Repentance demands change – a change of heart and way of life.

M atthew 11:20-24 (20) Then he began to upbraid the cities where most of his mighty works had been done, because they did not repent. (21) "Woe to you, Chora'zin!  Woe to you, Beth-sa'ida! 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 shall be more tolerable on the day of judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. (23) And you, Caper'na-um, will you be exalted to heaven? You shall 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 shall be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you."

* Meditation by Don Schwager

If Jesus were to visit your community today, what would he say? Would he issue a warning like the one he gave to Chorazin and Bethsaida? And how would you respond? Wherever Jesus went he did mighty works to show the people how much God had for them. Chorazin and Bethsaida had been blessed with the visitation of God. They heard the good news and experienced the wonderful works that Jesus did for them. Why was Jesus upset with these communities?

The word woe can mean misfortune, calamity, distress, sorrow, sadness, misery, grief, or wretchedness. It is as much an expression of sorrowful pity and grief as it is of dismay over the calamity and destruction which comes as a result of human folly, sin, and ignorance.

Why does Jesus lament and issue a stern warning? The people who heard the gospel here very likely responded with indifference. Jesus upbraids them for doing nothing! Repentance demands change – a change of heart and way of life.

God's word is life-giving and it saves us from destruction – the destruction of heart, mind, and soul as well as body. Jesus' anger is directed toward sin and everything which hinders us from doing the will of God. In love he calls us to walk in his way of truth and freedom, grace and loving-kindness, justice and holiness. Do you receive his word with faith and obedience or with doubt and indifference?

"Most High and glorious God, enlighten the darkness of our hearts and give us a true faith, a certain hope and a perfect love. Give us a sense of the divine and knowledge of yourself, so that we may do everything in fulfillment of your holy will; through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Prayer of Francis of Assisi, 1182-1226) 

* Supplementary Reading

Are You Bartering with God? 

When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. – James 4:3

H ave you ever found yourself bartering with God? You pray fifteen minutes a day, for example, and you assume (though you don't admit this to God) that he will bless you. Step it up to a half hour and add reading a chapter of the Bible every day, and you can expect, oh, a good pay raise on top of your other blessings. Throw in some fasting here and there and oh boy! No telling what sort of payoff is in the works.

Now why do we think prayer is a coin with which we can buy things from God? Is it because we think it is a sacrifice, something that costs us—a little part-time chore that's so unpleasant that we naturally expect something in return? Well, if you see prayer that way, I don't blame you for having such expectations. But this is not God's idea of prayer.

This matter of having improper motives in how we approach God underlies a problem many have with prayer—our belief that God is our servant. A mark of maturity is moving away from an asking mentality to a giving mentality. We will take a closer look at this subject over the next few days.

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What does a "giving mentality" toward God sound like in prayer? Try writing a "giving" prayer to God today.

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GOD BLESS US ALL!

PRAY as if everything depended on HIM. ACT as if everything depended on YOU.

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