JESUS WARNED OF SEVERE PUNISHMENT FOR REJECTING GOD'S KINGDOM

JESUS WAS SEVERE IN HIS WARNINGS
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
Luke 10:10-12 10Butwhen you enter a town and are
not welcomed, go into its streets and say, 11'Eventhe
dust of your town we wipe from our feet as a warning
to you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God has
come near.' 12I tell you, it will be more bearableon
that day for Sodom than for that town.
BIBLEHUB RESOURCES
Guilt And Punishment
Luke 10:12-15
W. Clarkson
These very solemn words of our Lord demand our attention the more, because
his thought is so fully illustrated. They suggestorconvey to us three truths.
I. THAT GREAT INIQUITY MAY LOOK FOR SIGNAL PUNISHMENT
AT THE HAND OF GOD. Jesus does not intimate that Tyre and Sidon
suffered any more than they deserved, that Sodom had a retribution which
was in the smallestdegree out of proportion to its guilt. These cities deserved
their doom; they sowedthe wind, and reaped the whirlwind. That which

happened to them was exactlywhat they might have expected;and it is just
what such cities as they were may always look for. It does not require a
desolating army or a miraculous storm to bring disastrous evil upon the head
of shameful wrong. Without such particular instruments as these, the blow
which slays and buries will certainly descend. If destruction comes not on the
wings of one wind, it will come on those of another; whether we think of the
vicious city or the profligate man, we may be sure that greatguilt will, sooner
or later, work out the downfall and extinction of the evil-doer. By human
history and the record of the lives of men, as well as by the sacredpage, "the
wrath of God is revealedagainstall unrighteousness ofmen;" they cannotand
will not "escape the judgment of God."
II. THAT NEITHER SWIFTNESSNOR APPARENT SEVERITYIN
PUNISHMENT IS A SURE CRITERION OF THE MAGNITUDE OF THE
CRIME. Destructionhad come down suddenly and terribly on Sodom;
Capernaum, Chorazin, and Bethsaida were still existing, and were still
rejoicing in outward prosperity. Was the ancient city so much guiltier in
God's sight than the (then) modern towns of Galilee? No, replied the great
Teacher. Had these ruined cities of a former age enjoyed such privileges as the
citizens of his owntime were possessing but neglecting, they would have
repented and would have been spared. We must take care how we argue from
sudden and severe evils to the relative guiltiness of the sufferers. These evils
may clearlyindicate wrong; they may (though in some cases theydo not)
indicate very greatwrong-doing; but they do not prove that those on whom
they descendare more guilty than others who are spared.
1. God may think well, in one case, to manifest his holiness by severe
visitation, and in another case to illustrate his patience by delaying long the
stroke of justice.

2. God may punish one city (or man) by physical and visible inflictions; he
may chastise anotherby letting his moral laws do their appointed work, and
bring down the men themselves to that low spiritual estate whichis the
saddestand direst consequence ofsin.
III. THAT PRIVILEGE IS VERY PRECIOUS, BUT IT IS ALSO VERY
PERILOUS. Capernaum was "exaltedto heaven," raisedvery high indeed in
privilege. There the Son of God abode;there he wrought his mightiest works;
there he lived his holy, patient, loving life; there he spake his deep, broad,
ever-living truths; there Godwas manifested in power and grace. It was
favored above all cities in the height of its spiritual privileges. But it knew not
the day of its visitation; it drew not nigh in reverence to its Lord; it rejected
his doctrine; it remained afar off from God and heavenly wisdom. And it
incurred thereby the Savior's strong condemnation; it accumulated guilt, and
laid up for itself wrath againstthe day of wrath; it was "thrust down to hell"
in reproach and retribution. We learn, more particularly:
1. That humility of spirit, rather than reproachfulness of tone, becomes us.
2. That the children of specialprivilege have great reasonfor devout heart-
searching, lestthey should find themselves the heirs of Divine condemnation. -
C.
Biblical Illustrator
They receive you not.
Luke 10:10-12
Opportunity wasted

J. Parsons.
I. THE OBJECTTO WHICH THIS ALLEGATION RELATES — "The
kingdom of God."
1. The gospelis designated"the kingdom of God," because it is constituted by
God. There is claimed on its behalf, strictly and truly, a Divine origin.
2. The gospelis designated"the kingdom of God," because it is the ordained
instrument of God to restore His authority over the minds of men.
II. THE FACT WHICH THE ALLEGATION AFFIRMS. "The kingdom of
God is come nigh unto you" —
1. In the sacredand inspired writings.
2. In the proclamations and appeals of the ministry.
3. In the conversionof other men.
4. In the partial impressions of your ownmind.
III. THE DEPORTMENTWHICH THE ALLEGATION DEPRECATES.
1. Continued carelessnessofthe truth.

2. Continued rejection of the truth.
(J. Parsons.)
The grace ofsalvation coming near us
D. A. Clark.
I. WHEN MAY THE KINGDOM OF GOD (OR THE GOSPEL)BE SAID
TO COME NIGH TO AN INDIVIDUAL OR A PEOPLE?
1. When it comes within the hearing of the ear.
2. When it reaches the understanding.
3. When it gains accessto the conscience.
II. WHY THE GOSPELSALVATION IS BROUGHT NIGH TO SOME
WHO ARE FINALLY LOST.
(D. A. Clark.)
Symbolical action
M. F. Sadler.
To "shake off the dust of their feet" as a witness againstany city which had
wholly rejectedtheir message, signifiedthat they had no more part or lot with
the inhabitants — that they would retain nothing of theirs, no, not so much as

what accidentallycleavedto their sandals. This was one of the many outward
significant symbolicalacts of which the specialmessengersofGod made
constantuse. Thus Jeremiahput on a yoke, and hid a girdle by the side of the
Euphrates; thus Agabus bound St. Paul's girdle round his own hands and
feet; and Paul himself and Barnabas on one occasionusedthis very signof
shaking off the dust of their feet againstthe Jews ofAntioch in Pisidia, who
had rejectedGod's word spokenby their mouth. We have given up altogether
the use of such signs, and I believe have lostmuch by our rejectionof them.
(M. F. Sadler.)
No room for excuse
G. Stevens.
The Rev. William Grimshaw, an early Methodist of eccentric manner,
frequently would preach before the doors of such as neglectedthe parish
worship. "If you will not come to hear me at the church," he would say on
these occasions,"youshall hear me at home; if you perish, you shall perish
with the sound of the gospelin your ears."
(G. Stevens.)
COMMENTARIES
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
(12) It shall be more tolerable in that day for Sodom.—SeeNote onMatthew
10:15.
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

10:1-16 Christ sent the seventydisciples, two and two, that they might
strengthen and encourageone another. The ministry of the gospelcalls men to
receive Christ as a Prince and a Saviour; and he will surely come in the power
of his Spirit to all places whither he sends his faithful servants. But the doom
of those who receive the grace of God in vain, will be very fearful Those who
despise the faithful ministers of Christ, who think meanly of them, and look
scornfully upon them, will be reckonedas despisers ofGod and Christ.
Barnes'Notes on the Bible
See the notes at Matthew 10:14-15.
Jamieson-Fausset-BrownBible Commentary
12-15. (See on[1627]Mt11:20-24).
for Sodom—Tyre and Sidon were ruined by commercialprosperity; Sodom
sank through its vile pollutions: but the doom of otherwise correctpersons
who, amidst a blaze of light, rejectthe Saviour, shall be less endurable than
that of any of these.
Matthew Poole's Commentary
See Poole on"Luke 10:8"
Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible
But I sayunto you,.... The same that he said to the twelve apostles, whenhe
sent them out, Matthew 10:15,
that it shall be more tolerable in that day for Sodom than for that city. By
"that day" is meant, the famous day to come, the last day; the day of
judgment, as it is expressedin Matthew; and so the Ethiopic versionreads
here, "it shall be better in the day of judgment". Sodom was a very wicked
city, and was destroyedby fire from heavenfor its iniquity, and its inhabitants
suffer the vengeance ofeternalfire: and there was also Gomorrha, a
neighbouring city, guilty of the same crimes, and shared the same fate; and
which is mentioned along with Sodom in Matthew; and is here read in the

Persic version. And the sense of the whole is, that though the iniquities of
Sodom and Gomorrha were very great, and their punishment very
exemplary; yet, as there will be degrees oftorment in hell, the case ofsuch a
city, which has been favoured with the Gospel, and has despisedand rejected
it, will be much worse than the case ofthose cities, which were devoured by
fire from heaven; and than that of the inhabitants of them in the future
judgment, and to all eternity; See Gill on Matthew 10:15.
Geneva Study Bible
But I sayunto you, that it shall be more tolerable in that day for Sodom, than
for that city.
EXEGETICAL(ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)
Meyer's NT Commentary
Luke 10:12. Comp. Matthew 10:15.
Cambridge Bible for Schools andColleges
12. more tolerable in that day for Sodom] The great principle which explains
these words may be found in Luke 12:47-48 (compare Hebrews 2:2-3;
Hebrews 10:28-29).
Pulpit Commentary
Verse 12. - But I sayunto you, that it shall be more tolerable in that day for
Sodom, than for that city. Such a rejectionimplies that they would have
nothing to do with the Masterof these preachers, the pitiful, loving, Galilaean
Teacher. Thesewere days of possible mighty blessings, ofproportional
terrible punishments. The woe of Sodom, that well-knownswift destruction,
most probably through sudden volcanic agency, was tolerable in comparison
with the far more awful doom reservedin the immediate future, at the hands
of Rome, for these guilty cities of Palestine (see a further note on this on ver.
15).

STUDYLIGHTRESOURCES
Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible
I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable in that day for Sodom, than for that
city.
In that day ... is a reference to the final judgment which shall terminate the
dispensationof grace. The Saviour's use of "that day" in this passage, where
its primary reference would appear to apply to the "coming nigh" of the
kingdom, shows that the kingdom of God will "come" in a more exalted state
at the final judgment. Peter's reference to Christians entering into "the
external kingdom" (2 Peter1:11) also sheds light on this.
Sodom ... was a grosslywickedcity whose very name came to be associated
with depravity; but their carnal sins in the sight of God were actually less
reprehensible than the arrogantrejection of the Redeemerby the cities of
Israel. Sodom was destroyedby fire from heaven (Genesis 19:1-26). The
greatersin of the cities of Israel derived from their refusing to see the Light of
all nations, an opportunity Sodom did not have.
Copyright Statement
James Burton Coffman Commentaries reproduced by permission of Abilene
Christian University Press, Abilene, Texas, USA. All other rights reserved.

