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Worse Than Sodom

When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is set before you. Heal the sick who are there and tell them, “The kingdom of God is near you.” But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say, “Even the dust of your town that sticks to our feet we wipe off against you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God is near.” I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town. Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. But it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to the skies? No, you will go down to the depths. He who listens to you listens to me; he who rejects you rejects me; but he who rejects me rejects him who sent me. (Luke 10:8-15)
Pretty strong! I used to wonder how and why these cities would come under greater judgment than Sodom and Gomorrah. I thought that nothing could be worse than those cities. God told Abraham He would spare the cities if there were ten righteous people in them. There were only four. The angel helped them escape. One of them turned back.

Sodom existed 600 years before the Ten Commandments and 2,000 years before the gospel. It was judged because of complete violation of God’s moral law. Korazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum also violated God’s law. More important, they rejected the solution, the messengers of the Lord Jesus Christ. They rejected the Father, and they rejected Jesus. In addition, they rejected the kingdom of God, even though Jesus was right there healing, performing miracles, and teaching.

People who have never heard the gospel of Jesus Christ are condemned because of sin. “The soul that sins will die” (Ezek. 18:20). “The wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:2). People are not condemned because they have not heard the gospel. They are condemned because of sin.

Sodom was judged because of sin, not because it had not heard the good news. Capernaum will be judged because of the sin of hearing and rejecting the good news, the solution for sin. Sin is the first reason for their condemnation. Rejection of Jesus Christ is the second reason.

The United States is in great danger of judgment than they are for both reasons.

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