Matthew 11:20-24 - Great Responsibility

Introduction

Turn to Matthew 11:20

Spider-Man’s popularity

Created in 1964

over a dozen movies made with him as a main or significant character

an unprecedented union between Disney and Sony to be able to use the character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe

What has made him so popular?

Where Superman has been virtually untouchable, Spidey has always been relatable

Whether it is through Peter Parker, Miles Morales, or even someone else, Spidey’s troubles are often our troubles

As a highschooler - dealing with bullies and struggling through relationships

as a young adult, trying to work multiple jobs to seek stability

a little later, trying to balance his responsibilities to his family and to protecting the people of the city

But undergirding his entire identity, no matter which version of spidey you’re engaging with, is a formative line that most of us have heard by now

“With great power comes great responsibility”

this single line has probably done more to shape the character of spider-man than anything else

and it is in the times where he does not live up to that responsibility, sometimes ignoring it, or even straight up running away from it, that he is at his worst.

Jesus taught something similar in today’s passage, showing the greater responsibility of the Jewish people to respond to his gospel message.

Jesus essentially tells them, “You have been given great gifts, and you have a greater responsibility because of them.”

We have been working our way through Matthew 11-13 and the different responses people have to Jesus.

Last week we started discussing the response of the Jewish crowds around Jesus, and by and large they chose to reject him. Let’s read Jesus’ response to that this morning.

Matthew 11:20–24 ESV

20 Then he began to denounce the cities where most of his mighty works had been done, because they did not repent. 21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 But I tell you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. 23 And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You will be brought down to Hades. For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. 24 But I tell you that it will be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you.”

1. The cities

2 Groups of Cities

Chorazin, Bethsaida, Capernaum

Tyre, Sidon, Sodom

Let’s look at these groups of cities

Chorazin, Bethsaida, Capernaum

Jewish Cities in the Galilean region

With many Synagogues teaching the Torah

Where Jesus spent a lot of time

Where most of the miracles happened

Where there was strong Jewish influence!

In contrast Tyre, Sidon, and Sodom

Tyre and Sidon were Gentile cities from far off that were prophesied to be destroyed in Isaiah and Ezekiel

Eventually that was fulfilled by Alexander the Great

Sodom was destroyed in the time of Abraham! and had become synonymous with the judgement of God against sin!

Jesus had been to none of those cities

There were no great signs done before them

And they were extremely pagan!

These cities are being set up as opposites.

And what does Jesus say about them?

Is he praising the jewish cities and condemning the pagan ones?

Is he saying “Thank God you are not like them?”

No!

He is pronouncing woe, judgement upon the cities where he did his miracles, while still not praising the pagan cities

Why would he do that?

Because they had been handed many gifts and they were ignoring their responsibility!

2. The Gifts

1. “Mighty Works” - Miracles

Signs that the Messiah had come and that God Himself was behind Jesus!

2. The Oracles of God

A major argument of Paul’s letter to the Roman church is whether there are differences between Jews and Gentiles

In Romans 3 He writes that the Jews have incredible advantages over gentiles because of their heritage.

They were given the very oracles of God!

Romans 3:1–2 ESV

1 Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision? 2 Much in every way. To begin with, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God.

Paul expands this in Romans 9:1-5 to explain what he means!

They were given adoption,

the presence of the glory of God in the temple,

the covenants of God,

the Laws of God,

the worship of God,

the promises of God,

the great Patriarchs,

and even the Messiah himself!

And why are these advantages over the gentiles?

Well Paul explains in Romans 1-2 that the knowledge of God that the Gentiles receive comes only from nature

That knowledge can only bring condemnation because saving knowledge comes through God’s Word in the Bible and His living Word in Jesus!

The Gentiles had to piece together what they could from nature!

And just for a quick tangent, this is why missions is so important! There are people dying every single day without ever hearing the name of Jesus and his promise of salvation! They have no access to a church or the Word of God! We must be consumed with a desire to bring that to them!

So the Jews not only have the gift and advantage of seeing the great works of God through the Word of God in Flesh (Jesus the Messiah), they also were the only group with a great access to the Word of God for countless generations!