Bibliography
Coffman, James Burton. "Commentary on Luke 10:12". "Coffman
Commentaries on the Old and New Testament".
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/bcc/luke-10.html. Abilene
Christian University Press, Abilene, Texas, USA. 1983-1999.
Return to Jump List return to 'Jump List'
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible
But I sayunto you,.... The same that he said to the twelve apostles, whenhe
sent them out, Matthew 10:15,
that it shall be more tolerable in that day for Sodom than for that city. By
"that day" is meant, the famous day to come, the last day; the day of
judgment, as it is expressedin Matthew; and so the Ethiopic versionreads
here, "it shall be better in the day of judgment". Sodom was a very wicked
city, and was destroyedby fire from heavenfor its iniquity, and its inhabitants
suffer the vengeance ofeternalfire: and there was also Gomorrha, a
neighbouring city, guilty of the same crimes, and shared the same fate; and
which is mentioned along with Sodom in Matthew; and is here read in the
Persic version. And the sense of the whole is, that though the iniquities of
Sodom and Gomorrha were very great, and their punishment very
exemplary; yet, as there will be degrees oftorment in hell, the case ofsuch a
city, which has been favoured with the Gospel, and has despisedand rejected
it, will be much worse than the case ofthose cities, which were devoured by
fire from heaven; and than that of the inhabitants of them in the future
judgment, and to all eternity; See Gill on Matthew 10:15.
Copyright Statement

The New John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible Modernisedand adapted
for the computer by Larry Pierce of Online Bible. All Rightes Reserved,
Larry Pierce, Winterbourne, Ontario.
A printed copy of this work can be ordered from: The Baptist Standard
Bearer, 1 Iron Oaks Dr, Paris, AR, 72855
Bibliography
Gill, John. "Commentary on Luke 10:12". "The New JohnGill Exposition of
the Entire Bible". https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/geb/luke-
10.html. 1999.
Robertson's WordPictures in the New Testament
More tolerable (ανεκτοτερον — anektoteron). Comparative of the verbal
adjective ανεκτος — anektos from ανεχομαι — anechomaiAn old adjective,
but only the comparative in the N.T. and in this phrase (Matthew 10:15;
Matthew 11:22, Matthew 11:24; Luke 10:12, Luke 10:14).
Copyright Statement
The Robertson's WordPictures of the New Testament. Copyright �
Broadman Press 1932,33,Renewal1960. All rights reserved. Used by
permission of Broadman Press (Southern BaptistSunday SchoolBoard)
Bibliography
Robertson, A.T. "Commentary on Luke 10:12". "Robertson's WordPictures
of the New Testament".

https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/rwp/luke-10.html. Broadman
Press 1932,33. Renewal1960.
The Fourfold Gospel
I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable in that day for Sodom, than for that
city1.
It shall be more tolerable in that day for Sodom, than for that city. For
comment, see .
Copyright Statement
These files are public domain and are a derivative of an electronic edition that
is available on the Christian ClassicsEtherealLibrary Website. These files
were made available by Mr. Ernie Stefanik. First published online in 1996 at
The RestorationMovementPages.
Bibliography
J. W. McGarveyand Philip Y. Pendleton. "Commentaryon Luke 10:12".
"The Fourfold Gospel".
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/tfg/luke-10.html. Standard
Publishing Company, Cincinnati, Ohio. 1914.
John Trapp Complete Commentary
12 But I say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable in that day for Sodom,
than for that city.

Ver. 12. See Matthew 11:24.
Copyright Statement
These files are public domain.
Text Courtesyof BibleSupport.com. Used by Permission.
Bibliography
Trapp, John. "Commentary on Luke 10:12". John Trapp Complete
Commentary. https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/jtc/luke-
10.html. 1865-1868.
Heinrich Meyer's Critical and ExegeticalCommentaryon the New Testament
Luke 10:12. Comp. Matthew 10:15.
Copyright Statement
Bibliography
Meyer, Heinrich. "Commentary on Luke 10:12". Heinrich Meyer's Critical
and ExegeticalCommentaryon the New Testament.
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/hmc/luke-10.html. 1832.

Matthew Poole's EnglishAnnotations on the Holy Bible
See Poole on"Luke 10:8"
Copyright Statement
Bibliography
Poole, Matthew, "Commentaryon Luke 10:12". Matthew Poole's English
Annotations on the Holy Bible.
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/mpc/luke-10.html. 1685.
Justin Edwards' Family Bible New Testament
Those who reject the gospelrejectthe Saviour; and the greatertheir light, if
they do not improve it, the greaterwill be their guilt and the more dreadful
their condemnation. Chap Luke 12:47-48.
Copyright Statement

Bibliography
Edwards, Justin. "Commentary on Luke 10:12". "Family Bible New
Testament". https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/fam/luke-
10.html. American TractSociety. 1851.
Cambridge Greek Testamentfor Schools andColleges
12. Σοδόμοις ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ ἀνεκτότερον. The words ‘in that day’ are left
vague. They may refer primarily to approaching national judgments;
ultimately to the Great Day. By the punishment of the city we must of course
understand the punishment of its inhabitants. The greatprinciple which
explains these words may be found in Luke 12:47-48 (compare Hebrews 2:2-3;
Hebrews 10:28-29).
Copyright Statement
Bibliography
"Commentary on Luke 10:12". "Cambridge Greek Testamentfor Schools
and Colleges".https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/cgt/luke-
10.html. 1896.
PeterPett's Commentary on the Bible

“I say to you, it shall be more tolerable in that day for Sodom, than for that
city.”
Once they had done this it would bring that city or town into a position where
it would be seenas worse than Sodom in the day of Judgment. For with all its
sins Sodomhad not rejectedthe Kingly Rule of God. The Rabbis would claim
that the inhabitants of Sodomwere so wickedthat they would not rise againat
the lastday, for the fate of the people of Sodom (Genesis 18:16 to Genesis
19:22)had become proverbial (compare Isaiah 1:9-10). How much more
doomed then the city which turned its back on the Kingly Rule of God. This
does bring out how seriouslytheir messageand mission was to be viewed.
Copyright Statement
Bibliography
Pett, Peter. "Commentary on Luke 10:12". "PeterPett's Commentaryon the
Bible ". https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/pet/luke-10.html.
2013.
Expository Notes ofDr. Thomas Constable
The common characteristic ofSodomand these Palestiniancities was failure
to repent when given a warning by God (cf. Genesis 19:24-29;Matthew 10:15;
Matthew 11:20-24;Romans 9:29; 2 Peter2:6; Jude 1:7). The fate of the people
of Sodom had become proverbial (cf. Isaiah 1:9-10). The Sodomites had the
witness of Lot, but these cities had the witness of forerunners and eyewitnesses

of the Messiah. The Sodomites couldhave saved their city by repenting, but
these cities could have enteredthe messianic kingdom. Therefore their guilt
was greaterthan that of the people of Sodom.
PRECEPT AUSTIN RESOURCES
BRUCE HURT MD
Luke 10:10 "But whatever city you enter and they do not receive you, go out
into its streets and say,
go out: Lu 9:5 Mt 10:14 Ac 13:51 18:6
Multiple ResourcesonLuke 10 (includes the sermons below)
Luke 10:5-11 Responsesto the Kingdom: Peace orPunishment - John
MacArthur
Luke 10:1-16 The Crucial Message - StevenCole
RESPONSE TO
REJECTION OF THE GOSPEL
They do not receive you - More discussiontakes place concerning rejection
(the people do not welcome you), as these verses lead into the condemnation of
certain towns for their rejectionof God’s kingdom. (NET Note)

The short answerfor what to do when they rejectthe messageis to walk
away!Woe! This might serve in some way to warn those who rejectthe
messageand give them pause to ponder its significance.
Not receive (1209)(dechomai)means to they do not acceptwith a deliberate
and ready receptionor they do not welcome eitherthe messageand
messenger.
Robertsonon go out into its streets - Out of the inhospitable houses into the
broad open streets. (Where everyone in the city would be able to hear the
horrible words of Lk 10:11! They would have no excuse).
Streets (plateia)refers to the “broad street” which would be the main road in
the city which would allow the greatestnumber of people to hear the
judgment pronounced in Lk 10:11.
Revelationrefused receives retribution!
Luke 10:11 'Even the dust of your city which clings to our feetwe wipe off in
protest againstyou; yet be sure of this, that the kingdom of God has come
near.'
Yet be sure - Lu 10:9 De 30:11-14 Ac 13:26,40,46Ro 10:8,21 Heb1:3
MacArthur

REJECTION OF THE MESSAGE
REJECTION FROM THE KINGDOM
Even the dust of your city which clings to our feet we wipe off in protest
againstyou - Woe to those cities that heard this message!
Mattoon- The Lord presents procedures on what to do if they should enter a
town and be rejected. Rejectionwas a reality. There would be folks that would
not embrace the opportunity to put their faith in the Lord. Nothing has
changed. The rejectionof Jesus continues today, even though His resurrection
is confirmed in history. The rejectionof their messagewouldnot change the
message. Evenif the people refused it, the Kingdom of God was still near, but
those who refused it would miss it. Jesus repeatedthe instruction of wiping
the dust of that town from their feetas a public announcement of their doom.
Spurgeonon our feetwipe off - We are not to stop and argue; that is no
business of ours. We have to tell our message. If men will receive it, we are
glad; if they will not hear it, with a heavy heart we turn aside, and go
elsewhere.Our work is to proclaim the glorious message ofmercy through a
dying Saviour, salvationthrough the greatatonement; it is our business to
proclaim it and leave it, the responsibility of receiving or rejecting it rests with
our hearers.
Robertsonon dust of your city - Dust is a plague in the east. Shake off even
that.
Leon Morris - There was a rabbinic idea that the dust of Gentile lands carried
defilement, and strict Jews are said to have removed it from their shoes
wheneverthey returned to Palestine from abroad. The disciples’ shaking of

the dust from their feetwas a testimony againstthem. It declaredin symbol
that Israelites who rejectedthe kingdom were no better than the Gentiles.
They did not belong to the people of God. For the practice cf. Acts 13:51....In
rejecting the preachers they were not simply rejecting a couple of poor
itinerants, but the very kingdom of God, and that has serious consequences.
The people have drawn down judgment on themselves.
The shaking of dust from one's sandals symbolized God's rejectionof those
who rejectedthe message fromHis messengers!In short, the declarationand
the action(shaking off the dust) was giving them what they wantedwhich was
to walk the way they wantedto walk and not in step with God's gospel!Woe
to them! Rememberthat the kingdom of God had come near to them but they
had slammed the door shut in God's face (so to speak). This is why their sin
was greaterthan that of Sodom(Lk 10:12)who had not receivedgospellight
(apparently Lot insteadof being a light to Jehovah, blended in with the
Sodomite societywith no desire to confront them with the truth. I fear many
of us in America are a lot like Lot - fearful of speaking forth God's goodnews
of salvationin Jesus Christfor fear of rejectionand even retaliation!)
MacArthur on dust - It was common for Jews to shake the dust off their
feet—as anexpressionof disdain—when returning from Gentile regions. Paul
and Barnabas also did this when expelled from Antioch (Ac 13:51). This was a
visible protest, signifying that they regardedthe place as no better than a
paganland.
Vincent on dust - Strictly, dust that is raised by walking.
Vincent on clings - "Frequentin medical language of the uniting of wounds."
Robertsonadds "to cling as dust and mud do to shoes. Hence the orientals
took off the sandals on entering a house."

