Chapter 37
ANOTHER CALL TO REPENTANCE
(Matthew 11:16-30)
Before we begin this study of God's Word let us pray,
Dear Holy Father, Almighty God,
We come before You in the Name of Jesus Christ. Father God we ask to You to please bless this study of Your Word. We also ask You to please grant us a true spirit of repentance along with a saving faith in Your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ.
Amen
INTRODUCTION
It is interesting to note that one of the main themes of Jesus' teachings was and still is that of repentance.
For example, let us read the first recorded teaching Jesus gave after He successfully withstood Satan’s temptations of half truths. We begin with,
Matthew 4:12-17
"[12] When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he returned to Galilee. [13] Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali-- [14] to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah: [15] "Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, along the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles-- [16] the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned." [17] From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.""
Let us now read how this message of repentance is recorded in,
Mark 1:14-15
"[14] After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. [15] "The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!""
Unfortunately, the majority of people who heard Jesus' message of repentance did not take Him seriously. Consequently, with some very vivid illustrations, Jesus chastised them about their indifference to His teachings. To read what He said we go to,
Matthew 11:16-19
""[16] To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others: [17] "'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.' [18] For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon.' [19] The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and "sinners." ‘But wisdom is proved right by her actions."
Let us notice the following verses,
16-17 … In other words, Jesus had asked His listeners the following question: "What will it take to get you to respond to My message?”
18 … John the Baptist came neither eating or drinking and preached to you and … nothing! In fact, some of the people thought that instead of being a messenger sent by God they thought John the Baptist was demon possessed.
19 … The Son of Man (Jesus) came eating and drinking and preached to you and … nothing! Instead of recognizing Jesus was and is the only begotten Son of God, some of the people thought He was a glutton and a drunkard.
Jesus told them that what they heard and saw from Him and John the Baptist was foretold by the prophets (Isaiah 40:3 and Deuteronomy 18:18). But it fell upon blind eyes and deaf ears.
What about us? Have we responded to Jesus’ message of repentance? Before we answer this question too quickly, let us first prayerfully read and silently reflect upon the following exhortation from,
James 1:22-25
"[22] Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. [23] Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror [24] and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. [25] But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it--he will be blessed in what he does."
And now let us read from,
James 2:26
"[26] As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead."
To help us appreciate the absolute necessity for us to truly repent from our sinful ways and whole heartily follow our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, we will now explore the warnings Jesus gave to some of the cities that did not take His message seriously. Specifically, we will examine the warnings Jesus gave to the cities of: (1) Chorazin/Bethsaida and (2) Capernaum.
With this introduction in mind let us now begin this portion of our study by examining the warning Jesus gave to the cities of:
CHORAZIN AND BETHSAIDA
Before we read the warning that Jesus gave to the above cities it is noted that the translators of the New International Version of the Bible used the phonetic spelling "Korazin" to identify the city of Chorazin. With this in mind, let us now read from,
Matthew 11:20-22
"[20] Then Jesus began to denounce the cities in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent. [21] "Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. [22] But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you."
To gain more insight into what Jesus is teaching us we will,
1. Look at some examples of the miracles Jesus performed in and around the cities of Chorazin and Bethsaida.
2. Review some Old Testament history about the cities of Tyre and Sidon.
3. See how Jesus' discourse about Chorazin, Bethsaida, Tyre and Sidon relates to us, the disciples of Jesus Christ.
We begin by reading,
TWO MIRACLES JESUS PERFORMED IN CHORAZIN AND BETHSAIDA
The first miracle we will read about is when,
Jesus restored the sight of a blind man in Bethsaida
This is recorded in,
Mark 8:22-25
"[22] They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. [23] He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man's eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, "Do you see anything?" [24] He looked up and said, "I see people; they look like trees walking around." [25] Once more Jesus put his hands on the man's eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly."
The second example of miracles Jesus performed in and around the cities of Chorazin and Bethsaida was when,
Jesus also miraculously fed 5000 men plus women and children in Bethsaida
To see this let us read from,
Luke 9:10-17
"[10] When the apostles returned, they reported to Jesus what they had done. Then he took them with him and they withdrew by themselves to a town called Bethsaida, [11] but the crowds learned about it and followed him. He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing. [12] Late in the afternoon the Twelve came to him and said, "Send the crowd away so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside and find food and lodging, because we are in a remote place here." [13] He replied, "You give them something to eat." They answered, "We have only five loaves of bread and two fish--unless we go and buy food for all this crowd." [14] (About five thousand men were there.) But he said to his disciples, "Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each." [15] The disciples did so, and everybody sat down. [16] Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke them. Then he gave them to the disciples to set before the people. [17] They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over."
