In Matthew 11;20-24 Jesus refers to some of the most wicked cities of his generation, as well as a Sodom the archetypal sin city from Abraham’s era. He says that if the kingdom had been unleashed in those cities like it had been in Korazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum, places where Jesus did many miracles, they would have repented and Sodom would have remained to His day.

 

He didn’t say that if the gospel had been preached properly to them; if the words had been just right, accurate in all their theological glory, sin cities would be saved. He says miracles will produce repentance in capitals of sin! Glasgow, London, Birmingham Liverpool and so on need one thing to change their certain course into moral decay, and it isn’t social action or a great preacher, it’s an outpouring of miracles like they have never seen.

 

The church is being changed so it can offer the same answer that Jesus did to John the Baptist when John asked ‘are you the one who was to come or should we expect someone else?’ Jesus confidently said – ‘the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised and good news is preached to the poor’. (Matt 11; 1-6). I believe the generation around us is asking this question of Jesus again, are you the one? Who can show us any good? We have to have the same confident apologetic as Jesus did, the need has gone past being met with great words and good deeds alone.

 

(Please note I am totally supportive of great theology, preaching and social action, it’s a question of priority and how we accurately represent Jesus)