Rector’s blog – day 74

Dear Friends

Matthew 11,  verses 20 – 22

Do you think Chorazin and Bethsaida, two small towns in Galilee, were particularly evil places?  Why was Jesus so judgemental about them?  You’ll have to listen to my sermon on Sunday to find some of the answer, as the text is taken from either side of this verse, but it is unlikely that he is having a go because they were hotbeds of immorality any more than other Galilean towns.  No, the answer seems to be that the local population of the towns didn’t want to be challenged by Jesus to change their way of life.

Maybe they were a little supercilious towards him.  “Who is this man from neighbouring Nazreth who’s so keen on spending time with us?”  Maybe they picked fault with whatever he did in order to take away his authority.  “Well, it’s all very well but Jesus talks about God  but then goes into the house of known sinners.”  Maybe they just wanted the healings and the miracles but not everything else that went with it.  “Hey, Jesus, I’ve got a poorly foot that’s causing me some discomfort but I’m quite at home with my poorly conscience.”  In all ths, of course, they weren’t willing to change the direction of their lives, to turn around, to repent, as the bible verse puts it.  Maybe they wanted the comfort blanket without the washing powder!

And Jesus really is uncompromising towards them!  Does this really mean that they’ve had it, and God has deserted them.  Their hopes of everlasting life are at an end?  I don’t believe so.  It is the same Jesus who says just a few verses later, ‘Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.’  which is much more accepting and he is apparently saying it to the same people.  I don’t think God ever gives up on us.  But if you don’t turn round and come to Jesus, if you don’t repent, then you are left carrying your burdens and daily life is ever so much more encumbered and ever so much less free.

What would Jesus say about  the good people of Baldock?  Would we be described as Chorazin and Bethsaida?  If not, how are we different?  And how do you think he hopes we will turn and come to him and repent so we can give him our burdens?  How do you think he hopes our lives will be different?

A prayer.

Let us confess to God the sins and shortcomings of our world
its pride, its selfishness, its greed, its evil divisions and hatreds

and let us confess our share in what is wrong

and our failure to seek and establish that peace which God wills for his children.  amen.

The words of Judge eternal throned in splendour are rather apt today.  See what you think.