Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

Today’s devotion is Matthew 11:20-24. 

 

^“20  Then He began to denounce the cities in which most of His miracles were done, because they did not repent. 

                                               

²¹  “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles had occurred in Tyre and Sidon which occurred in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.

                                        

”  …  we have no right to contend with God, for having passed by others of whom better hopes might have been entertained, and displaying his power before some who were extremely wicked and altogether desperate.  Those on whom he does not bestow his mercy are justly appointed to perdition.  If he withhold his word from some, and allow them to perish, while, in order to render others more inexcusable, he entreats and exhorts them, in a variety of ways, to repentance, who shall charge him, on this account, with injustice? Let us, therefore, aware of our own weakness, learn to contemplate this height and depth with reverence; for it is intolerable fretfulness and pride that is manifested by those who cannot endure to ascribe praise to the righteousness of God, except so far as it comes within the reach of their senses, and who disdainfully reject those mysteries, which it was their duty to adore, simply because the reason of them is not fully evident.

 

We know that believers are not only required to exercise repentance for a few days, but to cherish it incessantly till 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 occasion 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, for the purpose of turning away the wrath of the Judge;  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, (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, to the inhabitants of which the Gospel could not have been preached, without condemning their past life, leaving nothing for them, but to betake themselves to the wretched apparel of criminals for the sake of humbly beseeching pardon.  Such, too, is the reference of the word sitting, which is employed 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.

 

It was indeed an inestimable honor, that the Son of God, when about to commence his reign and priesthood, had chosen Capernaum for the seat of his palace and sanctuary.  And yet it was as deeply plunged in its filth, as if there had never been poured upon it a drop of Divine grace.  On this account, Christ declares, that the punishment awaiting it will be the more dreadful, in proportion to the higher favors which it had received from God.  It deserves our earnest attention in this passage, that the profanation of the gifts of God, as it involves sacrilege, will never pass unpunished; and that the more eminent any one is, he will be punished with the greater severity, if he shall basely pollute the gifts which God has bestowed upon him; and above all, an awful vengeance awaits us, if, after having received the spiritual gifts of Christ, we treat him and his Gospel with contempt.”

 

Here is Calvin’s Commentary in full on these verses –

 

  

There are three comments that I would like to make which are presented by the three paragraphs of Calvin’s comments above.  First, as I glean from Calvin’s second paragraph above, there are times to close the door, repent, and lie prostrate on the ground.  Second, as I glean by Calvin’s first paragraph above, we have no right to contend with God, as some do, that He has bypassed and withheld His word from some.  Third, as I glean from Calvin’s third paragraph above, the punishment will be the proportionately more dreadful on those who received higher favors from God, but rejected or misused them, than those who did not receive such favors. 

 

Regarding the second point, usually those who contend with God are unbelievers who use the fact that some never have been presented with the Gospel as a pretext to question or accuse God, and thus reject God.  I don’t feel led to add anything more than this Scripture and what Calvin states. 

 

Regarding the third point, God’s proportionate justice makes sense, and I likewise don’t feel led to add anything more than this Scripture and what Calvin states. 

 

However, I would like to focus most of the space for my comments on this first point that there are times to close the door, repent, and lie prostrate on the ground.  Calvin states above:  “We know that believers are not only required to exercise repentance for a few days, but to cherish it incessantly till death.”  

 

Yes, we can think of abuses of the practice of repentance.  We can think of the hypocrite who makes a “showy” repentance.  “When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men.  Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.   “But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.”  Matthew 6:5-6. 

 

We can also think of the abuse of those who use repentance as an excuse to never turn away from the sin.  They are “always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”  2 Timothy 3:7. 

 

But, I think we can close the door.  I think that at times we can feel such grief at our sin that it is entirely appropriate and helpful for us to lie prostrate on the ground.  Let us not forget the main message of this text.  We should repent.  Let us also show by our actions how sorry we are and how humble we are and how dependent we are for God’s forgiveness and how much we want God’s forgiveness and restoration.