Robertsonon wipe off - [apomassometha]. Middle voice of an old verb
[apomassō], to rub off with the hands. Nowhere else in the N. T. But
[ekmassō], occurs in Luke 7:38, 44.
The kingdom of God has come near - (see notes on kingdom of God on Lk
10:9) The King's ambassadors have come proclaiming the goodnews of the
kingdom.
Hendriksen - They must be told that in rejecting Christ’s messengers theyare
rejecting him … in fact, they are shutting themselves out! The kingdom
cannot be stopped. But rejecters will bring down upon themselves its curse.
Let this be proclaimed to them loudly and clearly, in order that they may still
repent.
See W R Hutton's 3 page article - "The Kingdom of GodHas Come"
Luke 10:12 "I say to you, it will be more tolerable in that day for Sodom than
for that city.
that: La 4:6 Eze 16:48-50 Mt 10:15 11:24 Mk 6:11
Luke 10:12-16 A Warning to the Indifferent - John MacArthur
It will be more tolerable in that day for Sodom - Passagessuchas Lk 10:12-13
clearly teachthat there will various degrees orgradations of eternal
punishment depending in part on how much Gospellight was rejected. The

greaterthe light, the greaterthe degree of punishment. I think of this every
time I speak the Gospelto a personand they rejectit. If they go their entire
life and never repent and believe in Jesus as Saviorand Lord, they will be
facedwith eternal punishment worse than the horribly abominable city of
Sodom! This is a very painful and onerous thought which I often have
difficulty shaking!Especiallyif I am in a situation where I frequently see that
individual. May saving recourse is to still continue to pray for their salvation
even if they have soundly rejectedmy presentation of the Gospel.
Cole - Jesus didn’t speculate aboutthe future judgment; He spoke about it
with authority (Lk 10:12)! He makes it clearthat people will be judged
according to the degree of light that they rejected. There will be degrees of
punishment in hell. It will be worse for those who heard plainly of Christ and
rejectedit than for those, suchas Sodom, Tyre, and Sidon, that lackedclear
witness.
Spurgeon- Hearing and rejecting the gospelis the crowning sin of all.
Whateverelse men are guilty of, if they have not rejectedChrist, they have
not yet reachedthe summit of iniquity.
Hendriksen - As there are degrees ofglory (1 Cor. 15:41, 42), so there are also
degrees ofpunishment (Luke 12:47, 48). Sodom, to be sure, sinned grievously
(Gen. 13:13;19:9, 13;Isa. 3:9; Lam. 4:6; 2 Peter2:6, 7; Jude 7); but the cities
selectedby the Lord Jesus Christ for receiving the very specialprivilege of
having his personalrepresentatives sentto them with a pleading and urgent
appeal will have sinned even more grievously if they rejecttheir golden
opportunity. Therefore, in the day of the final judgment their sentence will be
even more terrifying than that which will then be pronounced on Sodom.

Mattoon- Sodom will face God's wrath at judgment day, but cities that
rejectedthe Messiahand his Kingdom will face worse wrathfrom God. A city
as evil as Sodom would be better off than these towns because these folks had
been given the opportunity to believe the Messiah. Theyhad seengreat
miracles and had the GoodNews preachedto them, but they had turned away
and had refusedsalvation. The Lord was making the point that there is
accountability in opportunity. Their accountability would be greaterbecause
of their opportunity to hear the truth.
NET Note - The allusion to Sodom, the most wickedof OT cities from Gen
19:1–29, showsthat to rejectthe current messageis even more serious than
the worstsins of the old era and will result in more severe punishment. The
noun Sodom is in emphatic position in the Greek text.
Sodom in Wikipedia
MacArthur - Sodom and Gomorrah. Those cities and the entire surrounding
regionwere judged without warning, and with the utmost severity.
Matthew has a similar messageforrejectionof the ultimate Messenger
(Matthew 11:20-24)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 occurredin Tyre
and Sidon which occurredin you, they would have repented long ago in
sackclothand ashes. 22 “NeverthelessI say to you, it will be more tolerable for
Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you. 23 “And you,
Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you? You will descendto
Hades; for if the miracles had occurredin Sodom which occurredin you, it
would have remained to this day. 24 “Nevertheless Isay to you that it will be
more tolerable for the land of Sodomin the day of judgment, than for you.”

In John's GospelJesus declared
(John 3:18-20)“He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe
has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only
begottenSon of God. “This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the
world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were
evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the
Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.
GENE BROOKS
Luke 10:10 "But whatever city you enter and they do not receive you, go out
into its streets and say,
go out: Lu 9:5 Mt 10:14 Ac 13:51 18:6
MacArthur
RESPONSE TO
REJECTION OF THE GOSPEL

They do not receive you - More discussiontakes place concerning rejection
(the people do not welcome you), as these verses lead into the condemnation of
certain towns for their rejectionof God’s kingdom. (NET Note)
The short answerfor what to do when they rejectthe messageis to walk
away!Woe! This might serve in some way to warn those who rejectthe
messageand give them pause to ponder its significance.
Not receive (1209)(dechomai)means to they do not acceptwith a deliberate
and ready receptionor they do not welcome eitherthe messageand
messenger.
Robertsonon go out into its streets - Out of the inhospitable houses into the
broad open streets. (Where everyone in the city would be able to hear the
horrible words of Lk 10:11! They would have no excuse).
Streets (plateia)refers to the “broad street” which would be the main road in
the city which would allow the greatestnumber of people to hear the
judgment pronounced in Lk 10:11.
Revelationrefused receives retribution!
Luke 10:11 'Even the dust of your city which clings to our feetwe wipe off in
protest againstyou; yet be sure of this, that the kingdom of God has come
near.'
Yet be sure - Lu 10:9 De 30:11-14 Ac 13:26,40,46Ro 10:8,21 Heb1:3

MacArthur
REJECTION OF THE MESSAGE
REJECTION FROM THE KINGDOM
Even the dust of your city which clings to our feet we wipe off in protest
againstyou - Woe to those cities that heard this message!
Mattoon- The Lord presents procedures on what to do if they should enter a
town and be rejected. Rejectionwas a reality. There would be folks that would
not embrace the opportunity to put their faith in the Lord. Nothing has
changed. The rejectionof Jesus continues today, even though His resurrection
is confirmed in history. The rejectionof their messagewouldnot change the
message. Evenif the people refused it, the Kingdom of God was still near, but
those who refused it would miss it. Jesus repeatedthe instruction of wiping
the dust of that town from their feetas a public announcement of their doom.
Spurgeonon our feetwipe off - We are not to stop and argue; that is no
business of ours. We have to tell our message. If men will receive it, we are
glad; if they will not hear it, with a heavy heart we turn aside, and go
elsewhere.Our work is to proclaim the glorious message ofmercy through a
dying Saviour, salvationthrough the greatatonement; it is our business to
proclaim it and leave it, the responsibility of receiving or rejecting it rests with
our hearers.

Robertsonon dust of your city - Dust is a plague in the east. Shake off even
that.
Leon Morris - There was a rabbinic idea that the dust of Gentile lands carried
defilement, and strict Jews are said to have removed it from their shoes
wheneverthey returned to Palestine from abroad. The disciples’ shaking of
the dust from their feetwas a testimony againstthem. It declaredin symbol
that Israelites who rejectedthe kingdom were no better than the Gentiles.
They did not belong to the people of God. For the practice cf. Acts 13:51....In
rejecting the preachers they were not simply rejecting a couple of poor
itinerants, but the very kingdom of God, and that has serious consequences.
The people have drawn down judgment on themselves.
The shaking of dust from one's sandals symbolized God's rejectionof those
who rejectedthe message fromHis messengers!In short, the declarationand
the action(shaking off the dust) was giving them what they wantedwhich was
to walk the way they wantedto walk and not in step with God's gospel!Woe
to them! Rememberthat the kingdom of God had come near to them but they
had slammed the door shut in God's face (so to speak). This is why their sin
was greaterthan that of Sodom(Lk 10:12)who had not receivedgospellight
(apparently Lot insteadof being a light to Jehovah, blended in with the
Sodomite societywith no desire to confront them with the truth. I fear many
of us in America are a lot like Lot - fearful of speaking forth God's goodnews
of salvationin Jesus Christfor fear of rejectionand even retaliation!)
MacArthur on dust - It was common for Jews to shake the dust off their
feet—as anexpressionof disdain—when returning from Gentile regions. Paul
and Barnabas also did this when expelled from Antioch (Ac 13:51). This was a
visible protest, signifying that they regardedthe place as no better than a
paganland.