They have been given the key to salvation!

What incredible gifts!

And what did they do with these gifts?

They ultimately reject them!

3. The Responsibility

What was Jesus’ expectation for these Jewish cities because of their great gifts?

What was their responsibility to do because of this great knowledge they were given?

Repentance

And they would not do it.

So what does Jesus say?

He compares the Jewish cities to the pagan cities

If these miracles would have happened in the pagan cities that were destroyed for their wickedness, they would have repented and not have been destroyed.

The pagan cities were given fewer gifts and were still held responsible for their sin

Now, the cities who were given great gifts are refusing to repent

How does Jesus respond to that?

He says that it will be more tolerable on the day of Judgement for Sodom, a city whose name is synonymous with sin, than for Capernaum, the Jewish city where Jesus made his home.

What is the day of Judgement?

It’s spoken about in Revelation

the Day that Jesus returns and wipes out all wickedness to bring unending peace to the earth.

On that day, Sodom will receive a less fierce judgement than Capernaum.

Application

The great gifts to the Jewish people means they have a greater responsibility to respond to the Word and Works of God.

There is a problematic theology called dispensationalism that cropped up a little over a hundred years ago that says that because the Jews are descended from Abraham, and God chose the descendants of Abraham as his people, that we must support them if we wish to also have the blessing of God. It even goes further into saying that the Jewish believers will be a separate class from the Gentile believers at the end of the age.

This is problematic for a multitude of reasons, but primarily because it alters the Word of God.

Paul doesn’t end Romans after listing off the gifts that the Jews received.

In Romans 3:21-25 Paul says that, though the Jews have recieved the teachings of God which were how we would find righteousness (but yet they also condemn us all!), God has revealed way other than our perfect obedient righteousness and sacrifices.

Jesus himself has made the way for us to be made righteous through faith, not by works. And there is no distinction between anyone!

Because all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God!

And all who are justified, are justified by the grace of God through their faith in Christ and his works alone!

Romans 3:21–25 ESV

21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.

He continues in chapter 4 showing that all who believe are the true children of Abraham and that they are the ones to inherit the promises made to Abraham’s children! This includes Jews who trust in Christ and Gentiles who trust in Christ!

Jesus has already made this clear in previous passages of Matthew saying that there will be many gathered at the great eschatological feast with the Patriarchs who come from outside of Israel while many of the physical offspring of Abraham will be cast outside of the feast for their lack of faith in the Messiah!

And in this passage this morning, Jesus makes it clear that to those whom have been given great spiritual gifts, they will be held more responsible, not less responsible for their lack of faith.

We must be cautious over the kinds of teachings that make us support or reject a group of people because of some distinction that is not based in whether or not they believe the gospel!

We can love a nation and want what is best for it, while still recognizing that it is lost and making sinful decisions!

We can love a people and yet weep over their rejection of Christ!

This is exactly Paul’s positioning in Romans 9

Romans 9:1–5 ESV

1 I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit— 2 that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh. 4 They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. 5 To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.

But he doesn’t stop there! He immediately continues

Romans 9:6–8 ESV

6 But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, 7 and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” 8 This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring.

When we make distinctions, we reject the clear teaching of Scripture.

No one is a child of Abraham unless they also put their faith in Christ and his gospel.

Which in turn is a magnificent promise to those who are not naturally Abraham’s offspring.

No one who puts their faith in Christ and his gospel will be turned away from the great family feast at the end of the age.

What a marvelous promise for all those who will trust in the finished work of Christ on the cross!

So then, If the Jews are without excuse for rejecting the Messiah because of their access to the Word and Works of God, do we, who grew up in a society marked by unprecedented access to the Scriptures and unprecedented freedom to worship, who have lived in the New Covenant promises, do we think we have an excuse?

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We have been given a great gift in the very fact that we are here this morning. We have a responsibility to turn to the Lord in repentance and to follow his commandments. May we be faithful to do that this morning.

Time of Response (Confession)

Scriptural Assurance of Forgiveness

1 John 1:4–7 ESV

4 And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete. 5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.