With the miracles Jesus performed in the city of Bethsaida in the back of our minds, let us now review some historical information with respect to,
TYRE AND SIDON
According to Zondervan's Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible1 Tyre and Sidon were shipping ports. During the reign of King Hiram, 987-947 BC, Tyre became one of the great commercial cities of the ancient world. King Hiram was the king who supplied King David cedar trees, carpenters and masons to help build King David's house (2 Samuel 5:11). King Hiram also provided King Solomon with cedar trees and laborers to help build the Temple along with King Solomon's house (1 Kings 5:1-18). According to the foot note in the New International Version Study Bible2, the destruction of Tyre was foretold by our God in approximately 587 BC, which is approximately 250 plus years, before Alexander the Great invaded Tyre. To read this prophecy we go to,
Ezekiel 27:1-7
"[1] The word of the LORD came to me: [2] "Son of man, take up a lament concerning Tyre. [3] Say to Tyre, situated at the gateway to the sea, merchant of peoples on many coasts, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: "'You say, O Tyre, "I am perfect in beauty." [4] Your domain was on the high seas; your builders brought your beauty to perfection. [5] They made all your timbers of pine trees from Senir; they took a cedar from Lebanon to make a mast for you. [6] Of oaks from Bashan they made your oars; of cypress wood from the coasts of Cyprus they made your deck, inlaid with ivory. [7] Fine embroidered linen from Egypt was your sail and served as your banner; your awnings were of blue and purple from the coasts of Elishah."
In Chapter 27, verses 8-28 continue to record the prosperity, power and influence Tyre had over the ancient world. Unfortunately, the pride of Tyre and its king grew to unprecedented heights. To see this let us read from,
Ezekiel 28:1-5
"[1] The word of the LORD came to me: [2] "Son of man, say to the ruler of Tyre, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: "'In the pride of your heart you say, "I am a god; I sit on the throne of a god in the heart of the seas." But you are a man and not a god, though you think you are as wise as a god. [3] Are you wiser than Daniel? Is no secret hidden from you? [4] By your wisdom and understanding you have gained wealth for yourself and amassed gold and silver in your treasuries. [5] By your great skill in trading you have increased your wealth, and because of your wealth your heart has grown proud."
Because of this pride God foretold of the fall and destruction of the King of Tyre. This prophecy is recorded in,
Ezekiel 28:6-10
""'[6] Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: "'Because you think you are wise, as wise as a god, [7] I am going to bring foreigners against you, the most ruthless of nations; they will draw their swords against your beauty and wisdom and pierce your shining splendor. [8] They will bring you down to the pit, and you will die a violent death in the heart of the seas. [9] Will you then say, "I am a god," in the presence of those who kill you? You will be but a man, not a god, in the hands of those who slay you. [10] You will die the death of the uncircumcised at the hands of foreigners. I have spoken, declares the Sovereign LORD.'""
In approximately 332 BC Alexander the Great over-threw Tyre and Sidon. In doing this he partially fulfilled the prophecy given through the prophet Ezekiel. In approximately 20 BC, by the hand of the Roman emperor Augustus the completion of Ezekiel's prophecy was accomplished.
With the above background of the miracles performed in and around the cities of Chorazin and Bethsaida and the fall of Tyre and Sidon let us return and reread what Jesus said to those who refused to seriously believe and act upon His message of repentance.
Matthew 11:20-22
"[20] Then Jesus began to denounce the cities in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent. [21] "Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. [22] But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you."
This now brings us to,
THE APPLICATION FOR US
We may or may not have seen or experienced physical miracles such as the restoration of the sight of a blind person. However, as a disciple of Jesus Christ, Jesus has certainly healed or opened our spiritual eyes. To see this let us read an excerpt of what Jesus told the disciples who returned to Him from their missionary journey. To do this let us read from,
Luke 10:21-24
"[21] At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure. [22] "All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him." [23] Then he turned to his disciples and said privately, "Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. [24] For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.""
