There is an amazing truth which can so easily be overlooked. Jesus said, “For everyone to whom much is given, from Him much will be required” (Matt. 12:48) We understand the fairness and the logic behind these words but can so easily fail to see the application in our spiritual lives.
In Matthew chapter eleven, we read of that time when Jesus so sternly upbraids several of the towns where He and His apostles had preached. “Then He began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent” (v. 20). Notice the importance of the word “most.” It was not that He had done many works in those cities; He had done the majority of them. Yet, they rejected him and would not repent.
Look at the verses which follow. “Woe to you, Chorazin!…Bethsaida!…And to you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades; for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day” (vs. 21-23).
Consider the eternal fire of judgment which came on Sodom and Gomorrah in the opening chapters of the history of mankind. God’s wrath was poured out on them because of their sexual immorality and their pursuit of unnatural desires. They are…“set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire” (Jude 7). Yet, had they seen and heard what these Galilean cities had seen and heard there would have been enough individuals to repent to have spared these cities.
First-century cities which were worse than Sodom! Is it possible that there are twenty-first century towns, cities and nations worse than Sodom? It is not that we have literally seen and heard Jesus and His apostles, but do we know about them? Who in our land does not know about Him turning water to wine, parts of the Sermon on the Mount, the “Passion of Christ,” the empty tomb early on “Easter” morning? As a nation we know these events, but how have we responded?
The heavens proclaimed to Sodom the glory of God and the firmament showed His handiwork. They still do in our land. He gave those nations evidence of His existence, “in that He did good, and gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness” (Acts 14:16-17). He still does. What land has been blessed more than ours!
Brethren, make a personal application in our lives. We understand it when applied to others, what about ourselves? Think of where we live. Think of what we have seen and seen from Him. We know about Him, but have we fully known Him? “To whom much is given from him (us) much will be required.”