Matthew 11 - If the Mighty Works Had Been Done...

As I was reading through Matthew 11, something occurred to me that I had never noticed before. Beginning in verse 20, Jesus “began to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not...” Have you ever tried to serve God and tried to witness to others, but they wouldn't listen?

Don't Feel Alone!

At times, the same thing happened to Jesus and His disciples. Jesus did many mighty and miraculous works, and yet so many people repented not. It doesn't say they didn't believe... It says they didn't repent. The devil believes in God, but lives in defiance to Him. I believe much of this world believes in the reality of God, but choose rather to live a life of sin than repent and come to Christ. But this is not my main point. In verses 21-24, Jesus then upbraids (rebukes) these cities who repented not.

“Woe unto thee, Chorazin! Woe unto thee, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you.”

Here in this passage, Jesus is talking about judgment of these nations. Notice a few things in this passage:

“More Tolerable on the Day of Judgment”

While many of us are familiar with the Judgment Seat of Christ (For the Saved) and the Great White Throne Judgment (For the Lost), we do not know all of the details. What we know about these judgments is taken from various passages of Scripture. The unrepentant are clearly lost and will be judged at the Great White Throne Judgment. According to Jesus, the judgment of some will be more tolerable than that of others. Now for me to say much beyond this would be just my opinion. According to the context, the day of judgment will be worse for those who have rejected the mighty works of God. This seems to be in agreement with Luke 12:48- “...For unto whomsoever much is given, of whom much shall be required.” This, however, is a double-edged sword. While those who have rejected the great works of God will have a harder judgment than those who have not, how does this apply to those of us who have been saved and given the Great Commission?

“Whomsoever much is given, of whom much shall be required.”

Now let me be clear, our faithfulness to carry the Gospel to the lost does not affect our salvation, but it does affect our rewards. At the Judgment Seat of Christ, our lives will be tried as by fire, and every secret thing will be brought into light. As our works are tried, what will Christ find? Notice in verse 21, that Jesus makes an “If” statement. If these mighty works had been done there had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. Read that again, if these things had been done, judgment would have been different for those people. There are some who have a lackadaisical attitude towards reaching the lost, and it's a result of false doctrine. They believe that those who are going to get saved will get saved regardless of their obedience to the Great Commission. This is utter nonsense. The last time I read my Bible, Jesus gave us the great commission for a reason. Before the foundations of the world, God the Father drew up the plans of Salvation. Then God, the Son, came into this world and died for our sins. Then before ascending to Heaven, the gave us the Great Commission to carry the Gospel into all the world. Then he gave us God, the Spirit, who indwells us to fulfill this Great Commission. He has given us the privilege to be Ambassadors for Christ.

“They Would Have Repented Long Ago...”

I can't help but to ponder this idea. If judgment could have been different for Tyre, Sidon, and Sodom, then how could it be different for the people of the world we live in. WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO REACH THE LOST! I don't like to think about how eternity could have been different if I had been more faithful as a witness for Jesus Christ, but it's something I really need to consider. Not to live in despair and defeat, but to make a difference in the way I live my life. How many people would have repented long ago if we had been more faithful. On the flipside, how many people will we see in Heaven because of our faithfulness. I believe we will never know til we get there. Here are some good questions to ask ourselves:

How important was my salvation to Jesus Christ?

How important is the salvation of others to me?

How can I be a better witness for Christ?

What changes should I make TODAY in order to make that happen?