Tim Maas Retired Quality Assurance Specialist with the U.S. Army

Jesus made this statement right after condemning cities such as Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum, which the passage from Matthew describes as the places where Jesus had performed most of His miracles, such as healing the sick.

Jesus said that if He had performed the same miracles in other cities or regions that God had previously destroyed as a judgment against their sin and wickedness (such as Tyre, Sidon, and even Sodom), the people of those cities would have long before repented of their sin and turned to God, and thus been saved.

Nevertheless, those who had witnessed Jesus' miracles had largely remained unrepentant, unbelieving toward Jesus, and unwilling to turn to God. And those who rejected Him were often those (such as the Pharisees and scribes) who thought themselves superior to others because of their learning, worldly wisdom, and pride, and not in need of God's forgiveness and salvation.

By contrast, those who repented and responded to Jesus' teachings were those without pride and pretense (similar to the humility of little children), who were able to recognize their own sinfulness, and their need for the forgiveness and salvation that He offered.

Thus, the "hidden things" to which Jesus was referring were not things that Jesus Himself was hiding or keeping from people, but things to which those who rejected Jesus were willfully blinding themselves, through their refusal to recognize that they were as much (or more) in need of forgiveness and salvation as the "common people" whom they looked down upon.

March 18 2016 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report