City Life Starter

Written by Paul Lane

The Word

¹³ “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, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. ¹⁴ But it will be more bearable in the judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. ¹⁵ And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You shall be brought down to Hades.

¹⁶ “The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me.”

(Luke 10:13-16)

⁴⁴ Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.

John 1:44

¹² Now when he heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee. ¹³ And leaving Nazareth he went and lived in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, ¹⁴ so that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:

¹⁵ “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,
    the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—
¹⁶ the people dwelling in darkness
    have seen a great light,
and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death,
    on them a light has dawned.”

¹⁷ From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”^{[Or “the kingdom of heaven has come near”]}

¹⁸ While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. ¹⁹ And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”^[b] 20 Immediately they left their nets and followed him. ²¹ And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. ²² Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

Matthew 4:12-22

Reflection

When you read today’s passage (Luke 10:13-16) first think about who Jesus is talking to.  Note that this is the region in which Jesus selected most, if not all, of his disciples.  So, when Jesus says “woe”, don’t think of the nameless people in the crowd.  Think about the disciples.  It is their hometown Jesus is talking about.  Maybe this will help.  As Frank Turk likes to say, the Bible is written for you, but it is not written to you.  Try reading it again, and instead of Bethsaida, substitute your hometown.  Instead of Chorazin, put in your state.

It must have felt to the disciples like a knife cutting deep into their childhood.  All those great stories about growing up by the seashore and their ties to the community were being clipped away.  With such a strong rebuke, their standing in the community would not be the same if they continued to follow him.

Second, think on the implication of what Jesus says here.  He says that if He would have performed these miracles, Tyre and Sidon would have repented.  So, he is saying that there was something that God could have done that would have caused certain sinners to repent!  Well, if God wants all to be saved, why didn’t He give them miracles?  Instead, God was Okay with letting people perish?

This is similar to the question about God hardening the heart of Pharaoh.  Do we really have free will, or is God’s will sovereign over all things?  Perhaps this is too difficult a question to answer in a short devotional.  But there is a question you can answer.  What about you, will you follow?  Will you be faithful?  And then there is the question one step deeper.  Do you need miracles now that you have encountered Christ?

Application

So, what will it take for you to say yes to the Lord?  Does God have to send miracles and angels to make himself known to you?  Oh, it is great when you can get it, but Jesus is looking to bring you something more.  He is looking to bring you Himself.  Don’t seek the miracles.  Seek the miracle maker.  In this you will find something far beyond the meeting of needs.  You will find God himself, to whom there is nothing above or beyond.

Prayer

²⁵ Whom have I in heaven but you?
    And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.
²⁶ My flesh and my heart may fail,
    but God is the strength^{[Hebrew rock]} of my heart and my portion forever.

²⁷ For behold, those who are far from you shall perish;
    you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you.
²⁸ But for me it is good to be near God;
    I have made the Lord God my refuge,
    that I may tell of all your works.

Psalm 73:25-28