Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

“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.”

Gospel Reading: Matthew 11:20-24

Jesus 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."

What would Jesus say to us if He were to visit our community, our church or even our family? Do you wonder if Jesus would say woe to Spring or woe to your town? Even worse, would he say woe to your family?  Today’s message is again a warning to his disciples. Jesus is just a little upset with the people from these two towns for he has done great miracles in these towns and the people have not repented to the Lord. Chorazin and Bethsaida were two small communities probably represented by a single Jewish synagogue. He compares them to the towns of Sodom, Tyre and Sidon. These towns were known for loose living, prostitution, gambling, drunkenness. We all know what happened to Sodom and how they were punished for their loose living and sinful ways. Jesus tells the people from these two towns “it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you.” This is probably the harshest warning that Jesus gives in the Gospel of Matthew.  The people have witnessed the great miracles preformed of Christ. They have seen Jesus cure people of ailments, being deaf or blind, and even people possessed by the devil. They have heard His teachings first hand and yet they are indifferent to him.

Would Jesus deliver the same message to us today? What would he think about our own home? Is Jesus Christ alive in our house? When people visit your house, can they tell that you are a disciple of Christ. When we look at our community, can we see the miracles of God that occur all around them? We are called to proclaim the word of God and we are called to repent. When Jesus said that these towns did not repent, he implies that they did not change their ways. We need to change our ways to create change within our community. We need to convince others to change their ways so that they can realize the salvation of the Word of God. It is through our actions and our words that our family and our community can see the change in us. Jesus’ anger in today’s gospel is really sadness for us. He is sad because we have not seen the light of his salvation. If we do not change then we will not be with him in heaven. Christ calls each of us to walk with him; to carry our cross and to repent for our sins. We are all sinners and we must all repent, we must all change. None of us are perfect.

A Simple Prayer

Most Glorious God in Heaven

Open my heart and my mind so that you can reign in on me.

Shower me with your grace so that I can change.

May my change be seen by others as new light leading them to Christ.

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon