John Calvin Commentary Matthew 11:21

"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." — Matthew 11:21 (ASV)

If those mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon. As Tyre and Sidon, because of their proximity, were at that time abhorred for their ungodliness, pride, debauchery, and other vices, Christ uses this comparison specifically to make a deeper and more painful impression on His Jewish countrymen. There was not one of them who did not regard the inhabitants of Tyre and Sidon as abominable despisers of God. It is, therefore, a significant intensification of His curse when Christ says that there would have been more hope of reformation from those places in which there was no religion than was seen in Judea itself.

To prevent anyone from raising thorny questions⁴⁰ about the secret decrees of God, we must remember that this discourse of our Lord is adapted to the ordinary understanding of the human mind.⁴¹ Comparing the citizens of Bethsaida and their neighbors with the inhabitants of Tyre and Sidon, He reasons not about what God foresaw would be done by either group, but about what both parties would have done, as far as could be judged from the facts.

The exceedingly corrupt morals and unrestrained debauchery of those cities could be attributed to ignorance, for there the voice of God had never been heard, nor had miracles been performed to warn them to repent. But in the cities of Galilee, which Christ upbraids, there was a display of very hardened obstinacy in despising miracles, of which they had seen a vast number without gaining any benefit. In short, the words of Christ convey nothing more than that the inhabitants of Chorazin and Bethsaida surpass those of Tyre and Sidon in malice and incurable contempt of God.

And yet we have no right to contend with God for having bypassed others for whom better hopes might have been held, and displaying His power before some who were extremely wicked and completely hopeless. Those on whom He does not bestow His mercy are justly appointed to perdition. If He withholds His word from some and allows them to perish, while, to make others more inexcusable, He entreats and exhorts them in a variety of ways to repentance, who can charge Him, on this account, with injustice?

Let us, therefore, aware of our own weakness, learn to contemplate this height and depth⁴² with reverence. For it is intolerable impatience and pride that are manifested by those who cannot endure to ascribe praise to the righteousness of God unless it comes within the reach of their senses. They also disdainfully reject those mysteries, which they ought to adore, simply because their reason is not fully evident.

If the mighty works had been done. We have said that these words inform us about the right use of miracles, though they also include doctrine; for Christ did not remain silent,⁴³ while He was displaying to them the power of the Father. On the contrary, miracles were added to the Gospel so that they might pay attention to what was spoken by Christ.

In sackcloth and ashes Repentance is here described by outward signs, the use of which was at that time common in the Church of God: not that Christ attaches importance to that matter, but because He accommodates Himself to the understanding of the common people. We know that believers are not only required to exercise repentance for a few days, but to cherish it incessantly until death.

But there is no necessity, in the present day, for being clothed with sackcloth and sprinkled with ashes; and, therefore, there is not always a need for that outward profession of repentance, but only when, after some aggravated revolt, men turn to God. Sackcloth and ashes are, no doubt, indications of guilt, to turn away the wrath of the Judge;⁴⁴ and therefore relate strictly to the beginning of conversion.

But as men testify by this ceremony their sorrow and grief, it must be preceded by hatred of sin, fear of God, and mortification of the flesh, according to the words of Joel (Joel 2:13), Rend your hearts and not your garments.

We now see the reason why sackcloth and ashes are mentioned by Christ along with repentance when He speaks of Tyre and Sidon. For the inhabitants of those cities, the Gospel could not have been preached without condemning their past life, leaving nothing for them but to resort to the wretched apparel of criminals to humbly plead for pardon. Such, too, is the reference of the word sitting, which is used by Luke, Sitting in sackcloth and ashes; for it denotes “lying prostrate on the ground”—a posture adapted to express the grief of wretched persons, as is evident from many passages of the Prophets.

⁴⁰ “Des questions curieuses et difficiles;” — “curious and difficult questions.”;” — “curious and difficult questions.”

⁴¹ “A la capacite et apprehension commune de l’entendement humain;” — “to the ordinary capacity and apprehension of the human understanding.”;” — “to the ordinary capacity and apprehension of the human understanding.”

⁴² “Ceste hautesse et profondeur des iugemens de Dieu;” — “this height and depth of the judgments of God.”;” — “this height and depth of the judgments of God.”

⁴³ “N’a pas eu cependant sa bouche close;” — “did not in the meantime keep his mouth shut.”;” — “did not in the meantime keep his mouth shut.”

⁴⁴ “A fin d’adoucir le Iuge, et destourner son iuste courroux;” — “in order to pacify the Judge, and to turn away his just wrath.”;” — “in order to pacify the Judge, and to turn away his just wrath.”