Vincent on dust - Strictly, dust that is raised by walking.
Vincent on clings - "Frequentin medical language of the uniting of wounds."
Robertsonadds "to cling as dust and mud do to shoes. Hence the orientals
took off the sandals on entering a house."
Robertsonon wipe off - [apomassometha]. Middle voice of an old verb
[apomassō], to rub off with the hands. Nowhere else in the N. T. But
[ekmassō], occurs in Luke 7:38, 44.
The kingdom of God has come near - (see notes on kingdom of God on Lk
10:9) The King's ambassadors have come proclaiming the goodnews of the
kingdom.
Hendriksen - They must be told that in rejecting Christ’s messengers theyare
rejecting him … in fact, they are shutting themselves out! The kingdom
cannot be stopped. But rejecters will bring down upon themselves its curse.
Let this be proclaimed to them loudly and clearly, in order that they may still
repent.
See W R Hutton's 3 page article - "The Kingdom of GodHas Come"
Luke 10:12 "I say to you, it will be more tolerable in that day for Sodom than
for that city.
that: La 4:6 Eze 16:48-50 Mt 10:15 11:24 Mk 6:11

Luke 10:12-16 A Warning to the Indifferent - John MacArthur
It will be more tolerable in that day for Sodom - Passagessuchas Lk 10:12-13
clearly teachthat there will various degrees orgradations of eternal
punishment depending in part on how much Gospellight was rejected. The
greaterthe light, the greaterthe degree of punishment. I think of this every
time I speak the Gospelto a personand they rejectit. If they go their entire
life and never repent and believe in Jesus as Saviorand Lord, they will be
facedwith eternal punishment worse than the horribly abominable city of
Sodom! This is a very painful and onerous thought which I often have
difficulty shaking!Especiallyif I am in a situation where I frequently see that
individual. May saving recourse is to still continue to pray for their salvation
even if they have soundly rejectedmy presentation of the Gospel.
Cole - Jesus didn’t speculate aboutthe future judgment; He spoke about it
with authority (Lk 10:12)! He makes it clearthat people will be judged
according to the degree of light that they rejected. There will be degrees of
punishment in hell. It will be worse for those who heard plainly of Christ and
rejectedit than for those, suchas Sodom, Tyre, and Sidon, that lackedclear
witness.
Spurgeon- Hearing and rejecting the gospelis the crowning sin of all.
Whateverelse men are guilty of, if they have not rejectedChrist, they have
not yet reachedthe summit of iniquity.
Hendriksen - As there are degrees ofglory (1 Cor. 15:41, 42), so there are also
degrees ofpunishment (Luke 12:47, 48). Sodom, to be sure, sinned grievously
(Gen. 13:13;19:9, 13;Isa. 3:9; Lam. 4:6; 2 Peter2:6, 7; Jude 7); but the cities
selectedby the Lord Jesus Christ for receiving the very specialprivilege of
having his personalrepresentatives sentto them with a pleading and urgent

appeal will have sinned even more grievously if they rejecttheir golden
opportunity. Therefore, in the day of the final judgment their sentence will be
even more terrifying than that which will then be pronounced on Sodom.
Mattoon- Sodom will face God's wrath at judgment day, but cities that
rejectedthe Messiahand his Kingdom will face worse wrathfrom God. A city
as evil as Sodom would be better off than these towns because these folks had
been given the opportunity to believe the Messiah. Theyhad seengreat
miracles and had the GoodNews preachedto them, but they had turned away
and had refusedsalvation. The Lord was making the point that there is
accountability in opportunity. Their accountability would be greaterbecause
of their opportunity to hear the truth.
NET Note - The allusion to Sodom, the most wickedof OT cities from Gen
19:1–29, showsthat to rejectthe current messageis even more serious than
the worstsins of the old era and will result in more severe punishment. The
noun Sodom is in emphatic position in the Greek text.
Sodom in Wikipedia
MacArthur - Sodom and Gomorrah. Those cities and the entire surrounding
regionwere judged without warning, and with the utmost severity.
Matthew has a similar messageforrejectionof the ultimate Messenger
(Matthew 11:20-24)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 occurredin Tyre
and Sidon which occurredin you, they would have repented long ago in
sackclothand ashes. 22 “NeverthelessI say to you, it will be more tolerable for

Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you. 23 “And you,
Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you? You will descendto
Hades; for if the miracles had occurredin Sodom which occurredin you, it
would have remained to this day. 24 “Nevertheless Isay to you that it will be
more tolerable for the land of Sodomin the day of judgment, than for you.”
In John's GospelJesus declared
(John 3:18-20)“He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe
has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only
begottenSon of God. “This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the
world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were
evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the
Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.
THOMAS CONSTABLE
Verse 10-11
The Seventy were to declare publicly two things to the towns (i.e, the people of
the towns)that rejectedthem and their message. Theywere to pronounce a
symbolic rejectionfor unbelief (cf. Luke 9:5; Matthew 10:14; Mark 6:11), and
they were to remind the rejecters of the reality of the kingdom offer that they
had spurned. This secondaction was a virtual sentence ofjudgment.
Verse 12
The common characteristic ofSodomand these Palestiniancities was failure
to repent when given a warning by God (cf. Genesis 19:24-29;Matthew 10:15;

Matthew 11:20-24;Romans 9:29; 2 Peter2:6; Jude 1:7). The fate of the people
of Sodom had become proverbial (cf. Isaiah 1:9-10). The Sodomites had the
witness of Lot, but these cities had the witness of forerunners and eyewitnesses
of the Messiah. The Sodomites couldhave saved their city by repenting, but
these cities could have enteredthe messianic kingdom. Therefore their guilt
was greaterthan that of the people of Sodom.
MATTHEW HENRY
They must denounce the judgments of God againstthose who should reject
them and their message:"If you enter into a city, and they do not receive you,
if there be none there disposedto hearkento your doctrine, leave them, Luke
10:10. If they will not give you welcome into their houses, do you give them
warning in their streets." He orders them to (Luke 9:5) do as he had ordered
the apostles to do: "Sayto them, not with rage, or scorn, or resentment, but
with compassionto their poor perishing souls, and a holy dread of the ruin
which they are bringing upon themselves, Even the dust of your city, which
cleavethon us, we do wipe off againstyou, Luke 10:11. From them do not
receive any kindnesses atall, be not beholden to them. It costthat prophet of
the Lord dear who accepteda meal's meat with a prophet in Bethel, 1 Kings
13:21,22. Tellthem that you will not carry with you the dust of their city let
them take it to themselves, for dust they are." It shall be a witness for Christ's
messengersthat they had been there according to their Master's order tender
and refusalwere a discharge of their trust. But it shall be a witness againstthe
recusants that they would not give Christ's messengersany entertainment, no,
not so much as water to washtheir feet with, but they were forced to wipe off
the dust. "But tell them plainly, and bid them be sure of it, The kingdom of
God is come nigh to you. Here is a fair offer made you if you have not the
benefit of it, it is your own fault. The gospelis brought to your doors if you
shut your doors againstit, your blood is upon your own head. Now that the
kingdom of God is come nigh to you, if you will not come up to it, and come

into it, your sin will be inexcusable, and your condemnationintolerable."
Note, The fairer offers we have of grace and life by Christ, the more we shall
have to answerfor another day, if we slight these offers:It shall be more
tolerable for Sodomthan for that city, Luke 10:12. The Sodomites indeed
rejectedthe warning given them by Lot but rejecting the gospelis a more
heinous crime, and will be punished accordinglyin that day. He means the
day of judgment (Luke 10:14), but calls it, by way of emphasis, that day,
because it is the lastand greatday, the day when we must accountfor all the
days of time, and have our state determined for the days of eternity.
Upon this occasion, the evangelistrepeats,
(1.) The particular doom of those cities wherein most of Christ's mighty works
were done, which we had, Matthew 11:20, &c. Chorazin, Bethsaida, and
Capernaum, all bordering upon the sea of Galilee, where Christ was most
conversant, are the places here mentioned. [1.] They enjoyed greater
privileges. Christ's mighty works were done in them, and they were all
gracious works, worksofmercy. They were hereby exalted to heaven, not only
dignified and honoured, but put into a fair way of being happy they were
brought as near heaven as external means could bring them. [2.] God's design
in favouring them thus was to bring them to repentance and reformation of
life, to sit in sackclothand ashes, both in humiliation for the sins they had
committed, and in humility and a meek subjectionto God's government. [3.]
Their frustrating this design, and their receiving the grace ofGod therein in
vain. It is implied that they repented not they were not wrought upon by all
the miracles of Christ to think the better of him, or the worse of sin they did
not bring forth fruits agreeable to the advantages they enjoyed. [4.] There was
reasonto think, morally speaking, that, if Christ had gone to Tyre and Sidon,
Gentile cities, and had preachedthe same doctrine to them and wrought the
same miracles among them that he did in these cities of Israel, they would
have repented long ago, so speedywould their repentance have been, and that
in sackclothand ashes, so deep would it have been. Now to understand the

wisdom of God, in giving the means of grace to those who would not improve
them, and denying them to those that would, we must waitfor the greatday of
discovery. [5.] The doom of those who thus receive the grace ofGod in vain
will be very fearful. They that were thus exalted, not making use of their
elevation, will be thrust down to hell, thrust down with disgrace and
dishonour. They will thrust in to get into heaven, in the crowdof professors,
but in vain they shall be thrust down, to their everlasting grief and
disappointment, into the lowesthell, and hell will be hell indeed to them. [6.]
In the day of judgment Tyre and Sidon will fare better, and it will be more
tolerable for them than for these cities.
JOHN MACARTHUR
A Warning to the Indifferent
Sermons Luke 10:12–16 42-136 Jun22, 2003
A + A - RESET
As we come to our time in the Word of God, we want to return to the 10th
chapter of the gospelofLuke. We have just heard about God's abundant
kindness in that song. One of the expressions of that kindness is the privilege
that the Lord gives to us to proclaim His gospel, to be His ambassadors, to be
His messengers, His emissaries,His missionaries, His witnesses in the world.
What a greatprivilege it is that He would use lowly ones such as we are for
the proclamationof life-transforming, glorious salvationtruth. This is our
greatprivilege. We as believers have the eternal truth of salvation to tell the
whole world. This is, frankly, while we're still here. This is why the Lord
doesn't take us all to heavenbecause there's a work to be done on earth and
that is to proclaim the gospelof Jesus Christto the ends of the world so that
others can hear, repent, and believe. We have the most impactful, the most
transforming, enduring, enriching message, the goodnews of the forgiveness

of sin and rescue from eternal punishment. We are here to tell the world that
God will forgive sinners; that God desires to be reconciledto sinners through
that forgiveness. He will forgive those who repent of their sin and believe in
His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, believe that He died in their place and rose
from the dead. For those who believe, God promises the forgiveness ofall
their sins and a place in the joy and bliss of His eternalheaven.
That's the gospel. And gospelis just an old English word that means good
news, goodnews. So here we are in the world with goodnews. However,
there is an element of the goodnews that is very, very bad news. In fact, the
goodnews is predicated on an understanding of the bad news. The news
about salvation is only goodif one understands the bad news about what
happens to those who don't possess thatsalvation. In fact, part of our
proclamation of the gospelis to tell people the worstnews they've ever heard,
the worstnews there is, that God has createda hell, a place of eternal
punishment for those who rejectHim. And those who do not repent and
believe in the Lord Jesus Christwill spend forever punished in that place
calledhell. That is the bad news that is foundational to the goodnews being
goodnews. True evangelismthen, an accurate presentationof the gospel,
must include the strongestnegative reality as part of the motivation of the
sinner, not just the attractiveness ofheaven, not just the attractiveness ofthe
love of God, but the fear of hell and the dread of the wrath of God. All
faithful endeavors in giving the goodnews must clearly conveythe bad news.
It is not just the promise of heaven; it is the threat of hell.
This emphasis, which is very clear in the Bible, is being eliminated from most
of contemporary, evangelicalwitness as we know it in our experience today.
People don't want to talk about hell. They don't want to talk about judgment.
They don't want to give warnings to those who rejectthe gospel. In fact, they
even begin to think that Godis so loving He just wouldn't really send anyone
to hell. But that is not what the Scripture teaches. In fact, the Bible begins
and ends with warning. You're not very far into the accountof creationin the

