How Will You Respond?

16 “But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their playmates, 17 “ ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’ 18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ 19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.” 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.”

Pray.

1. Don't Make Excuses for Not Believing (vv.16-19)

Matthew 11:16–19 ESV

Jesus alludes to a game that was sort of like the game of Hide and Seek that people would play in the ancient world.

You may remember as a kid that when you were little your parents got you a little push mower that makes bubbles or maybe a baby doll with dress up clothes. I won’t ask which one you got for your gift, but we have toys like this to help begin training children to act like adults. I don’t know if that is a good thing or bad!

You will also see children often mimic their parents and have some of the same expressions and mannerisms that they have as well. By the time children are full grown, they will often act just like their parents.

In Jesus’ time the kids played a little different types of games. They didn’t play Simon Says or Red Rover, they played games of funerals and weddings. Has anyone here acted out the funeral of a sibling? Just kidding!

The kids would often act like they were at a wedding where flutes were played and when the flute played the kids were to dance. When they sang a dirge, they were to pretend that they were at a funeral and mourn.

Jesus uses this game to describe the reactions that people had given towards Him and John the Baptist.

John came as an ascetic who had given up the luxuries of life. Because of his appearance and his living in the wilderness, people would say he was demon possessed.

Jesus came having fellowship with people and associating with them and they called him a glutton and a friend of tax collectors and sinners.

What Jesus is saying is that the leaders and the people were making excuses as to why they would not believe.

A lot of times people get nervous sharing their faith and presenting the gospel because they are afraid that someone will ask a question that they cannot answer. The truth is that this very rarely happens. Most of the time, if someone won’t believe the gospel, it is because they are making excuses and just don’t want to change. Sometimes they are honest enough to say that and other times they will use questions as a diversion tactic.

For the Pharisees and the people in the crowd who rejected Jesus and John, they made excuses as to why they wouldn’t believe. These people were so hardened that even though they had seen these miracles that Jesus had performed, the same miracles Jesus references for John to look at, they would not believe.

You must be careful not to make excuses for your unbelief. People might say that they will not believe unless they see some sign or miracle. Well, the Pharisees had that and they would not believe.

You could see a miracle and if you have already decided that you will not believe, you will only make excuses for what you have seen.

People who are anti-supernatural, meaning that they do not believe in miracles explain away miracles as being impossible because they do not comply with what we observe every day. For example, if you were to have witnessed Jesus walk on water, you would say, “People can’t walk on water because I don’t see them walking on water; therefore, Jesus could not have walked on water, but must have been walking on a sand bar or something.”

You see how people explain away the signs that God gives us to and rationalize miracles. A miracle is nothing more than a supernatural sign that doesn’t happen everyday in order to help someone believe. It’s not supposed to be something that is normal or happens all of the time or it wouldn’t be a miracle!

Jesus said, “blessed are those who believe even though they haven’t seen.” - John 20:29

Notice also that these children will do nothing at all though their playmates call out to them. We need to realize that indecision is making a decision to not trust Jesus. You cannot remain on the sidelines and be neutral with Jesus. You either accept Him as Savior or you reject Him.

The second thing we need to recognize is:

2. Know that God Will Judge You for What You Have Been Given (vv.20-24)

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.”

You and I already have a great level of accountability before God because we live in a country that has Bibles everywhere and churches on every street corner.

God holds us accountable for what we know about Him.

Jesus begins to renounce the cities that He did most of His miracles in, because they failed to recognize the signs of His ministry and acknowledge Him as Messiah.

They were more guilty that some of the worst cities of history because they had the revelation of Jesus and His miracles and refused to believe.

Chorazin was a city just a little to the north or Bethsaida and it was a place that was used to grow wheat for the temple sacrifices. Though the city might pride itself on being a place used by God for worshiping Him, they had rejected Jesus.

Bethsaida was another city that Jesus performed many miracles in as well. Jesus alludes to two ancient cities that were often associated with pride and evil: Tyre and Sidon.

These cities were destroyed because of not listening to God’s warnings through the prophets.

One particular interesting allusion is the one Jesus makes to Capernaum. Capernaum was the home base of Jesus. They saw more miracles than any other city. Jesus equates them to Tyre.

In Ezekiel 27-28 there are prophecies against the fall of Tyre. These prophecies speak to the city and the king, but behind the king and the system is the devil.

Ezekiel 28:11–19 ESV

11 Moreover, the word of the Lord came to me: 12 “Son of man, raise a lamentation over the king of Tyre, and say to him, Thus says the Lord God: “You were the signet of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. 13 You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering, sardius, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, emerald, and carbuncle; and crafted in gold were your settings and your engravings. On the day that you were created they were prepared. 14 You were an anointed guardian cherub. I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God; in the midst of the stones of fire you walked. 15 You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, till unrighteousness was found in you. 16 In the abundance of your trade you were filled with violence in your midst, and you sinned; so I cast you as a profane thing from the mountain of God, and I destroyed you, O guardian cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. 17 Your heart was proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor. I cast you to the ground; I exposed you before kings, to feast their eyes on you. 18 By the multitude of your iniquities, in the unrighteousness of your trade you profaned your sanctuaries; so I brought fire out from your midst; it consumed you, and I turned you to ashes on the earth in the sight of all who saw you. 19 All who know you among the peoples are appalled at you; you have come to a dreadful end and shall be no more forever.”

This same language is used in Isaiah 14:12-15

Isaiah 14:12–15 ESV

12 “How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low! 13 You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ 15 But you are brought down to Sheol, to the far reaches of the pit.

Interestingly, if you go to see Bethsaida or Chorazin or Capernaum, all you will see are the ruins of a city that once was.

Their disobedience to believe the revelation they had been given led to their destruction. That is the fate of all who refuse to believe.

Conclusion

What about you? What’s your excuse? Will you listen to God’s revelation of Himself through Jesus in the Bible and believe that He is the only way for you to be saved from your sins?

Do you know that you need to be saved? You have sinned against your Creator. You have broken His commandments and that is a serious offense that is punishable by eternal separation from God in Hell.

But, God loves you. He sent Jesus to rescue you. Will you feel a deep contrition over your sin? Will you repent of your sin and turn to Jesus to be saved? Will you call out to Jesus and ask Him to rescue you and commit your life to live in obedience to His commands?

This isn’t about saying a simple prayer and being done with it. You have to commit to Christ. You have to take up your cross daily and follow Him.