Wednesday, July 1, 2026

Matthew 11:20-24 

“Then [Jesus] began to reproach the cities in which most of his deeds of power had been done because they did not repent. ‘Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the deeds of power done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, on the day of judgment it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon than for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? No, you will be brought down to Hades. For if the deeds of power done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I tell you that on the day of judgment it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom than for you.” 

If we thought Jesus was spicy before, then he’s rising higher on the Scoville scale now! These verses from Matthew drip with anger and judgement, pointed towards specific groups of ancient people: ones who have been marked before the prophets for their harsh, violent treatment of other people. But if the people of God focus just on the sins of other cities, they miss the point entirely. Jesus is sounding a warning bell—and one that should ring close to home! Brokenness and sin Jesus reminds us, can hurt anyone, anywhere. It impacts our enemies in foreign lands, and it impacts our loved ones in familiar places. As we confess every time we gather for worship, all of us are sinners who are in need of a savior. Jesus, thankfully, knows (and is) just what we need.  

– Pr. Alex

Let us pray: God of repentance, you show us how to turn our lives back around. Teach us how to love and serve one another, so that we might live in a gentler, kinder, more merciful world. We thank you for reforming us to be your disciples. Amen.