Be With Me: 7 Minutes of Biblical Wonder
Be With Me is a daily 7 minute chronological walk through the New Testament hosted by Michael Smith. It is for everyone who is curious about what Jesus actually said and did in the gospels. Most episodes will leave you with at least one good thought to chew on for the rest of the day. We start with the Bible and hopefully end with Awe. We are walking through the chronological events of Jesus' life and then thoughtfully considering them. It is meant to spur the devotional life of the Christian and the not-yet-Christian. We occasionally venture into the Old Testament when it helps our understanding of the New Testament events. Everybody has 7 minutes. Everybody needs to wonder. Be With Me is hosted by Michael Smith who has absolutely no special qualifications to do a podcast. He is not a pastor. He has not been to seminary. He does not lead a mega-church. He is not a professional and he has no more credentials than you do. He does, however, follow a great God with an observant eye and a curious heart. Each day, he starts with a study bible and aims for astonishment. ‘be with him’ for 7 minutes as he sets out daily to discover the God who invites us to ‘Be With Me.’
Be With Me: 7 Minutes of Biblical Wonder
Be Better than Sodom S31e29 Mt4:13
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Think about what Jesus said about Capernaum: Sodom would have done better than you if it had the blessings that you've had.
Sodom would do better than you.
Get this: Sodom is used as the good example in the comparison
Here is a truth you won’t hear probably in the history of Chrisendom: Sodom would have done better than you.
So let's do at least as good as SODOM.
Gotta listen to this crazy one:
https://youtu.be/popLl0wGbq4
Be Better than Sodom S31e29 Mt4:13
What would you give your right arm for?
How about a visit from Jesus? Well, what if Jesus didn’t come to visit, but came to LIVE. What if he lived in your town for YEARS.
Such is the blessing of Capernaum.
This is the place in Galilee, the region, that He specifically settled.
Leaving Nazareth, He went and lived in Capernaum by the sea.
Capernaum got the most HOURS OF JESUS.
Did it get the best response to Jesus?
This may SURPRISE you: there is not always a direct relationship to the volume of the interaction with Jesus to the volume of response to Jesus. You’d think that MORE Jesus = MORE Yeses to JESUS.
But, The amount of exposure to Jesus is not always proportional to the amount to response to Jesus
In this truth, there is a great warning for us
Capernaum proved this ratio wrong.
Capernaum had the most exposure of any place on earth to Jesus.
More than Jerusalem, more than Egypt, , bethlehem
Perhaps Nazareth had more hours, for that is where he grew up, but not since He starts ministry and preaching, and teaching and signs. Jesus, in his ministry life, visited Nazareth and you may remember it is there they tried to thow Him off a cliff.
Stay with me, geographically Capernaum had the most exposure to Jesus than any other PLACE. So why is this not the center of earthly holiness? Why is there not a direct relationshiop between the quantity of exposure to Jesus and the quality of response: obeying, yielding, receiving, following, walking with, believing in, submitting to?
Here is the hook for us. Perhaps we have had a great amount of exposure to Jesus. By our parents, exposure to nature, by those who have served us in our churches, etc.
Is our response to Jesus proportional to our knowledge?
does our answer to Him compare to the grace He’s provided?
Will our agreement and submission reflect the aggregate of mercy extended toward us?
Let’s look at Capernaum’s response to Jesus living there for probably YEARS during His ministry time: Matthew 11:23
23 And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You will be brought down to Hades. For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.
Are you, Capernaum going to be a great example of responding? No. Place of great disappointment. Judgement awaits.
Here is how you compare: the most notorious city of all time, SODOM, if they had the mighty works done there that you had in Capernaum, SODOM wouldn’t have been destroyed. Why?
Repentance, that is why.
Jesus is saying: I am giving Capernaum every spiritual blessing to respond to and what do I get? Crickets from the heart.
I’m hearing nothing from them.
Are you Capernaum? I know you are not a city. Do I have the exposure that I should be responding to?
Has the Lord laid upon your heart an area of belief?
area of obedience that you have conveniently set aside? Your anger, purity, courage, your faithfulness in fellowship; your zeal for service, your dedication to prayer? Has he called to you, like He did in Capernaum and heard crickets from you?
Has your response been proportional to His ask?
Think about what Jesus said about Capernaum: Sodom would have done better if it had the blessings that you have had.
Sodom would do better than you.
Sodom is used as the good example in the comparison
Here is a truth you won’t hear probably in the history of Chrisendom: Sodom would have done better than you
Do at least as good as SODOM
For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.
Sodom is better than, in response better than Capernaum
Let’s not be the Capernaum in the story: lots of exposure, little reponse.
Let’s be like Sodom: Sodom would have responded rightfully, started with conviction and repentance and the fruit of repentance.
Crazy truth: Sodom is better than Capernaum
Let’s be like Sodom, not like Capernaum.