, cease self-centeredness, maintain correct principles, and bear a distinct solemn warning message.

The warning applies to the world in this day, which has been greatly favored with great light yet comes short of its responsibilities and stands under stricter condemnation in the day of judgment. It applies to cities today that continue wicked practices despite being spared and given opportunity to repent, whose refusal brings rebuke and may end in destruction, for divine mercy and opportunity call for heartfelt repentance and judgments correspond to wickedness and to truth given. The same principle measures a nation that receives great spiritual privileges and mercies but responds with ingratitude and forgetfulness of God. It falls fearfully on people in the last days, whose advantages exceed those of peoples long held as astonishment and reproach, who would have endured to this day with present light. The present world is given up to excess in lawful temporal pursuits such as eating, drinking, planting, building, marrying and giving in marriage, which become sinful when carried to excess.

It applies to a person who through independence and stubbornness persists in his own way against repeated reproofs until spiritually blind, unchanged and unbenefited by abundant privilege. It falls on professed believers and leaders who have outgrown advent faith and live for the world, denying Christ's speedy appearing in spirit, works and words, saying in the heart My Lord delayeth His coming and Peace and safety, the time is not yet, while smiting fellow servants and eating and drinking with the drunken. It falls on those who recognize evidence of truth but refuse to follow it because it would cost opinions, business, or other advantages, and who distort Scripture to defend errors. It falls on families that fail in righteous home life, where body and mind are not strictly dealt with, unchristlike traits bear sway, watch over the heart is neglected, right words and deeds are left out and unchristlike words and deeds come in, and parents and children work at cross purposes with God. It describes those who bring pride and worldliness into the church, for being at the great center of the work does not make anyone nearer heaven, and it rests on places where truth is widely presented but misrepresented by professors, over which wrath gathers.

When applied directly the reproof strikes the heart and presses to confession and brokenness. Those who humble their hearts, confess sins, and repent can be pardoned, forgiven, and healed. But the one who thinks confession shows weakness will not find pardon and will not see Christ as Redeemer, but will go on in transgression adding sin to sin until the books are opened and every person is judged according to things written in the books. God marks every movement of leading men and bears long with perversity, but those with great light who refuse to repent and be converted pass boundaries beyond which fearful punishment falls.

Those clinging to inherited or cultivated tendencies need God's converting power before they can bless others, and must be converted daily or have continual warfare with self. They must give up their own way, which is not always the right way, and fall upon the Rock and be broken. Hope still stands open if they heed Christ's gracious invitation to come for rest.