Charles Spurgeon Commentary Matthew 11:21-24

"Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon which were done in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you. And thou, Capernaum, shalt thou be exalted unto heaven? thou shalt go down unto Hades: for if the mighty works had been done in Sodom which were done in thee, it would have remained until this day. But I say unto you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee." — Matthew 11:21-24 (ASV)

Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.

But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works which have been done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say to you, that it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you.

There is a great depth of mystery here, which we cannot hope to fathom.

The gospel was not preached to those who would have repented if they had heard it, and it was preached to those who did not repent when they listened to it, even from the lips of Christ Himself. For this latter group, the sole effect of the gospel preached to them was to plunge them into still deeper depths of guilt because of their refusal of it.

It is not for us to solve the mystery. It will be our wisdom to ensure that, since we ourselves are favored with the plain declaration of the gospel, we do not reject it, lest we perish even more miserably than those who never heard it.