Daily Bread

Then he began to reproach the cities in which most of his deeds of power had been done, because they did not repent. "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the deeds of power done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, on the day of judgement it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon than for you. And you, Capernaum,
will you be exalted to heaven? No, you will be brought down to Hades. For if the deeds of power done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I tell you that on the day of judgement it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom than for you."

It would be convenient (and much easier for those of us who write daily devotions) to skip over the more difficult passages of scripture, and those verses that don't 'sit well' with us, but here it is, a tough passage. So, what does it mean?

Have you ever thought long and hard about what to buy someone as a gift, been excited about purchasing it, wrapping it, and then giving it to them, only for them to dismiss it or toss it aside? It hurts doesn't it? Well, amplify that a gazillion times and you might get vaguely close to the frustration and hurt Jesus felt at the refusal of people to hear and receive his free gift of love and reconciliation.

Jesus, Son of the living God, had presented himself accompanied by 'deeds of power' and people had failed to 'repent', meaning they didn't change direction and turn back to God. In doing so, they were refusing life, and if they refused the direction of life, it meant they were choosing the direction of death. This was extremely painful to a mothering God to witness those she loved and longed to embrace, turn their backs on her
The words in this passage sound harsh, because it was harsh, but read them again through tears of grief and you begin to feel God's pain.

Of course, we don't read Bible passages in isolation, and the verses that immediately follow this lament are filled with compassion and hope, including the words, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."

The reality of the gospel is that Jesus presented us with a choice, and though many of us choose to believe and trust in God, many choose to believe and trust in themselves. We might ask, why would anyone choose death over life? Every one of us who trusts in God, even in a small way, at some point made a choice to do so, and this is the very definition of repentance. When I became a Christian I didn't believe, but I chose to believe — it was an act of will — and when I made that decision, my life forever changed. I suppose this is why we call it a 'step of faith', and it is just a step.

Today, if you are in two minds, make a conscious choice to believe and trust in God through Jesus Christ, for the choice is yours to make.

Holy God
You know I'm not perfect
and my faith is weak,
yet I choose to believe
and trust in you,
and in your Son,
my Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Thank you for loving me
and for making your love known
through the cross.
Forever yours.