David Bahn – Reflections

HSAYATKOG? The poster hung in my office when I first came to St. John just over 5 years ago. A gift from the pastor who had been part of an intentional interim transition for the church, it summarized the centerpiece of his 14 months of work there. It stood for a question that he and the leaders would ask again and again, “How serious are you about the Kingdom of God?” I have offered a slight modification to the anagram, so it’s meaning is, “How serious are we about the Mission of God?” In either case, the question is a good one. Jesus was serious about God’s kingdom and mission.

Matthew 11:20-24

Then [Jesus] began to denounce the cities where most of his mighty works had been done, because they did not repent. ²¹ “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 in sackcloth and ashes. ²² But I tell you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. ²³And 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. ²⁴ But I tell you that it will be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you.”

There are two reasons for pronouncing judgment on someone. One is for the sake of justice: people deserve to be punished for their crimes or sins. The other is as a warning to the rest of us: we need to take heed lest we fall under the same judgment. God, however, has a third: He desires that we repent of our sins. Jesus minces no words here in expressing his judgment against the cities where people had not repented. But he is not simply angry, or even only deeply disappointed – though he is certainly both of these.

Jesus disappointment in these cities was that they did not see the mighty work of God as a cause for repentance and faith. Jesus’ whole ministry may be summed up by his initial message, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” (Mark 1:15) There will come a day of judgment. It will cause many to repent too late. But until that time, we are called to repent and believe the good news of God’s kingdom’s presence and the reign of Christ in the hearts and lives of his people. That’s serious business indeed.