We also may not have seen or experienced Jesus providing physical bread for the hungry as He did in Bethsaida. However, when a disciple of Jesus Christ reads His Word and partakes of His Last Supper, Jesus spiritually feeds them with living bread.
To see this, we begin by reading the following excerpt from what Jesus said to those who came to Him after He miraculously fed the 5000 men plus women and children with only five loaves of bread.
John 6:48-51
"[48] I am the bread of life. [49] Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they died. [50] But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die. [51] I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.""
In reading this passage care must be taken to insure we do not misinterpret what Jesus is teaching us. Specifically, He does not mean we are to literally eat His flesh and drink His blood. To see this let us return to our passage in the Gospel according to John and read from,
John 6:60-63
"[60] On hearing it, many of his disciples said, "This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?" [61] Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, "Does this offend you? [62] What if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! [63] The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.
Let us notice the following verse,
63 … This is the key verse. It is the Holy Spirit who gives life-not the flesh. Thus, as Jesus said, the words He was speaking are spirit and life-not earthy or physical. Hence, they must be spiritually understood or discerned.
With the above background in mind, we come to the question of, “How do we spiritually partake of the body and blood of Jesus?” The answer to this question is twofold. First of all,
We Are To Read His Word
To see this, let us remember that in verse 63 above Jesus tells us that the words He spoke (and now written in the Bible) are spirit and life. In addition, let us also recall that the Bible reveals to us the unity of Jesus and His Word. To refresh our memories, let us read the following,
John 1:1
"[1] In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."
Thus, as we reverently and prayerfully read or digest the Bible, that is the Word, we are spiritually partaking of our Lord Jesus Christ. Thus, the Bible is spiritual food to nourish our spiritual health. To see this, let us consider,
Hebrews 5:12-14
"[12] In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! [13] Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. [14] But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil."
Another example of God’s Word being referred as spiritual food is what Jesus said to Satan after Satan tempted Jesus to break His fast.
Matthew 4:4
"[4] Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'""
Secondly, we are spiritually nourished and strengthened when we,
Partake in the Lord's Supper
Let us review what occurs when we properly observe the Lord’s Supper,
1 Corinthians 10:15-16
"[15] I speak to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. [16] Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ?"
This brings us to,
THE MESSAGE FOR THIS PORTION OF OUR STUDY
Perhaps the best way to read the message is for us to go to,
Colossians 3:5-17
"[5] Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. [6] Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. [7] You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. [8] But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. [9] Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices [10] and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. [11] Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all. [12] Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. [13] Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. [14] And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. [15] Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. [16] Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. [17] And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."
The second example our Lord Jesus gave is the one about the city of:
CAPERNAUM
To read what Jesus said to the city of Capernaum we go to,
Matthew 11:23-24
"[23] And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to the skies? No, you will go down to the depths. If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. [24] But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.""
To gain insight and appreciation for what Jesus is telling us we will,
1. Look at some examples of miracles Jesus performed in Capernaum.
2. Review some Old Testament history with respect to the city of Sodom.
3. See how Jesus' discourse about Capernaum and Sodom relates to us, the disciples of Jesus Christ.
With this brief introduction in mind we begin by reading,
SOME MIRICALES JESUS PERFORMED IN THE CITY OF CAPERNAUM
The Bible teaches us that in Capernaum Jesus taught about the Kingdom of God, healed the sick and forgave sins. To see this let us read from,
Mark 2:1-12
"[1] A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. [2] So many gathered that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. [3] Some men came, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them. [4] Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on. [5] When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven." [6] Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, [7] "Why does this fellow talk like that? He's blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?" [8] Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, "Why are you thinking these things? [9] Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up, take your mat and walk'? [10] But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins." He said to the paralytic, [11] "I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home." [12] He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this!""
Let us notice the following verses,
1-2 … To the multitude of people who had gathered in the house in Capernaum Jesus preached and taught about the Kingdom of God.
5 … Jesus forgave the paralytic of his sins.
7-12 … To prove the fact that Jesus had the authority to forgive sins; He also healed the paralytic from his infirmity.
Before we see how Jesus' discourse against Capernaum can relate to us today, it will be helpful for us to first review
SOME OLD TESTAMENT HISTORY CONCERNING THE CITY OF SODOM
When the herds of Abraham and his nephew Lot, became too numerous for the land to nourish, they separated. Abraham stayed in Canaan and Lot moved to the plain of the Jordan and dwelt in the city of Sodom.
