Morning Bible Study: Luke 10:13-16

Unrepentant Towns

13 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were 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 tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. 

15 And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? No, you will go down to Hades. 

16 Whoever listens to you listens to me. Whoever rejects you rejects me. And whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.”

Commentary

(the following is from Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary, 1706 -- www.christianity.com)

"The particular doom of those cities wherein most of Christ's mighty works were done, which we had, Mt. 11:20, etc. Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum, all bordering upon the sea of Galilee, where Christ was most conversant, are the places here mentioned. 

• [1.] They enjoyed greater privileges. Christ's mighty works were done in them, and they were all gracious works, works of mercy. They were hereby exalted to heaven, not only dignified and honored, but put into a fair way of being happy; they were brought as near heaven as external means could bring them. 
• [2.] God's design in favoring them thus was to bring them to repentance and reformation of life, to sit in sackcloth and ashes, both in humiliation for the sins they had committed, and in humility and a meek subjection to God's government. 
• [3.] Their frustrating this design, and their receiving the grace of God therein in vain. It is implied that they repented not; they were not wrought upon by all the miracles of Christ to think the better of him, or the worse of sin; they did not bring forth fruits agreeable to the advantages they enjoyed. 
• [4.] There was reason to think, morally speaking, that, if Christ had gone to Tyre and Sidon, Gentile cities, and had preached the same doctrine to them and wrought the same miracles among them that he did in these cities of Israel, they would have repented long ago, so speedy would their repentance have been, and that in sackcloth and ashes, so deep would it have been. Now to understand the wisdom of God, in giving the means of grace to those who would not improve them, and denying them to those that would, we must wait for the great day of discovery. 
• [5.] The doom of those who thus receive the grace of God in vain will be very fearful. They that were thus exalted, not making use of their elevation, will be thrust down to hell, thrust down with disgrace and dishonor. They will thrust in to get into heaven, in the crowd of professors [those who profess, avow, declare], but in vain; they shall be thrust down, to their everlasting grief and disappointment, into the lowest hell, and hell will be hell indeed to them. 
• [6.] In the day of judgment Tyre and Sidon will fare better, and it will be more tolerable for them than for these cities."