“But I tell you, on the day of judgment it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon than for you.”

GOSPEL, Matthew (11:20-24)

Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew

Woes to Unrepentant Cities

²⁰ Then he began to reproach the cities in which most of his deeds of power had been done, because they did not repent. ²¹ “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the deeds of power done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. ²² But I tell you, on the day of judgment it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon than for you. ²³ And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? No, you will be brought down to Hades.

For if the deeds of power done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. ²⁴ But I tell you that on the day of judgment it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom than for you.”

The Gospel of the Lord

 

REFLECTION

Today’s Gospel shows us Jesus’ reproach to the cities of Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum, despite the miracles wrought by Christ they were not converted to the good news.

Indifferent to the Lord’s visit, they remained corrupt, incredulous and self-serving. He claims that Sodom will be treated less harshly on the Day of Judgment than cities that have not embraced the gift of conversion. “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the deeds of power done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.” (Mt 11.21)

The people and leaders of the Jewish cities remained unbelieving and rejected Jesus. This warning is equally addressed to all whom, through the ages that same word could reach.

The Word of the Lord at every moment exhorts and admonishes us with the aim of bringing about an interior transformation in us. We cannot respond with indifference to the Gospel, like the cities censured by Christ. Repentance requires change – a change of heart and of life style. Let us radically leave the false wisdom of the world.

 Giving credence to the words of eternal life, may we receive then, with humility and responsibility each day, the call to be humble instruments of the Holy Spirit.

All those small gestures we make each day, such as a heartfelt greeting to a neighbour, showing interest in the lives of our colleagues, the smile directed at the employee on the supermarket checkout and giving attention to the person who asks us for information will flourish in the future…

 

PRAYER

Open to us, Lord, our eyes to see ourselves as we are, and our ears to hear your call to conversion, for this, give us the young spirit of the gospel in order to grow more and more as individuals and as Christians. Amen.