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| Repentance: The First Word of the Gospel |
Do we mock the idea that God would curse particular cities? That was exactly Jesus’ intent in Matthew 11:16-30. It may shock those who believe that Jesus only preached smooth things. He spoke harsh judgment on three cities. That is a different Jesus than is popular in many Sunday School lessons. The first summary statement of Jesus’ message was “repent for the kingdom of heaven is near.” These cities had brought such judgment upon themselves because they refused to repent. Even a debauched and lawless city like Sodom would receive better judgment than those who had rejected Jesus. This was corporate not individual repentance and the cities had rejected it. These were Jewish cities, who thought that their religion without repentance could save them. That is a warning for Christians today. Religion without a change of heart is useless.
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