After a period of time, the people of Sodom fell into many great and grievous sins. One of which was homosexuality. Consequently, the Lord came down to see whether or not this out cry of Sodom was true. If it was, then the Lord had planned to destroy the city. This is recorded in,
Genesis 18:16-22
"[16] When the men got up to leave, they looked down toward Sodom, and Abraham walked along with them to see them on their way. [17] Then the LORD said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do? [18] Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him. [19] For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, so that the LORD will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him." [20] Then the LORD said, "The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous [21] that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know." [22] The men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the LORD."
Upon hearing what the Lord had planned to do, Abraham proceeded to plead for the Lord's mercy. The Lord agreed that if He found ten righteous men then He would not destroy the city of Sodom. To see this let us read the following excerpt from the conversation between the Lord and Abraham.
Genesis 18:32-33
"[32] Then he said, "May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found there?" He answered, "For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it." [33] When the LORD had finished speaking with Abraham, he left, and Abraham returned home."
Let us now read what happened when the two angels arrived in Sodom. This is recorded in,
Genesis 19:1-26
"[1] The two angels arrived at Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gateway of the city. When he saw them, he got up to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground. [2] "My lords," he said, "please turn aside to your servant's house. You can wash your feet and spend the night and then go on your way early in the morning." "No," they answered, "we will spend the night in the square." [3] But he insisted so strongly that they did go with him and entered his house. He prepared a meal for them, baking bread without yeast, and they ate. [4] Before they had gone to bed, all the men from every part of the city of Sodom--both young and old--surrounded the house. [5] They called to Lot, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them." [6] Lot went outside to meet them and shut the door behind him [7] and said, "No, my friends. Don't do this wicked thing.
Let us notice the following verses,
1-3 … Lot graciously received the two angels. NOTE: At this time the angels took the form of human men.
4-5 … All the men of Sodom had become homosexuals and wanted to have relations with the angels.
Let us skip to the following verse,
[9] “Get out of our way,” they replied. And they said, “This fellow came here as an alien, and now he wants to play the judge! We’ll treat you worse than them.” They kept bringing pressure on Lot and moved forward to break down the door. [10] But the men inside reached out and pulled Lot back into the house and shut the door. [11] Then they struck the men who were at the door of the house, young and old, with blindness so that they could not find the door. [12] The two men said to Lot, “Do you have anyone else here—sons-in-law, sons or daughters, or anyone else in the city who belongs to you? Get them out of here, [13] because we are going to destroy this place. The outcry to the LORD against its people is so great that he has sent us to destroy it.”
9 … It is interesting to note that the men of Sodom considered Lot as a stranger. In other words, even though he lived in the city of Sodom he did not participate in their activities and customs.
12-13 … At this point in time the angels knew there were not even ten righteous men living in Sodom. Thus, they told Lot to gather up his family and flee from the destruction that was about to take place.
Let us now finish our reading of this account and go to,
[14] So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were pledged to marry his daughters. He said, "Hurry and get out of this place, because the LORD is about to destroy the city!" But his sons-in-law thought he was joking. [15] With the coming of dawn, the angels urged Lot, saying, "Hurry! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away when the city is punished." [16] When he hesitated, the men grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters and led them safely out of the city, for the LORD was merciful to them. [17] As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, "Flee for your lives! Don't look back, and don't stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!" [18] But Lot said to them, "No, my lords, please! [19] Your servant has found favor in your eyes, and you have shown great kindness to me in sparing my life. But I can't flee to the mountains; this disaster will overtake me, and I'll die. [20] Look, here is a town near enough to run to, and it is small. Let me flee to it--it is very small, isn't it? Then my life will be spared." [21] He said to him, "Very well, I will grant this request too; I will not overthrow the town you speak of. [22] But flee there quickly, because I cannot do anything until you reach it." (That is why the town was called Zoar.) [23] By the time Lot reached Zoar, the sun had risen over the land. [24] Then the LORD rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah--from the LORD out of the heavens. [25] Thus he overthrew those cities and the entire plain, including all those living in the cities--and also the vegetation in the land. [26] But Lot's wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt."
Let us notice the following verses,
14 … Lot's sons-in-law did not seriously accept Lot's request for them to leave the city. In fact, they actually thought Lot was joking.
