Last Journey From Galilee
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had once been their bitterest enemies. “A bruised reed shall He not
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break, and the dimly burning flax shall He not quench: He shall bring
forth judgment unto truth.” “And in His name shall the Gentiles trust.”
Isaiah 42:3
, margin;
Matthew 12:21
.
In sending out the seventy, Jesus bade them, as He had bidden
the twelve, not to urge their presence where they were unwelcome.
“Into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you not,” He said,
“go your ways out into the streets of the same, and say, Even the very
dust of your city, which cleaveth on us, we do wipe off against you:
notwithstanding be ye sure of this, that the kingdom of God is come
nigh unto you.” They were not to do this from motives of resentment
or through wounded dignity, but to show how grievous a thing it is
to refuse the Lord’s message or His messengers. To reject the Lord’s
servants is to reject Christ Himself.
“I say unto you,” Jesus added, “that it shall be more tolerable in
that day for Sodom, than for that city.” Then His mind reverted to the
Galilean towns where so much of His ministry had been spent. In
deeply sorrowful accents He exclaimed, “Woe unto thee, Chorazin!
woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works had been done
in Tyre and Sidon, which have been done in you, they had a great
while ago repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. But it shall be more
tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment, than for you. And thou,
Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven, shalt be thrust down to hell.”
To those busy towns about the Sea of Galilee, heaven’s richest
blessings had been freely offered. Day after day the Prince of life had
gone in and out among them. The glory of God, which prophets and
kings had longed to see, had shone upon the multitudes that thronged
the Saviour’s steps. Yet they had refused the heavenly Gift.
With a great show of prudence the rabbis had warned the people
against receiving the new doctrines taught by this new teacher; for His
theories and practices were contrary to the teachings of the fathers.
The people gave credence to what the priests and Pharisees taught,
in place of seeking to understand the word of God for themselves.
They honored the priests and rulers instead of honoring God, and
rejected the truth that they might keep their own traditions. Many
had been impressed and almost persuaded; but they did not act upon
their convictions, and were not reckoned on the side of Christ. Satan