book of Genesis until you hear God say, "But for the fruit of the knowledge of
goodand evil, you shall not eatfor in the day that you eatfrom it, you shall
die." And in that Godpromised both spiritual death, physical death, and the
potential of eternal death.
The Bible beganthen with a threat, a warning, and it ends that way. The very
last chapter of the Bible, the 22nd chapter of Revelation, says, "Itestify to
everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book, if anyone adds to
them God shall add to him the plagues that are written in this book. If anyone
takes awayfrom the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away
his part from the tree of life and from the holy city which are written in the
book." The Bible begins with a warning about death and it ends with a
warning about being excluded from heaven. And in betweenthere are
countless warnings about the judgment of God. Back in Genesis chapter6
God gave a warning in verse 7. The Lord said, "I will blot out man whom I
have createdfrom the face of the earth, I am sorry that I have made them."
And He did it in the greatFloodthat swept acrossthe earth, millions of
people, all excepteight, were catapulted not only into physical death but into
eternal judgment in hell. According to Hebrews chapter6 and verse 2, one of
the principles of Old TestamentLaw was eternaljudgment. It is God who
said, "I kill and I make alive, I wound and I heal, nor is there any who can
deliver from My hand," Deuteronomy32:39. God is not just loving; God is
also righteous. He not only blesses. He curses.
Is it not destruction for the wicked, says Job31:3? Is it not disasterfor the
workers ofiniquity? Proverbs 1 says, "Because Ihave called and you refuse, I
have stretchedout My hand and no one regarded. Becauseyoudisdained all
My counseland would have none of My rebuke, I also will laugh at your
calamity, I will mock when your terror comes. When your terror comes like a
storm and your destruction comes like a whirlwind, when distress and
anguish come upon you, then they will call on Me but I will not answer.”
Becausethey hated knowledge and they didn't choose the fear of the Lord.

In Luke 13:3 Jesus reiteratedthis threat of judgment. "I tell you," He said,
"unless you repent you will all perish." Psalm 9:7, "The Lord shall endure
forever. He has prepared His throne for judgment." Psalm96:13, "ForHe is
coming, for He is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with
righteousness andthe peoples with His truth." Acts 17:31, "He's appointed a
day in which He shall judge the world in righteousness by the man whom He
has ordained. He has given assuranceofthis to all by raising Him from the
dead." Romans 2:16 speaks ofthe day when God will judge the secretsof
men by Jesus Christ. Jobsays in Job 21:30 the wickedare reservedfor the
day of doom. Romans 2:5 Paul says, "The sinners are treasuring up wrath
againstthe day of wrath and the righteous judgment of God." And
Revelation6:17 says, "The greatday of His wrath has come and who is able to
stand?" Hebrews 9:27, "It is appointed unto men once to die and after this,
the judgment."
The Bible presents God not only as Saviorand Redeemerbut as executioner,
as judge. It presents Jesus not only as Savior but also as judge. John 5:22 to
27 says that God has committed the actualfunction of judgment to Jesus,
delegating to Him the authority to judge. SecondThessalonianschapter1
says He comes out of heavenin flaming fire, dealing out retribution on those
who obey not the gospel. Everyunbelieving sinner throughout all of time,
throughout all of human history, will be condemned, including false
Christians, including the people of every religion apart from the truth of God
as revealedon the pages of Holy Scripture. The reasonfor this judgment is
sin and guilt before God.
Now listen to this. The more of God's truth you know, the more severe will be
the eternalpunishment. Those people in the Old Testamentwho lived under
the law of Moses will receive a certain level of punishment for rejecting the
work of the law in their hearts which was to lead them to repentance and then
to cry out to God for grace and mercy and forgiveness. The people in the Old

Testamentwho did not respond to the work of the law of Moses in their heart,
repent of their sin, and cry out to God to be forgiven, they will receive
punishment. Those who did not know the law of God, did not respond to the
law of God will be punished. But those who heard the gospel, those who have
heard the messageofJesus Christ, the goodnews of salvationin Him will
receive a greaterpunishment. The more revelationyou have, the greater
punishment you receive if you reject it. The severesteternalpunishment
belongs to those who heard the most and rejectedit.
Let me show you this. Turn, for a moment, to the 10th chapter of Hebrews
and this is a very important portion of Scripture in this discussion, Hebrews
chapter 10 and verse 26. Scripture says, "Forif we go on sinning willfully
after receiving the knowledge ofthe truth..." if you've heard the truth and you
understand the truth, that is the truth of Christ, the truth of the gospel, but
you go on sinning willfully, that is to say you go on in rejection, you willfully
spurn that truth, rejectthat truth of salvationin Christ and Christ alone, if
we go on sinning willfully after receiving the truth, "there no longerremains a
sacrifice for sins." There will be no salvation. If you reject Christ, there's no
way to be saved. That's what the writer is saying. There is no other sacrifice,
there is no other provision. All you have then, verse 27, if you reject Christ, is
a “certainterrifying expectationof judgment.” To rejectChrist leads you
with nothing but to expectjudgment, a terrifying expectationof judgment.
This is described as the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries, the
fiery furious judgment of hell where the worm dies not, the fire is not
quenched, blackness anddarkness forever, weeping and wailing and gnashing
of teeth in eternaltorment.
So if you having heard the knowledge ofthe truth reject that truth, there is no
other way for you to be savedand all you have to look forward to is the
terrifying expectationof judgment and the fury of the fire of hell. Verse 28
then says, "Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on
the testimony of two or three witnesses." In other words, if you violated the

law of Moses there were severe and deadly consequences. Itwas a serious
thing to violate the Law of Moses.
But notice verse 29, and here's the key. "How much severer punishment do
you think he will deserve who has trampled underfoot the Son of God and has
regardedas uncleanthe blood of the covenant?" We'llstop at that point.
If you think it's going to be bad in eternity for the people who rejectedthe law
of Moses, it's going to be worse for the people who've rejectedJesus Christ.
There are degrees ofpunishment in eternity. There are degrees ofsuffering in
hell. And the more you know about the gospeland rejectit, the severerwill
be your punishment.
To make it very practical, if you're a non-believer, being in this church and
hearing the gospelis high-risk behavior. You'd be better off to climb Everest
in a snowstormor jump out of an airplane with a parachute with a huge hole
in the middle of it. Or better yet, jump out of an airplane with an umbrella
than to sit in this church and listen to the gospelbecause the implications of
rejecting it are so severe forever. Don't just come here, sit, know more and
more about the gospeland continue in your rejectionand not expect to be
eternally held accountable for that rejection. The severesteternalpunishment
belongs to those who rejectedthe most exposure to the gospel.
You say, "Why are you telling all this to us?" Because this is exactly the point
of the text. Let's go back to Luke 10. This is the point of this text. Let me
pick up the text in verse 12, Luke 10:12. "I say to you, it would be more
tolerable in that day for Sodomthan for that city. Woe to you, Chorazin, woe
to you, Bethsaida, forif the miracles had been performed in Tyre and Sidon
which occurred in you, they would have repented long ago sitting in sack cloth
and ashes. Butit will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the judgment

than for you. And you, Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you?
You will be brought down to Hades,” or hell. “The one who listens to you
listens to Me. The one who rejects you rejects Me. And he who rejects Me
rejects the One who sent Me."
The messagehere is very clear. There are comparative punishments in hell.
The more exposure you have to the glory of Christ, the more potential
judgment you will receive if you reject it.
Turn over to the 11th chapter of Luke. This is not an isolatedteaching from
Jesus, it is oft repeated. In the 11th chapter of Luke verse 29, the crowds were
increasing. He began to say this generationis a wickedgeneration. It seeks...
It was a religious one, it was steepedin Judaistic religion, but it was wickedby
Jesus'judgment. “It seeksfora sign and yet no sign shall be given it but the
sign of Jonah for just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so shall the Son
of Man be to this generation. The queen of the south shall rise up with the
men of this generationat the judgment and condemn them because she came
from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon and behold,
something greaterthan Solomon is here.”
This is an interesting statement. Jesus is saying the queen of the south, the
pagan, Gentile queen at leastwas so stunned and struck by the glory of
Solomonas to come and give honor to Solomon, and here when a pagan
woman gave honor to a great king like Solomon, she demonstratedthe
appropriate response to the glory of a man. You, who are Jews, who are the
people of God's promise, cannoteven give honor to one far greaterthan
Solomonwho comes to you. And so in the Day of Judgment the queen of the
south, that is to say a pagan, is going to stand up to your condemnation. She
showedan attitude toward a man that you didn't even show toward the Son of
God. You'll be condemned even by what she did.

