Daily Reflection Friday of the Twenty-sixth Week in Ordinary Time

Jesus issues these laments to three unrepentant towns in today’s reading from Luke (it also appears in Mathew 11:21) immediately after he sends the 70 (or 72 ) disciples out to various towns to preach that the kingdom of God has come among them. There he told them that if they did not welcome them, “On that day it will be more tolerable for Sodom than for that town.”

Now Jesus expands that lament to the three towns of Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum. Chorazin is mentioned in the gospels only here, but Bethsaida was the home of Philip, and Capernaum, the home of Peter as well as James and John, was the center of Jesus’ early ministry and many miracles were worked there (Mk 1:34). It seems, however, that even though so many healings were done there by Jesus, the people did not follow through in true repentance, they did not follow Jesus. We might wonder why Jesus didn’t include Nazareth after what they tried to do to him earlier in Luke 4.

We must also understand Jesus’ use of the word “woe” not as a curse but as a simple statement of fact. Because of their behaviors, the people of those towns will suffer some kind of woe. It was the same with the Pharisees. It is a simple reality that what we do or fail to do necessarily has consequences, for good or ill. It is not really that we are punished for them (by God, is the usual presumption) but rather that we bring it on ourselves. It is similar to when Jesus told us, “The measure with which you measure shall be the measure with which you are measured.” If we treat people badly, selfishly, cruelly, those behaviors will always come back to haunt us. Jesus also told us, “From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required; and from the one to whom much has been entrusted, even more will be demanded.”

We do not know what the Last Judgment is, other than that Jesus will be that Judge. Jesus also speaks of hell fire and the “outer darkness where there will be weeping and the gnashing of teeth.” But we do not know what those are either, although many make many assumptions about them. Jesus also speaks of punishment (Lk 12:47) on several occasions but always in parables. We should be leery of always seeing God as punishing and casting into hell, however, because that only leads to being afraid of God and as I have said before, you cannot really love someone you are afraid of. 

It is better to see God as offering us a great invitation (“Come and see!”). It is up to us to accept that invitation. To believe that it is the invitation to the fullness of life. It is not that God will punish us for refusing, but that our very refusal will keep us from receiving all that God invites us to, which will cause great pain and sorrow finally. Ironically, the reason so many actually do refuse that invitation is because of another fear. Not a fear of God, exactly, but a fear of what accepting that invitation will cost them. So many believe that repenting and turning to God through Jesus will be the end of happiness and good times, that we will have to deny ourselves all sorts of things we enjoy or do all sorts of things that we know we definitely would not enjoy. We fear it will involve great effort and sacrifice when Jesus has told us that, “My yoke is easy and my burden light and you’ll find rest for your souls.” The truth is actually the complete opposite. If we would but turn our lives over to God’s great care, we would find great peace and deep joy. Our fears would fade away. We would gain great strength and courage and lose all worry and anxiety. The world would become a blessed place rather than the dark and frightening place it often ends up being for so many. It all depends on whether or not we choose to believe the Gospel and repent, turn away from selfish things and learn to love our neighbors as Jesus loves us. That one decision has the greatest and most wonderful consequences of all. I believe that most of us will indeed make that decision sooner or later, here or in the next life (call it purgatory if you like). However, it will be infinitely more painful, full of sorrow, if done later because then we will be fully aware of what we missed by our procrastination. Decide here and now. Do not be afraid, as Jesus was always telling us. Trust in God’s love for you. “Now is the favorable time! Now is the day of salvation!”