15-16 … Even Lot had a difficult time leaving his home and possessions. Consequently, the angels physically took him outside the city.
17 … The angels specifically told Lot, his wife and their two daughters not to look back. The reason for this was because looking back would be an outward sign they had remorse about leaving the life they had in Sodom. It is the same for us.
26 … Unfortunately, Lot's wife looked back. As a consequence she was transformed into a pillar of salt.
With this background of Capernaum and Sodom let us return and reread what Jesus said about these cities as recorded in,
Matthew 11:23-24
"[23] And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to the skies? No, you will go down to the depths. If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. [24] But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the Day of Judgment than for you.""
THE APPLICATION FOR US
As it was with the miracles performed in Chorazin and Bethsaida, we may or may not have physically seen similar miracles. However, we certainly have seen and experienced similar spiritual works.
First of all, as Jesus taught the people in Capernaum about God's Kingdom and His ways. Thus,
To teach and guide us in God’s ways, every born-again believer in Jesus Christ has the Holy Spirit living inside them
To see this let us consider what Jesus told His disciples what would happen after He returned to the Father in Heaven. To do this let us read from,
John 16:13-15
"[16] But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. [14] He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. [15] All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you."
Let us also consider what is written in,
1 John 2:27
"[27] As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit--just as it has taught you, remain in him."
Secondly, as Jesus forgave the sins of the paralytic,
We have been forgiven and transferred us into Jesus’ Kingdom
This truth is clearly revealed to us in,
Colossians 1:13-14
"[13] For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, [14] in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins."
We also find as Jesus physically healed the paralytic in Capernaum
Jesus has spiritually healed each and every born-again believer
To see this let us read from,
1 Peter 2:22-25
""[22] He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth." [23] When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. [24] He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. [25] For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls."
THE MESSAGE FOR THIS PORTION OF OUR STUDY
In our study of the example of Chorazin and Bethsaida we found that Jesus wants the true disciple of His to forsake their sinful ways. He wants us to live the remaining days we have on this earth in obedience to Him and His ways. To do this our Lord wants us to live a new life free from the value system, behavior and conduct of the cities of this world. As the Lord and His angels came to deliver Lot and his family from Sodom, Jesus came to deliver us from the city of Babylon. During his exile on the island of Patmos God gave the Apostle John a vision that revealed His desire for us to forsake the ways of Babylon. The vision of interest for this study is recorded in,
Revelation 18:1-8
"[1] After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven. He had great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his splendor. [2] With a mighty voice he shouted: "Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great! She has become a home for demons and a haunt for every evil spirit, a haunt for every unclean and detestable bird. [3] For all the nations have drunk the maddening wine of her adulteries. The kings of the earth committed adultery with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries." [4] Then I heard another voice from heaven say: "Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues; [5] for her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes. [6] Give back to her as she has given; pay her back double for what she has done. Mix her a double portion from her own cup. [7] Give her as much torture and grief as the glory and luxury she gave herself. In her heart she boasts, 'I sit as queen; I am not a widow, and I will never mourn.' [8] Therefore in one day her plagues will overtake her: death, mourning and famine. She will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the Lord God who judges her."
Let us notice the following verse,
4 … The Lord's people are told to leave Babylon. Now our Lord may or may not be asking all of His disciples to physically pick up their belongings and flee from their homes into the wilderness. However, He surely is telling all of His disciples to forsake the values, behavior and conduct that is practiced and exalted throughout the cities and societies of this world's system and follow Him and His ways. To see this let us first prayerfully consider,
1 John 2:15
"[15] Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him."
The key word in this verse is love. In other words; “Do we love God and His ways?” (Or) “Do we love the world and the ways and things of this world?” Remember Lot's sons-in-law. They thought Lot was kidding? Remember Lot's wife. She looked back.
With these thoughts in mind let us now return to our reading in John's first letter and read what else the Holy Spirit has to say about this issue,
1 John 2:16-17
"[16] For everything in the world--the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does--comes not from the Father but from the world. [17] The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever."
CLOSING
For those who are earnestly seeking after God and His ways and are grieved, saddened and burdened by the sins and wayward ways of this world we close by reading the following promise,
Matthew 11:28-30
""[28] Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. [29] Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. [30] For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.""
Blessed be the Lord forever,
Amen and Amen