They hated to be compared to Gentiles in that way. In the 12th chapter of
Luke, verses 47 and 48, again this same kind of comparisonis made. Verse
47: "Thatslave who knew his master's will and didn't getready” or act in
accordwith his will “shallreceive many lashes." It's possible to receive a few
lashes or many lashes, that is to say there will be degrees ofseverity of
punishment in hell. It will all be punishment, it will all be lashes. It will be
fewerlashes or more lashes and the distinguishing element will be whether
you knew your master's will; that is to say whether you knew the truth or not.
Verse 48, "The one who didn't know it and committed deeds worthy of a
flogging will receive but few and from everyone who has been given much,
shall much be required and to whom they entrusted much, of him will they all
ask the more." And that's not talking about blessing, that's talking about
punishment; more punishment for those who rejectedmore truth. You'd be
better off a pagan, never exposedto the gospel. You'd be better off a Jew
living in the Old Testamentthan to be in this environment sitting under the
preaching of the gospeland rejecting Jesus Christ because youwill have a
severerpunishment in hell. To rejectJesus Christ is to bring upon yourself
the severestofall judgments. And the more you reject, the more severe that
eternal punishment becomes.
Go back then to the 10th chapter of Luke. There are six cities here, three Old
Testamentcities and three New Testamentcities and they are being compared
by way of illustration of this comparative principle. The city of Sodom...
Sodom is knownto everybody. Sodom is a byword for...forthe most vile kind
of evil, the wretched, wretchedperversion of homosexuality that literally
characterizedthe city of Sodom, so utterly perverse, a city of wretchedness,a
city of idols, a city destroyed in the most unbelievable destruction of fire and
brimstone recordedon the pages of the Old Testament;Sodom, the very
prototype for judgment, the very prototype for wickedness. And the cities of
Tyre and Sidon are also Old Testamentexamples. They were Gentile cities.
They were pagan cities. Theywere cities given overto idolatry and
materialism and greedand cruelty and every imaginable kind of wickedness.
All the people in Sodom in the days of Sodomwho died were catapulted into a
godless eternity. All the people in Tyre and Sidon were catapulted into a

godless eternity of punishment in hell. Sodom had exposure to the truth from
Lot. Tyre and Sidon had exposure to the truth from many who passedtheir
way. Theyrejectedthe truth. They rejectedthe one true and living Godand
their judgment was severe, their judgment was eternal;that is to saythe
people who were basically sentto perish forever in hell.
The New Testamentcities mentioned here are Chorazin, Bethsaida, and
Capernaum. They will also be punished. But Jesus says here they'll be
punished more than Sodom, Tyre, and Sidon. The Sodomites, the Sidonites,
and the Tyrites will receive lesserpunishment in hell than the people of
Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum. Those pagan, wretched, wicked
Gentiles outside the covenant will receive lesserpunishment than the people of
the covenant, the Jews, living in the time of Jesus. This is just a powerful,
powerful indictment; and we will understand adds to the escalating hostility
toward Jesus that eventually causes them to screamfor His death.
Let me just review what's going on here in this section. Youhave to back up
to verse 1 to find out that all of this is what the Lord is saying to seventy, or
some manuscripts say seventy-two. The Lord appointed seventy and sent
them two by two aheadof Him to every city and place where He Himself was
going to come. They're the first wave of missionaries. He already chose
twelve apostles. In addition to the twelve apostles He choosesseventyfrom
among His followers to be these who will go in sort of an advance two-by-two
group to proclaim the gospeland announce His coming into towns and
villages in the remaining months of His ministry. So they're the first group of
missionaries, orwitnesses andas such they teach us a lot, they really do. We
can learn so much from them.
First of all, we already lookedatverses 1 to 4 and said, first, He's concerned
about their attitude. If they're going to go out and proclaim the good news of
the kingdom, the gospelof salvation, they're going to proclaim that Jesus is

the Savior, the Messiah, they have to do it with a right attitude. And we saw
what those attitudes were in the first four verses:compassion, prayer,
urgency, vigilance, and trust. And then after establishing what the attitudes
are, starting in verse 5 and running through verse 11, the focus was primarily
upon the message. And the message, as indicatedat the end of verse 9 and the
end of verse 11, was about the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God is the
sphere of salvation, the sphere of salvation, the place where God rules over the
souls of those who have come to Him through faith in His Son. And so the
messageis that God has a kingdom and you can enter His kingdom. And you
can enter His kingdom and find peace, or you can rejectHis kingdom and find
judgment. So we've already learned about attitudes and we've already
learned about the message.
Now when you go out to evangelize, it's important for you to remember to be
compassionate, to be prayerful, to undergird your evangelismwith prayer, to
have a sense ofurgency, to be vigilant and to exhibit trust, trust in the truth,
trust in the work of God to bless that truth. It's important that you have the
right message;that you talk about the kingdom, talk about the peace that will
come to those who will enter the kingdom, the judgment that will come to
those who do not. But here's something that usually gets left out of
evangelism. After having the right attitude and the right message, we come to
a third element in His training of the seventy and that is warning, warning.
How do you end a witnessing opportunity? When you give the gospelto
somebody, you proclaim Christ to them, you try to come with a right attitude,
you demonstratedcompassion, you prayed and undergirded your witness,
you...you have a sense ofurgency in compelling them to come. You're
expressing a certainamount of vigilance, understanding what's going on
around you, being wise in the way you do what you do, trusting in God.
You've done all of that. You've given the right messageofthe gospeland you
get shut down. What do you do next? What is....Usuallythe final parting
thing is, "I will pray for you," right? I mean, certainly that's legitimate. But

let me tell you what Jesus tells us to do, OK? What He tells us to do I just
read you in verses 12 to 16. The parting word that Jesus wants these seventy
to give is a warning, is a warning. It is not an affirmation, "I love you
anyway," although you can saythat. That's not the parting word. It is not an
affirmation, "I'll pray for you," although certainly you should saythat. The
final word in an evangelistic endeavoris a warning. It is a warning. The news
is very bad for those who reject, very bad.
And so you have then... Let's just give you three points this morning, number
one, the principle of comparative judgment, the principle of comparative
judgment. I've alreadyillustrated it in the introduction, but notice it is
specificallynoted in verse 12 and verse 14. "I sayto you, it will be more
tolerable in that day for Sodomthan for that city,” verse 14, “it will be more
tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in that judgment than for you." Here's the
warning. "Myfriend, it will be more tolerable in the judgment for people
who have never heard of Jesus Christthan it will be for you having just heard
the gospeland rejectedit. Better you never should have heard this." That's
why I say, hanging around this church is high-risk behavior. It has
implications for all eternity. This is the principle of comparative judgment.
This is first-hand, folks. Just in case youmight think this was hearsay, verse
12 says, "I say to you.” I sayto you, and you pass it on. First-hand from the
judge Himself; I'm telling you from the mouth of Jesus Himself it will be more
tolerable for the people who have never heard of Jesus in hell than it will be
for you. It's not going to be tolerable, but it will be more tolerable than for
you. This is a comparative, from anektos, whichmeans bearable, or
endurable, talking about lesserpunishment. Sodom, Sidon, Tyre will
experience lesserpunishment than Chorazin, Bethsaida, Capernaum, or any
other town that saw and heard and rejectedJesus.
Now He says, "In that day" in the middle of verse 12. In what day? It's going
to be more tolerable in what day? In that day. What's that day? Downto
verse 14, "It will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the judgment." So

He's talking about judgment day, isn't He? The Day of Judgment. Now the
Day of Judgment could...couldcertainly covera broad range. It could mean
the day that those people died and enteredinto their eternal punishment. But
I think it's more specific than that. In the 10th chapter of Matthew, Jesus in
the comparative passageto this is recordedto have said, "In the Day of
Judgment," and He puts it together. And also in the 11th chapter of Matthew,
verse 24, "In the Day of Judgment." It's in the Day of Judgment. What is the
Day of Judgment? It's really talking about, I think, the GreatWhite Throne,
the final adjudication, the last tribunal. All the people who die without
believing the truth, whether under the law of Mosesorafter the coming of
Christ, all the people all over the face of the earth go out of the presence of
God forever into a place of punishment and torment. That's illustrated, you
remember, by Jesus'parable of Lazarus and the rich man and the rich man
wants water to tip...to coolthe tip of his tongue because he's in torment.
They're all in torment but they're waiting for their final sentencing on the Day
of Judgment in which they will be castforever into the final hell which is
describedas a lake of fire. And there at that particular time their punishment
will be commensurate with their exposure to the truth of Christ. Revelation
20:11, "I saw a GreatWhite Throne, Him who sat on it from whose presence
earth and heaven fled away and no place was found for them." This is at the
end when the whole of the universe as we know it is uncreatedand disappears
and all the dead, the greatand the small, that is the important and the
unimportant, stand before the throne, they're all brought to the throne. They
receive at that time resurrectionbodies suited for their eternal punishment in
the lake of fire. The books are opened, another book is opened which is the
Book ofLife. The dead are judged from the things written in the Book ofLife
according to their deeds. They come up from the sea, they come up from
death and Hades and they are judged, every one of them, according to their
deeds. All the ungodly of all the ages will be at that tribunal for that final
sentencing and they will be thrown into the lake of fire. There they will be
punished forever. But it will be in that day a lesserpunishment for Sodom
and Sidon and Tyre, and they’re illustrations of those people who lived before
Christ, than it will be for anybody who's been exposedto Jesus Christ,
whether by personal experience because theywere there when He lived, or by

the experience ofhearing the recordof Jesus Christproclaimed through the
Scripture. This is the principle of comparative judgment.
To be exposedto the gospel, to be exposedto Christ either personally, or by
the recordof Scripture is to raise your level of guilt, culpability, and therefore
punishment if you reject. So the principle of comparative judgment, and then
the examples of comparative judgment, that's the secondpoint I want you to
note, the examples. There are three of them, three of them.
The first one, verse 12, "I say to you, it will be more tolerable in that day for
Sodom than for that city." What city? Verse 10, "Whatevercity you enter
and they do not receive you." Any place you go where the people do not
receive you, when those people who rejectedyour messageaboutChrist, they
didn't reject Christ, He hadn't gottenthere yet, but if they reject the gospelof
Christ, it will be more tolerable for Sodom in the Dayof Judgment than for
the people of that city or town or village.
So here's your message. Go preachthe kingdom. Go offer them peace. But
close the occasion, ifthey reject, with a warning of judgment, a judgment
greaterthan that which God will render againstSodom.
Now Sodom, to anybody who knows the Bible and to any Jew, was the
absolute and utter epitome of wretchedness. We evenhave a word, sodomite,
which links homosexuality with that city because that city was a city of
homosexuality, the grossest, vilestkind of homosexuality. The story of Sodom
is frankly almost beyond all belief. The passions ofthe homosexuality of
Sodom are so aberrant as to be beyond what one could imagine. Do you
remember what happened, Genesis 17, 18 and 19? We won't take the time to
go back but I'll remind you of it.

