Friday, 2^nd October 2020

Anthony, Earl of Shaftesbury, Philantropist,1885 

Collect

Gracious Lord you have built up your Church through the love and devotion of your saints :help us to follow in the steps of your servant Anthony and fill our hearts with love for you and others for your sake; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Eucharist Readings:

Job 38:1,12-21;40:1-5                  Psalm 139:1-18                 Luke 10:13-16

Mention of those who might reject Jesus leads naturally to the mention of those who had already done so. These words may or may not have been spoken on the same occasion, but they suit the theme of judgment.

Woe is not a call for vengeance, but an expression of deep regret, ’Alas’. The mention of the towns Chorazin and Bethsaida, implies that we know little about His ministry in these towns, but that Jesus did many mighty works there. These words show that He had worked extensively in both places and that He had done miracles there. Indeed, the mighty works He did had been of such character that they would have produced repentance in Tyre and Sidon. Those cities were situated on the coast to the north of Galilee. They were great commercial centers but had sinned grievously and had been the object of God’s appeal through the prophets and His judgment. Yet these cities would be better off in the judgment of Chorazin and Bethsaida. So serious is it to reject the Son of God.

Capernaum was the city where much of Jesus’ ministry had been exercised. So much was He there that it could be called His own city (Mt 9:1). It had seen miracles and heard teaching, but it remained largely unmoved. Evidently the citizens of Capernaum thought well of themselves and spoke in terms of being exalted to heaven, but this was not to be the fate of their city. It would be brought down to Hades. (Is 14:13-15). Clearly heaven and Hades are here used for the height of glory and the depth of ruin. Today the deserted site of Capernaum bears its expressive, silent testimony to his prophesy.

Jesus on several occasions spoke words like this little saying (Mt 10:40; Jn 13:20). Luke puts it here because of its general appropriateness and not to indicate that it was necessarily spoken at this time. It emphasizes the importance of the messengers Jesus sent out. When He authorizes a person to speak, that person speaks with authority. The person who hears, hears Jesus and the person who rejects the messenger, rejects the Lord. This puts a great responsibility on all who hear the message and what we do with the message. It does not stop there, the person who rejects Jesus, rejects also in that act, Him who sent Him. Jesus’ messengers then go forth with the fullest accreditation and their message is to be taken with full seriousness.

It is a terrible thing to reject God’s invitation. There is a sense in which every promise of God that a person has ever heard can become his condemnation. If a person receives these promises they are his/her greatest glory, but each one that a person rejected will some day be a witness against them.