Matthew 11:22 - Printer Friendly

ESV: But I tell you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you.

NIV: But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you.

NASB: Nevertheless I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you.

CSB: But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you.

NLT: I tell you, Tyre and Sidon will be better off on judgment day than you.

KJV: But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you.

NKJV: But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you.

These words from Jesus likely infuriated the Jewish religious leaders. Tyre and Sidon were pagan cities, famously used in the Old Testament as symbols of those who would suffer the wrath of God (Joel 3:4; Ezekiel 27:1–9; 28:21–23). However, Jesus has just declared that on the day of judgment, the Gentile idol-worshippers of Tyre and Sidon will be judged less harshly than the religious Israelites of Chorazin and Bathsaida.

The difference between these two pairs of cities is that one group saw Jesus perform mighty and powerful acts of healing and casting out demons. The other did not. God not only knows all that is, and all that will be, He also know all possible outcomes for all possible situations. As God, Jesus knew that if the pagans in the Gentile cities had seen Him do those things, they would have fallen to their knees in genuine repentance. By contrast, the two Jewish cities where the miracles took place refused to repent or acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah.

Many Israelites believed that simply being one of God's chosen people would be enough to secure their place in the kingdom of heaven forever (Matthew 3:9). Jesus directly contradicts that idea in this passage. Only those Israelites who repent and acknowledge Him as the Messiah, the Son of God, will avoid judgment (John 3:36).

Jesus also introduces the difficult idea that there will be levels of judgment on judgment day: the moment when Christ returns to fully establish His earthly kingdom. Some judgment for those who did not repent will be more bearable than other judgment. One reason for that difference will be the opportunity to see convincing evidence that Jesus is the Son of God.

Matthew 11:20–24 contains Jesus' pronouncement of judgment on the Jewish cities of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum. The people of those cities saw the powerful miracles of Jesus with their own eyes, but they did not repent. Demonstrating godly knowledge of both what is, as well as what could have been, Jesus notes that wicked, pagan Gentile cities such as Tyre and Sidon would have repented in the same circumstances. He quips that these Gentiles will find God's judgment more bearable than Chorazin and Bethsaida will. Sodom would not have been wiped out if they had seen Jesus do what Capernaum saw. Sodom's judgment will be more tolerable than that of Capernaum.

John the Baptist sends his disciples to ask if Jesus is really the Messiah. Jesus gives them a specific answer to use to reassure John and then upholds John to the crowds. John fulfills the prophecy about the one who would prepare the people for the Messiah. This generation, though, refused to hear John or Jesus, deciding John had a demon and Jesus was a glutton and drunkard. Jesus condemns the cities that refuse to repent and thanks the Father for revealing the truth to little children. He offers rest for those who are weary and burdened.

Matthew 11 follows Jesus' instructions to the apostles about taking His message and miracles to the towns of Israel with His own continued ministry of teaching (Matthew 10). Jesus answers a question from John the Baptist's followers, and upholds John's ministry. Jesus condemns several cities in Galilee for rejecting His teaching, despite obvious signs. He thanks His Father for hiding the truth from those who arrogantly think they are wise. He offers rest for those who will take His yoke. This leads to further confrontations with critics, recorded in chapter 12.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.