Just one verse to define the sin of Sodom, it's the 20th verse of Genesis 18. You
can just write it down if you're keeping notes. "And the Lord said, 'The
outcry of Sodomand Gomorrah is indeed greatand their sin is exceedingly
grave.'" What was their sin? Well they were Canaanites. Canaanites were
wretchedto start with. They were cruel, murderous, idolatrous. But there
was more than that. There was not just the normal sin. There was an
exceedinglygreatsin there. And what was it? It was the sin of homosexuality
to the extreme. In fact, if you follow the story, two angels come to Sodom in
the 19th chapterof Genesis andthey come there to warn Lot that God's going
to judge. And the homosexuals in the town see these angels and they are the
most beautiful creatures they've ever seenand excite their perverted passions.
And so they come to Lot's house to rape the angels. And Lot, trying to protect
the angels ofGod from this, offers them his daughters, which, of course, they
didn't want. And God then strikes all of them blind and having been stricken
blind you would think would alter your course a little; change your direction.
But it didn't change anything. Having been completely made blind, it says
they weariedthemselves to find the door to get in to attack the angels;just the
most amazing consuming passions ofperversion. And God, you know,
brought about the greatestdestructionof any city in the Old Testamentwhen
He drowned that city in fire and brimstone.
Now for the Jews, who know that homosexuality is a sin punishable by death,
who certainly disdained that sin, Sodomwould be the most wretchedof
wretchedcities. And Jesus says, "I'lltell you this, any town, any village, any
city that rejects the gospelis going to have worse punishment in hell than
Sodom." This is inconceivable to a Jew. Remember, these people thought
they were the covenant people. They thought they worshiped the true and
living God. They fanciedthemselves that they were religious, they were
faithful. He says you're going to have a hotter hell than Sodombecause
judgment is not limited to the degree ofone's sin; it's much more associatedto
the degree ofone's rejection. That's why I say, sitting under the gospelis very
high-risk behavior. As bad as the people of Sodomwere, when the Great
White Throne judgment comes, and all the ungodly are brought there, the
sentence that falls upon those synagogue attenders in the towns and villages of

Israelthat rejectedthe gospeland rejectedJesus is going to be greater, going
to be greater. It's really an absolutely shocking thing to say, but Jesus is
saying, tell them that, just tell them a more severe hell awaits you for rejecting
Christ than the Sodomites will experience.
The secondillustration is Tyre and Sidon, verse 3, "Woe to you Chorazin, woe
to you Bethsaida, for if the miracles had been performed in Tyre and Sidon
which occurred in you, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sack
cloth and ashes. Butit will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the
judgment than for you." The "will be" here also emphasizes what I said that
we're looking forward to a future judgment and that is the GreatWhite
Throne. Chorazin — we don't know much about Chorazin, it's just a little
town, a little village, really two and a half miles from Capernaum.
Capernaum was the main town at the tip of the northern part of the Sea of
Galilee, sortof toward the northwest part of the northern end of the sea.
Chorazin doesn't exist today. It's long extinct. But Chorazin was very close to
Capernaum and Capernaum was the headquarters of Jesus during His
Galileanministry. Chorazin was exposedto Jesus Christ, to His miracles, to
His powerover disease and death and demons and nature. Chorazin heard
His preaching and heard it from the apostles. And He says, "Curse you."
“Woe” means to curse.
"Woe to you, Bethsaida." Wellthat's anotherlittle town on the northwest of
Capernaum, up at the tip of the Sea of Galilee. You can't find it today either.
It's gone. Once locatedouton the Gennesaretplain which is a little flat area,
sort of at the northwestpart of the Sea of Galilee. And, you know, Bethsaida,
we do know about. According to John chapter 1, it was the home of Andrew
and Philip and Peter. Bethsaida, along with Chorazin, had been exposedto
the powerof Jesus, the presence ofJesus, His miracles, His message. And
they rejectedHim. They rejectedHim. And Jesus says if the miracles had
been performed in Tyre and Sidon which occurredin you they would have

repented long ago, sitting in sackclothand ashes. You had so much revelation
and you rejected.
Tyre and Sidon were bad places. Sidonis first mentioned in Genesis 10 as a
Canaanite city, idolatrous, cruel, wicked, sinful. Later it's called the great
Sidon. It had reachedprominence and powerbecause it was where the
Phoenicians were and the Phoenicians were the mariners of ancienttimes and
they ran the shipping business out across the Mediterranean. They were
powerful. They were rich. They were corrupt. It was basicallythrough
Sidon and Tyre that the greatshiploads of wheat grownin Egypt were
transported to the rest of the Mediterraneaneven as far westas the city of
Tarshishwhich is in Spain. It became a very powerful and very pagan and
corrupt city.
Tyre, also in Judges 19 mentioned, is called a fortified city, close neighborto
Sidon. They would today be in Lebanon, north of Israelright on the coast.
They were Phoenicianseaportcities. Tyre was about thirty-five miles north of
Mount Carmel, about thirty miles westof Mount Hermon. And they had
provided some things for Israel. They provided the cedars of Lebanon, you
remember, the timber for Solomon's temple. And they also provided some
sailors for Israel's navy. But they were wickedplaces, full of idols. And God
pronounced destruction on Tyre and Sidon. And maybe in some ways the
most amazing denunciation in the Old Testamentof any city, and I'll show
you why. Turn to Ezekiel28. Prophecies ofthe destruction of these cities
occurin two places, Isaiah23 and Ezekiel28. And we won't have time to read
all of that but...Isaiah 23 and Ezekiel28...butI do want to show you something
that's really very amazing about God's indictment about Tyre in particular,
and then Sidon, which was the sister city. Verse 11 of Ezekiel28, "Againthe
Word of the Lord came to me saying, Son of Man, take out a lamentation over
the king of Tyre." That kind of thing beganback in verse 2, "Sonof Man, say
to the leaderof Tyre." Godhas a messageforthe king, a messageforthe
leaderand it's a messageofcoming destruction and judgment. God is going

to destroy those cities. But in verse 11 it says, "The Lord...the Word of the
Lord came, take up a lamentation over the king of Tyre and say to him, thus
says the Lord God,” listen to this, he's talking to the king of Tyre, “you had
the sealof perfectionfull of wisdom and perfectin beauty, you were in Eden,
the gardenof God." Who's he talking to here? He's talking to who? Satan.
King of Tyre wasn't in the Garden of Eden. Tyre is so bad that the king is one
with Satanhimself. This is like the book of Revelationwhere it says, "You are
where Satan's throne is." And He goes onto describe Lucifer. "Every
precious stone was your covering, the ruby, the topaz, the diamond, the beryl,
the onyx, the jasper, the lapis lazuli, the turquoise, and the emerald, and the
gold, the workmanship of your settings and sockets was inyou on the day you
were created." Icreatedyou, He says, the most beautiful being in the
universe.
Verse 14: "You were the anointed cherub who covers." Whatdoes that
mean? You guarded my very throne. The most beautiful angelever made,
depicted in all these images of jewelryas heavenis describedin the book of
Revelation. I placed you there. You were on the holy mountain of God. You
were right there at the pinnacle of the throne.
Verse 15, "You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created,
until unrighteousness was found in you."
Verse 16 says that you were internally filled with violence, you sinned. "I cast
you as profane from the mountain of God." He was thrown out of heaven. "I
have destroyedyou, oh covering cherub."
Verse 17: "Your heart was lifted up because ofyour beauty. You corrupted
your wisdom by reasonof your splendor." This is all about the fall of Satan
here.

Tyre was associatedwith the devil himself. Sodom was associatedwith a
wretchedkind of perversion. But Tyre is associatedwith the devil himself so
that the king and the devil are almost the same. Starting in verse 20 comes the
judgment pronounced againstthe sistercity of Sidon over which the devil was
also ruling.
Now with that in mind, you canturn back to Luke chapter 10. So when a Jew
thought about the Old Testament, whatdid he think about? If you wantedto
pick... If you said to Jewishpeople, "Justpick the worst people in history,"
they would say, "Well, probably the Sodomites becausetheirs was the greatest
obliteration by the hand of God in history, and maybe the Sidonites and
Tyrites, because they're literally inseparable from the devil himself. They
were the worstof the worst. And the Jews consideredthemselves,ofcourse,
at the very opposite end. Over here was Sodom, and Tyre, and Sidon. And
over here were they, the people of God, the favored, the chosen. And God
says, "Whenyou all get to the judgment, it's going to be worstfor you than it
was for them." It's unthinkable. They hated Satan. They hated
homosexuality. He says to them, "If the miracles,” verse 13, “hadbeen
performed in Tyre and Sidon which occurredin you, they would have
repented long ago, sitting in sackclothand ashes." Ifthey had seenwhat you
saw, they would repent.
Why wouldn't the Jews repent? Because self-righteousness is a worse
condition than any; it's harder to reacha person who doesn'tthink they have
a need. Self-righteousness is so damning. Religious people are the hardest of
all. If they had seenwhat you've seen, they would have repented. And so,
verse 14, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the judgment than for
you. They would have repented. Theywould have put on sackcloth. That's
black coarse camelhair woveninto a garment that was dark. It was a symbol
of mourning. And ashes were thrown over the person, a symbol of death.
That was a depiction of one's penitence and brokenness andsorrow and

mourning, an oriental custom. You see that all over the Bible, the book of
Jonah, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, Job, Isaiah, Daniel. But when judgment day comes
and you come before that final throne, your punishment will be worse. Tyre
and Sidon were bad. In fact, you know why the Jews hated Tyre and Sidon?
Not only because the prophets deemed that they were literally one with Satan
himself; Amos the prophet said it was the people of Tyre and Sidon that sold
the Jews into slavery. They came and captured the Jews and sold them as
slaves, Amos 1:9. That would increase their hatred, wouldn't it? Joelalso
says, Joelchapter3 verse 6, "They soldIsraelites to the Gentiles." Jeremiah
says they were so bad that the winepress of God's fury was going to crush out
the life of Tyre and Sidon, Jeremiah 25:22, 47:4. So they would think it was
bad and they would agree with the assessmentof Ezekiel, the assessmentof
Isaiah, the assessmentof Jeremiah. As bad as they were the little town of
Chorazin and Bethsaida had people, who when they stand at the final tribunal
before God are going to hear that their judgment is greaterthan that of Tyre
and Sidon. And again I say, this is not a seeker-friendlymessage,this is just
the truth. Shocking.
The third illustration He gives is Capernaum, verse 15. "And you,
Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you?" This is strong. He says,
"Capernaum, I know what you're thinking but you're not going to heaven.
You're not going there." When you finish that evangelistic discussionwith
somebody, the final words are, "Now that you know the truth of the gospel, if
you rejectthis, your punishment is greaterthan the worstof the worstwho
have never heard what you've heard. And furthermore, if you rejectthis,
whateveryou might think, you're not going to heaven." That's the message.
Well, you know, God is loving. Don't you think that He's going to widen His
mercy and all kinds of folks are...? No, you're not going there. You might
think you're going there, you're not going there. In fact, you will be brought
down to Hades. Hades is a generalword that means the place of the dead and
when used as a contrast with heaven, it can only mean hell, and that's the way

it's intended to be used here because in the 16th chapter, 23rd and 24th verses
of Luke, Hades is describedthere as a place of torment. Capernaum, I have
to tell you, you're not going to heaven. You're going to hell, going to hell.
You know what's interesting about this? Capernaum had heard so much,
seenso much, headquarters of the miracle working of Jesus, the headquarters
of His teaching. Centralto all of Galilee by foot or by boat, Jesus pickedthat
to be His headquarters. And you know there's not anything in the four
gospels aboutCapernaum ever being hostile to Jesus. Theynever tried to
throw Him off a cliff like they did in Nazareth. They never tried to run Him
out of town. There's no indication that they persecutedHim, beat Him,
chasedHim away. There's no indication they mockedHim, ridiculed Him,
slanderedHim. They toleratedHim. Indifference is as damning as hostility.
To reject the truth of the gospelof Jesus Christ will render you as guilty as if
you pounded the nails into His hands. The destruction and judgment of
Capernaum came, came physically. If you go there today, there's no
Capernaum there; thriving city in the time of Jesus, not now. And the
disappearance ofCapernaum was so complete that for centuries it was
impossible to know where it even was. And the people in that city who
perished are going to stand before God and receive a severerjudgment than
those who never knew the messageofChrist.
Matthew says in the comparative passagein his gospelthat if the miracles that
were done in Capernaum were done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have
repented. So Capernaum bears the same culpability, having heard and seen
what they did in terms of Christ. How in the world can you have this message
presentedto a Jew without a having hostile reaction? How could the 70 go out
and say, "I just want to tell you, you're going to die and you're going to show
up at the judgment and you're going to be sent to a greaterpunishment than
Sodom and Tyre and Sidon?" It's just beyond their comprehensionand it
just escalatesthe hostility. Or the sinner, feeling the weight of the fearof that
reality, falls on his face and repents.

