Matthew 11:20-24 (Tuesday, July 17, 2007)

The Bible speaks of the people of Sodom and Gomorrah as people living a life of the flesh; an evil lifestyle that is in contrast with the life God wants his people to live. What is possibly the sin of the people of Chorazin and Bethsaida that Jesus compares them to the people of Sodom and Gomorrah and says it will be more tolerable for the people of Sodom and Gomorrah? The people of Chorazin and Bethsaida are not known to have persecuted Jesus, neither did they drive him away from their territories. Jesus gives us a clue as to what their sin is. These people failed to recognize the presence of Jesus in their midst. Even though Jesus performed powerful miracles among them, they still could not accept Jesus. Are we like these people? Christ’s is always present to us in the Eucharist, yet we sometimes live like people who have never encountered Christ.

The people of Chorazin and Bethsaida were indifferent to the presence and message of Christ. We are told in the book of Revelation that because you are neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. Jesus does not want lukewarm Christians. Empowered by the Eucharist, Jesus wants us to be agents of change, disciples of the Truth in the midst of the world.