1

Matthew 11:21

“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! If the miracles done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.

If so and God wants everyone to repent, why God didn't do such miracles in Tyre and Sidon?

Improve this question
2
  • Probably the idea is that such miracles were done in Tyre and Sidon later by the apostles and the reader is supposed to be aware of this. Its like a wink and a nod to information the reader will know about later times that the audience Jesus is speaking to could not have known then.
    – david brainerd
    Apr 17, 2014 at 3:04
  • 1
    We cannot use our reasoning to determine why God may or may not act. After reading the complete chapter, the implication revealed is that God takes great issue when the blessings and opportunities he provides are not used. Those who ignore or fail to make good use of them are condemed.
    – V. Rollins
    Apr 18, 2014 at 0:08

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
4

There are several possibilities:

  1. And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith. (Matthew 13:58)

    It is not in God's nature to forcefully 'prove himself' to the cynic. Jesus may have simply been indicating that had Tyre and Sidon been anticipating the Messiah, they would have received Jesus better than the very people God had shepherded for thousands of year. However, such miracles were not done there as their openness to them was non-existent.

  2. The messianic mission of God had reached an incredibly special point. The Jewish people did not seem to grasp just how special the occasion was. Jesus stressed this to them on several occasions

    For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it. (Matthew 13:17)

    And in the scriptures you mentioned, where Jesus basically says, 'Hey even the people you remember from history who were completely wicked would have recognized how special this moment is.'

  3. It may be that to preserve human choice, God reveals himself to people enough for rational proof, but not so much as to convict them without recourse. How hard the hearts of his listeners must have been if the miracles shown to them would have been for Tyre and Sidon conviction without recourse.

Improve this answer

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .