Proportionality

Then he began to reproach the cities in which most of his deeds of power had been done, because they did not repent.  “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.  But I tell you, on the day of judgment it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon than for you.  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.  But I tell you that on the day of judgment it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom than for you.” 

 Matthew 11:20-24

Let’s consider two passages discussing the proportionality of God’s judgment.  In the first, set forth above, Jesus pronounces judgment on those who witness God’s glory yet reject Him, and the punishment would be proportional to their exposure to God’s glory.  In the second, Jesus discusses God’s judgment on those who receive God’s blessing and understand His call yet use the blessings for personal pleasure rather than accomplishing God’s will.  And because they knew what they should do but chose to behave differently, their punishment would be severe.  As both examples illustrate, God’s judgment is proportional to His blessing.  

We are incredibly blessed.  We are blessed with material comforts, so much so that we have grown to expect each day to be relatively trouble free and pleasure filled.  Through God’s holy grace, we awoke this morning, enjoy the sun streaming from the sky, breathe in clean air, enjoy clean water, and eat our fill while dwelling in the safety of our home in a land where we are free to worship God and study His holy word and gather openly praising His holy name.  We are blessed beyond measure. 

Consider another aspect of His blessing – the wide and free availability of God’s holy word to us.  With a few thumb taps on our phones, we may freely access the Bible in a variety of translations.  Through His holy word we discover who God is, that He really exists, that His holy word lives, that He is love, light and life, that He listens to our prayers, and that He loves us so much He gave His only Son, Christ Jesus, so we might be reconciled with Him.  Through His holy word we meet Christ Jesus and learn the Gospel and gain so much more.  We have so much more than even the twelve disciples had.  While they lived with Christ Jesus and saw the miracles and heard His teaching firsthand, we have it all presented in a fleshed-out, concise manner with the dots connected and details explained.  We have the full body of God’s holy word and we have the indwelling Holy Spirit transforming our spirits and souls, opening our minds, convicting us, counseling us and praying for us.  We are blessed beyond measure!

Jesus tells us to whom much is given and entrusted, much is expected.  God generously blesses us in an indescribable variety of ways, so His expectations for us are vast.  What are we to do with that knowledge?

Near the end of Luke 12, Jesus tells a parable about slaves working for their master.  The master entrusts one to oversee the others while the master is away.  The slave knows the master.  He knows what the master expects, and if the managing slave works diligently and properly during his master’s absence, he will be rewarded upon his master’s return, but if he abuses his temporary allotment of power and uses it for personal pleasure, the master will punish him severely upon his return.  And the punishment will be severe because the slave knows, and while knowing, he intentionally rejects the master’s wishes, serving himself rather than the master, pursuing his own will rather than the master’s will.  He takes what belongs to the master and uses it as his own.  The master entrusts the slave with much, expects a great deal from him, and will punish in proportion to that which was entrusted to him – in proportion to the trust.  Jesus concludes the parable saying, “But the one who did not know and did what deserved a beating will receive a light beating. From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required; and from the one to whom much has been entrusted, even more will be demanded” (Luke 12:48).

To people trusted with much, much is expected.  God blesses us in so many ways and we should know His will because He communicates it through His holy word, but do we pursue His goals or ours?  In what ways do we misappropriate God’s blessing and temporary allotment of power for our own pleasure or prestige?  

Similarly, many are surrounded by evidence of God’s holy hand at work, have ample access to His holy word, and have heard the gospel of Jesus Christ yet reject it.  Many fail to believe and by doing so, reject the truth.  They too will be judged.  To illustrate this judgment, in the passage first set forth above, Jesus pronounces woes on Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum, compares the three towns on or near the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee with three towns known as symbols of wickedness, Sodom, Tyre and Sidon.  

