Then he began to reproach the towns where most of his mighty deeds had been done, since they had not repented. 21 “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. 22 But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. 23 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. 24 But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”
The exact location of ancient Chorazin is unknown but it is believed to have been located in the region of Galilee about two miles north of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus worked many miracles there. Bethsaida was a fishing village generally believed to have been located on the northeastern shore of the Sea of Galilee. Peter, Andrew, and Philip lived in Bethsaida. Jesus lived in Capernaum (Mt. 4.13) which was located on the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee, and taught in the synagogue in Capernaum and performed many miracles there. All three cities were thriving in Jesus’ time but lie in ruins today. Jesus rebukes them for their refusal to repent not for their immorality. Jesus frequently preached in those cities and his miracles were signs that the Messiah had come and the Kingdom of Heaven was imminent (Mt. 11:2-6) and were done to move the people of Israel to repentance and conversion (Mt. 4:17).
Tyre was renowned for its seafaring capabilities and Sidon was an important trading city renowned for its skilled artisans. They were Gentile cities in Phonecia, modern-day Lebanon, famous for their maritime trade. They had been doomed by the prophets (Isaiah 23; Ezekiel 26-28). Since the inhabitants of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum experienced Jesus’ miracles and God’s divine invitation firsthand but rejected it and did not change, they will be treated more harshly than Tyre and Sidon. Capernaum, Jesus’ adopted city, received the most severe condemnation. It will be judged more harshly than the people of Sodom. All of the towns mentioned by Jesus were towns of ‘ill repute’ and worthy of divine punishment.
Almighty God, grant that Jesus’ words may find fertile soil in our hearts and that through our continuing conversion, we may lead others away from divine punishment. This we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen!
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References
Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Upper Saddle River, NJ, United States, Prentice Hall, 1990.
Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Upper Saddle River, NJ, United States, Prentice Hall, 1990.
Orchard, Bernard, et al. A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture. Feb. 1953.
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