Jesus said, "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would long ago have repented, sitting in sackloth and ashes. But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. And as for you, Capernaum, 'Will you be exalted to heaven? You will go down to the netherworld.' Whoever listens to you listens to me. Whoever rejects you rejects me. And whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me."
The Word in other words
Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you Bethsaida!
In this Scripture text, St. Luke presents the troublesome event of Jesus rebuking the people for not recognizing him, not accepting him and not listening to his message. He makes it quite clear to them that by no means, can they be exalted in heaven if they do not repent and turn back to God.
This must have been a very frightening and discouraging experience for Jesus' missionaries, his disciples, as they were preparing for their first mission journey. What they witnessed there was the people's radical and willful rejection of Jesus and his authority. The disciples knew their Master's own teaching? Jesus had earlier demanded of him to forgive seventy times seven times. Was this new experience of an enraged Jesus not contrary to the Master's own teaching? But just like the disciples who needed to discern in order to understand the words and actions of the Lord, we also need a discerning heart to repent for our sins, accept our ever-new personal invitation and call, and turn back to God, who unconditionally loves and keeps on communing with us in many different ways.
"Whoever listens to you, listens to me, and whoever rejects you, rejects me, and whoever rejects me, rejects the one who sent me."
While reflecting on the Gospel, I realized that at times we might not be better than those of Chorazin and Bethsaida. Do we not also sometimes stubbornly close our hearts and minds and seal ourselves off from experiencing the Lord's pardon and forgiveness, risking to be cursed by Jesus also? Do we need to be punished first in order to learn wisdom? God does not reject a humble, repentant sinner. Nor does he find pleasure in condemning the work of his hands. Each of us known to God and important to him. Our names are written on the palm of his hand. In the silence of our hearts may we be able to hear the gentle voice of God's presence within us.
How wonderful it is to realize and know that our names are witness in heaven and that someday we are expected to be there. May we ask the Spirit's grace to be open to what God is asking of us here and now. Lord Jesus, Son of God, mercy on us sinners.
- Sr. Marty Meyer, SSpS (Convent of the Holy Spirit, QC)