When Jesus started His ministry, He moved to Capernaum (see Matthew 4:13).  People in the town witnessed His teaching, saw Him cast demons out of a man sitting in the synagogue (see Mark 1:21-28), and saw Peter cast a fishing line into the sea, retrieve a fish, and pluck a coin from the fish’s mouth capable of paying taxes for Peter and Jesus (see Matthew 17:24-27).  Jesus was in Capernaum when He healed a centurion’s servant as the servant lay sick in a distant town (see Matthew 8:5-13), healed a paralyzed man (see Mark 2:1-12), cured Peter’s mother-in-law and healed many others.  Mark records the scene one day in Capernaum as follows:

As soon as they left the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.  Now Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once.  He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them.

That evening, at sunset, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons.  And the whole city was gathered around the door.  And he cured many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.  Mark 1:29-34

Similar scenes unfolded in and around Bethsaida.  Jesus was near Bethsaida teaching about the kingdom of God and healing people, and as evening came, five thousand men plus women and children ate their fill with a mere five loaves and two fish (see Luke 9:10-17).  And near Bethsaida, Jesus healed a blind man by applying His saliva to the man’s eyes (see Mark 8:22-26).  

Amazing events took place in the tiny triangle formed by Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum, but many were unable to see, believe and follow.  They saw the events, but they were unable to discern the meaning.  What is Jesus saying when He compares the Galilean towns to Sodom, Tyre and Sidon?  

For context, please turn briefly to Genesis 19 where we see Sodom and the events causing it to be forever associated with human wickedness and God’s wrath.  People there were so corrupt that God sent angels to destroy the place and all its inhabitants and everything growing there by raining sulfur and fire down from heaven (see Genesis 19:25).  Only Lot and most of his family escaped.

Jesus says Capernaum would be punished because it refused to believe and follow, and because its exposure to God’s glory was so great, its punishment would be more severe than Sodom’s punishment.  What could be more severe than raining sulfur fire destroying everything in the region?  Perhaps the statement is hyperbole, but we understand His point.  The three Galilean towns were near one another and folks living across the region had ample opportunity to see Jesus in action, hear His teaching, see God work in miraculous ways through Him, and by seeing, come to believe, yet they rejected Him.  They had been surrounded by evidence of God’s glory, they saw the kingdom of God unveiled in their midst, yet they refused to believe.  God incarnate lived with them, but they rejected Him, and their punishment for rejection would be proportional to the opportunities set before them to see.

Through the wide availability of God’s holy word and the Holy Spirit surrounding us, we have greater opportunities to experience God’s glory before us than they had, and many reject Jesus even today.  We are blessed beyond measure, yet many refuse to see.  What does this mean for us?  

We might each consider asking ourselves, does my heart break for people who might not know God through Christ Jesus?  Am I filled with compassion for them?  Do I want to help?

For you who see God’s glory, who believe, who have faith, who live in relationship with God through Christ Jesus and the indwelling Holy Spirit, you have been blessed beyond measure, but not for your personal pleasure.  God blesses us so that we might serve as agents of His love, light, life, and mercy out in the world.  He sends us out into the world to continue the work that Jesus did.  While the master is away, He directs His slaves to continue His work.  He asks us to be out in the world, illuminating the world, engaging the world, helping others gain faith by hearing the word of God and by experiencing His glory.  We have been blessed and we know, and Jesus tells us to whom much is given and entrusted, much is expected.  

And like the residents of Capernaum, Bethsaida and Chorazin, many people around us see evidence of God’s holy hand at work yet refuse to believe.  So long as those around us breath and live on earth, they have an opportunity to see and repent and believe and follow, and God’s great mission on earth is directed toward them. So long as we breath and live here on earth, we can help them hear, help them see the truth and discover faith and come to believe.  So long as we breath and live here on earth we have the opportunity to show them God’s love and mercy and grace and compassion.  We can be kind servants, allowing His light to flow through us.  We can be the sort of people they want to be around, and while we are together we can explain the gospel to them because faith comes from hearing the word of Christ. 

Great blessing carries with it tremendous responsibility, and we are blessed.  May you genuinely feel compassion for people you encounter.  May you continue serving as God’s agent out in the world spreading His love, light and life, allowing Him to flow through you.  May you know God’s will and endeavor to carry it out today and always.  Amen.