So we've consideredthe principle of comparative punishment, the examples of
comparative punishment, and finally, the personalizationof comparative
judgment. We've been talking about cities and we've been talking about
towns, but I want you to notice verse 16. We'll stop here. "The one who
listens to you listens to Me, and the one who rejects you rejects Me, and he
who rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me." The one...the one...he.... All
right, now we're getting down to individuals here. We've been talking about
towns but we're really talking about the people in the town and whole towns
of people did reject Jesus, Chorazin, Bethsaida, Capernaum, many, many
others. Still even today cities all across the world uniformly reject the gospel
of Jesus Christ with very few exceptions. But it all does come down to the one,
the one “he.” The one who listens to you, He says in verse 16, listens to Me.
The one who rejects you, rejects Me. He who rejects Me rejects the One who
sent Me.
There are going to be people who listen. And the idea of listening here is to
hear with faith and repentance and to believe. If they listen to you when you
give them this message, thenthey're hearing My voice. Boy, what an amazing
reality that is, isn't it? When you speak the faithful messageofthe gospel, it's
the Lord speaking through you. And when they hear, they're hearing Him
and when they don't, they're rejecting Him. It's really not you they're
rejecting;it's Him they're rejecting. It's not you they're receiving;it's Him
they're receiving. That's why you want to make sure you're faithful to the
message. Matthew 10:40 has recordedthat Jesus saidthis similarly, "He who
receives you receives Me, he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me."
When they receive you, they're receiving Christ. When they receive Christ,
they're receiving God the Father, who sentHis Son, right? When they reject
You, they're rejecting Christ. When they rejectChrist, they're rejecting God
who sent Him.

Here were the Jews imagining that they worshiped the true God, believing
that they worshipedthe true God, the CreatorGod, the God of Abraham,
Isaac and Jacob, the one God, the God and author of Scripture. They
believed they were worshiping God. He says if they reject you and your
gospelmessage,they not only rejectMe, they rejectGod. It is an illusion that
anybody rejecting the gospelis honoring God. It is an illusion. The one who
rejects you and your gospelrejects Me. The gospelis the test. John 5:23,
"Whoeverdoes not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him."
John 8:42, "If God were your Father, you would love Me." First John 2:23,
"No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoeverconfessesthe Sonhas
the Fatheralso." SecondJohn 9, "Everyone who does not abide in the
teaching of Christ does not have God." I mean, that's the bottom line. You
receive the gospel, you receive Christ. You receive Christ, you receive God.
You rejectthe gospel, you rejectChrist and you rejectGod. This is the
personalizationof this principle. It comes downto what an individual, the
one, the one “he” does with the gospel. Nothing is more serious than to reject
the gospel. Youhave just rejectedChrist and God. You may think you're
religious and you may think you're going to heaven, you are wrong. Foryou
there is a hotter hell than for one who never heard the message. This is how
our...our gospelpreaching must, must end. It's fine to say, "I'll pray for you."
It's fine to say, "I'm concernedabout you." It's necessaryto say, "I warned
you. Having the truth, you have greaterexposure to a severerjudgment." At
the same time, we plead with men, don't we, to be reconciledto God?
Father, we thank You againfor the powerful, powerful words of Scripture.
Thank You that You've given to us this ministry of reconciliation. You have
given to us, the responsibility and the immense privilege of being Your
representatives, preaching Your gospel, being Your witnesses. Firstof all, we
thank You that You savedus, that You brought us to faith and repentance.
We thank You that we can speak and when we speak the truth of Scripture
and the truth of the gospel, it is Christ who speaks through us. It is the Father
as well. And may we know that this high and holy privilege of preaching the
gospelis powerful in its influence, it is a savorof life unto life for those who
believe, it is a savorof death unto death for those who reject. And as Paul

said, "Who is adequate for such a privilege,” to have this kind of influence
when we speak the gospelit has eternalconsequence eitherfor life or
judgment? May we be faithful to go about our witnessing not only with a
right attitude, with an accurate message, but with a commitment to warn
those who have heard of the severity of punishment that awaits those who
having knownthe truth trample it under their feet. If there are any here
today who are in such condition, oh God, may they be rescuednow from this
severerjudgment by embracing the gospelwhich they have to this point
rejected. We pray for Your glory. Amen.
Luke: Sent Out
Sermon by J. Ligon Duncan on April 11, 2010
Luke 10:1-16
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The Lord’s Day Morning
April 11, 2010

Communion Sunday
Luke 10:1-16
“SentOut”
Dr. J. Ligon Duncan III
O give thanks unto the Lord for He is good.
His steadfastlove endures forever.
Let all who fear the Lord say His loving kindness is everlasting.
Let us worship Him.
If you have your Bibles I’d invite you to turn with me to Luke chapter 10 as
we
continue our way through the gospel.

As we look at this passagein which Jesus sends His disciples out again
on a mission, I want you to be on the lookoutfor five things as we read
through
the first sixteen verses of Luke 10.
In Luke 10 verse 2 I want you to see what Jesus tells His disciples to
pray for. In verses 3 to 9 I want
you to see what He tells His disciples to do.
In verse 9, especiallythe end of verse 9, I want you to be on the
lookoutfor the messagethat He gives the disciples, what He tells His disciples
to say. In verses 9 to 12 I want
you to see the response that He tells His disciples to expect, and in verses 13
to 16, I want you to be on the lookoutfor the consequencesofthis mission,
this message, this ministry that He has given to the disciples.
So I want you to see what He tells them to pray, to do, and to sayand
then what He tells them to expectthe response to be and the consequences of
this ministry.
Now let’s pray before we read God’s Word.
Heavenly Father, this is Your Word.
You give it to us for our edificationand so we ask that by Your Spirit You
would open our eyes to behold wonderful things in it.

Teachus what it means to be a disciple from Your Word.
We ask it in Jesus’name.
Amen.
This is God’s Word. Hear it:
“After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of
Him,
two by two, into every town and place where He Himself was about to go.
And He said to them, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.
Therefore pray earnestlyto the Lord of the harvestto send out laborers
into His harvest. Go your way;
behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves.
Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greetno one on the road.
Whateverhouse you enter, first say, ‘Peacebe to this house!’ And if a
son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him.
But if not, it will return to you.
And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for
the laborerdeserves his wages.Do
not go from house to house.
Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you.
Heal the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to
you.’

But wheneveryou enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its
streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off
againstyou. Nevertheless know
this, that the kingdom of God
has come near.’ I tell you, it will
be more bearable on that day for Sodom
than for that town.
Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida!
For if the mighty works done in you had been done in
Tyre
and Sidon, they
would have repented long ago, sitting in sackclothand ashes.
But it will be more bearable in the judgment for Tyre
and Sidon than for you.
And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven?
You shall be brought down to Hades.
The one who hears you hears Me and the one who rejects you rejects Me, and
the
one who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me.’”
Amen and thus ends this reading of God’s holy, inspired and inerrant Word.

May He write its eternal truth upon all our hearts.
This passagedefines who we are. If
we have professedfaith in Jesus Christ, if we have answeredthe questions
that
have been askedand answeredthis morning by the new members and
communicants,
if we’re communing members of this congregationand have answeredthose
five
questions, then we are disciple-making disciples.
That’s who we are. And this
passageis about that.
This passage, youunderstand, has many specific applications to the unique
circumstance of Jesus’ownlife and ministry and the unique ministry of His
inner circle of twelve disciples and this largercircle of seventy-two
disciples. And this passage has
many direct applications to the work of ministers and missionaries, ofpastors
and church planters, of evangelists and elders.
But I want us to think about the
more generalapplication of this passageto eachone of us as a disciple of the
Lord Jesus Christ because there are things in this passagethat are vital for
all of us who are trusting in Jesus Christ, who count ourselves as followers of

Christ, who have professedourselves to be disciples of Christ. There are many
things in this passage whichspeak directly to our calling as disciple-making
disciples. And I’d like to look
with you at this passageandespeciallyask five questions that are derived
from
Jesus’ownemphasis in this section.
I. Pray for disciples.
And the first is simply this — notice in verse 2 that Jesus tells these
disciples to “pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His
harvest” and I have a question for you.
Are you praying for laborers to go out into the harvest?
Is that a standard prayer of yours?
Jesus is saying that His disciples ought to pray for laborers to go out
into the harvest and I simply ask you — Are you praying for that?
Is that something that’s very important to you?
What’s gottenyou exercisedthis last week?
Maybe the Masters GolfTournament has
gottenyou exercisedor maybe the NCAA basketballchampionship got you
exercised
and fired-up this lastweek, ormaybe politics gotyou fired-up last week for

goodor for ill. What is important
to you? What excites your energy
and your passions? Wellone of the
things that Jesus says excites the attention and the energy and the passionof
His followers, ofHis disciples, is looking out at a field that is white for
harvest and recognizing that there’s not enoughlaborers to bring in that
harvest.
So, this lastweek have you thought about the fact that there are over a
hundred
campuses acrossthe United
States that have an RUM campus ministry?
But do you realize that that means that there are thousands of campuses
across the United States
where there’s no ministry of ReformedUniversity Fellowship?
And has that burdened you?
Have you prayed for the Lord to raise up campus ministers go to there?
Or have you thought about the fact that westof the
Mississippi, per severalhundred thousand people, there is just one
Bible-believing, Gospel-proclaiming congregationof any sort, per several
hundred thousand people westof the
Mississippi?
Or have you thought about how hard the soil is up in

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