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. But I tell you that it will be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you.”
Matthew 11:23-24 (ESV)
Two cities: Capernaum and Sodom. Capernaum was at the heart of Jesus’ mission in Galilee. He healed their sick, cast out demons, and taught about the kingdom of God. Sodom, along with Gomorrah, was a city that God destroyed with fire and brimstone because of their sin (Gen. 18:20-21, 19:24-25). The contrast between them could hardly seem greater.
Yet Jesus tells us here that things were not as they seemed. Capernaum was facing a judgment greater than what Sodom experienced. Why? Not because their sin was greater than Sodom’s. From a human perspective, it certainly was not. They were likely good people and generally faithful to the Mosaic Law. So what made them worse than Sodom?
What Do We Do with What We Know?
It was their response to Jesus. Capernaum had experienced Jesus at work in their midst. They had seen all that he did and would have been familiar with his message. Yet they had not repented (Matt. 11:21). They were largely unchanged by their exposure to Jesus. They enjoyed seeing and experiencing the miracles. But when Jesus left, they went back to their old way of life.
But, Jesus said, if Sodom had experienced what Capernaum had, they would have repented and been spared the destruction. They would still be a city 2000 years later. The issue was not how good or bad the cities were. It was what they did with the revelation from God that they had been given. The greater the revelation, the more is expected of us, and the greater the judgment we potentially face (Luke 12:47-48).
I have the Bible. I firmly believe it is inspired by God, truthful, and authoritative. And I read it every day and am very familiar with it. But what do I do with that revelation, the knowledge I have of God’s word? Does it change me? Or is it merely filed away in the memory banks to be pulled out when engaged in a discussion about the Bible? If it is not making an impact on my day-to-day life and who I am, then am I any better than Capernaum?
