Woe to the cities of Galilee.

(Mat. 11:20-30; Luke 10:13-16 and 21_22).

It is with heart-felt sorrow that the Lord pronounces “woe” to the cities of Chorazin (to the north of Capernaum) and Bethsaida (to the east of it) for not repenting, even though they witnessed many miracles performed by Christ. The Lord compares these cities with the heathen Tyre and Sidon of neighbouring Phoenicia, confirming that the situation of the latter, on the Day of Last Judgment, will be better than that of the Jews. They were given the opportunity for salvation, but did not repent like Jonah Nineveh did after hearing the sermon, dressed in a coarse garment, made of abrasive hair (which inflicted pain to the body), seated and sprinkling on himself ashes as a sign of contrition. The Lord also pronounces the destruction of Capernaum, for its consequential pride from its internal fortuity and prosperity. The Lord compares Capernaum with the Greek cities of Sodom and Gommorah, destroyed by God with a rain of sulphur and fire. Indeed, God’s punishment fell on all these cities soon after: the Romans in the same war destroyed them to their foundations as with Jerusalem. Proud in their imagined wisdom and knowledge of the Holy Scripture, the Pharisees and Scribes didn’t understand the Lord Jesus Christ and His teachings because of their spiritual blindness. And the Lord praises His Heavenly Father that the truth of His teachings while closed to the “wise and the prudent,” proved to be open to “babes,” ie. plain and guileless people. These were the Apostles, His closest disciples and followers, who sensed not with their minds but with their hearts that Jesus was truly the Messiah-Jesus.

“All things have been delivered to Me by My Father,” (Mat. 11:27; Luke 10:22) — the Lord said, having in mind the following: everything had been placed under His authority: the corporeal world and the spiritual world, the invisible — both given to Him not as to the Son of God (Whose authority over them is innate), but as God-Man and Saviour of mankind, so that He could direct them for Man’s salvation. “And no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal to Him” (Mat. 11:27; Luke 10:22) — these words from the Lord mean that nobody can comprehend all the greatness and goodness of the Son, as well as the greatness and goodness of the Father. Only the Son, within Himself, reveals the Father to those who come to Him, while He in turn, beckons for everyone to come to Him: “Come to Me, all you who labour and are heavy laden” (ie. exhausted from apprehensive and fruitless efforts under the pressure of sinful passions, emanating from pride and vanity), “and I will give you rest” (ie. I will give you peace and respite from these passions) (Mat. 11:28). In offering us to take up His “yoke,” what the Lord has in mind is the Gospel’s laws — in contrast to the “yoke” of passions: “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart” (Mat. 11:29), “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Mat. 11:30). The Lord Himself gives strength in the form of goodness of the Holy Spirit to bear His burden, and by Personal example, inspirits us to carry His yoke.