Mt. 11: 20 Then He began to upbraid the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent.
Mt. 11:21 “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.”
Here we have the condemnation of three key cities for their unbelief. They are Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum. The reason for the condemnation of those three is because the majority of Yeshua’s miracles were performed in these three cities. They had the greatest manifestation regarding His claims, and yet, they rejected Him.
Now we know of miracles He performed in Capernaum and also in Bethsaida. But, we don’t know of single miracle He performed in Chorazin. Not a single miracle is recorded in the Gospels. And yet, according to these statements, there were more miracles performed in Chorazin than in Jerusalem. So again, this shows the truth of the statement of Yochanan, the Gospel writer. The Gospel writers had to be selective as to what they recorded. Although Chorazin was one of the three primary cities of Yeshua’s ministry, we don’t have so much as a single record of Him being there, let along performing miracles there.
Mt. 11:22 “But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you.”
This verse is used by some to establish the teaching that there are degrees of punishment in hell. They say that while all unbelievers do end up in the lake of fire, there will be different degrees of punishment there. The degree of punishment will be determined by the degree of light one had received and then failed to respond to. Whether this teaching is true or not doesn’t really make any difference. Hell will be an intolerable state of torment regardless if the flames burn hotter for some than they do for others. The idea is to not go there in the first place. When the day of judgment comes, you need to have repented of your sins and be ready to face the Lord. Then you won’t have to worry about hell.
The Bible does not explain why it would be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment, except that these were two Gentile cities, and according to verse no. 21, Yeshua knew that they would have been more receptive to the Gospel than these three cities had been. He did not actually go there and perform miracles, but He knew how they would respond to them if He did.
Mt. 11:23 “And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to Heaven, will be brought down to Hades; for if the mighty works which were done in yo had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.”
Mt. 11:24 “But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you.”
Mt. 11:25 At that time Yeshua answered and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of Heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes.”
In this verse we have a whole thanksgiving hymn, written in the style of the Essene hymns. “I thank thee, O Father, Lord of Heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto the simple ones .......” The opening words, “I thank thee,” appears in most of the Thanksgiving Hymns. The idea that the deepest truths are closed to certain people also belongs to the world of the Essenes. Even the word “simple” hinting as it does to opposition towards the intellectualism of “the wise and prudent”comes from the world of the Essenes, and to some extent, from that of the Pious.
Source: Thanksgiving Hymns
Mt. 11:26 “Even so, Father, for it seemed good in Your sight.”
Mt. 11:27 “All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and he whom the Son wills to reveal Him.”
Mt. 11:28 “Come to Me, all of you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
Because of a misunderstanding of the Law, many people today think bondage comes from serving God from the Law. The ancients believed that bondage only came from the unlawful use of the Law (Torah). M:Avoth 3:5 says, “Whoever accepts upon himself the yoke of the Torah takes on himself God’s presence and brings rest, and whosoever does not take upon himself the yoke of the Torah will have a time of hard labor.” To the Jew in ancient times, and even today, the keeping of the Torah was not bondage, but a time of rejoicing and feasting. The burden of tzedakah was considered light. The burden of a good heart was easy, while the burden of a bad, stingy heart was heavy.
Source: M:Avoth 3:5
Mt. 11:29 “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
When Yeshua instructed His disciples to “take My yoke upon you,” we know from Rabbinic literature that “take my yoke” was a Rabbinic phrase for “come to my school” (M:Avoth 3:5).
Source: M:Avoth 3:5
Mt. 11:30 “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
Hillel, during the first century C.E., set as his main principle the bringing of men closer to the Torah. In opposition to Shammai, he consented to the admission of proselytes, even when they laid down unreasonable standards for admission (BT:Shabbath 31a). It is said that some in the Shammai School considered Gentile converts a leprosy in Israel. It was this group that Yeshua referred to when He said, “they bind heavy and grievous burdens on others” (Mt. 23:4; Lk. 11:46). In contrast, His yoke was so easy and accessible. Hillel, like Yeshua, was in favor of taking the message to all of mankind and had eighty talmidim or disciples, thirty of which the Shekhinah rested upon, thirty of which the sun would stand still for like it did for Joshua, and twenty that were average (BT:Sukkoth 28a).
Sources: Mt. 23:4; Lk. 11:46; BT:Shabbat 31a; BT:Sukkoth 28a
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