Description vs Prescription

Much of our Biblical confusion comes from a lack of contextual understanding.  As a result, we can find ourselves confusing God’s descriptive voice as prescription.

Description provides an account of the way a thing is, while prescription provides an account of the way a thing should be.  

“Then He (Jesus) began to denounce the cities in which most of His miracles were done, because they did not repent.  ‘Woe to you, Chorazin!  Woe to you, Bethsaida!  For if the miracles had occurred in Tyre or Sidon which occurred in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.  Nevertheless I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgement than for you.  And you, Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you?  You will descend to Hades; for if the miracles had occurred in Sodom which occurred in you, it would have remained to this day.  Nevertheless I say to you that it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgement, than for you.’” (Matthew 11:20-24)

It’s helpful to remember that this text directly follows Jesus’ observation of the people’s apathy (see verses 16-19).  In spite of John’s (the Baptist) explosive ministry (not to mention Jesus’ explosive ministry as well), the people were content to just sit on the sidelines and provide commentary – the sort of people who can find something to complain about even when there’s nothing to complain about.

“For John came neither either eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘he has a demon!’  The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard…’”

So when we get to verses 20-24, Jesus is continuing this address by reflecting on some of the cities where His ministry had been concentrated up to that point.  Despite obvious (and numerous) miraculous signs and Jesus’ teaching, these cities were relatively unchanged by Jesus’ ministry.

Concerning the “woes” that Jesus mentions, John Wesley offers some clarity:

“These declarations of ‘woe’ are not curses or imprecations as has commonly been supposed, but rather a solemn, compassionate declaration of the misery they were bringing upon themselves.  ‘Woe to you’ effectively means ‘miserable art thou.’

It is an observed description, and not a prescription.

They are miserable because they have failed to realize (or have forgotten) that Jesus came so that we might have life abundant.

They are miserable because they have instead clung to a hollow shadow of a “survival” life – just barely getting by.

They will be sad on the day of judgement, when the true nature of reality is again revealed, when they realize how many years and generations were wasted on mere survival that could have been spent living life to the max.  

The same realization will be there for Tyre, Sidon and Sodom, but to a lesser degree, because they didn’t have Jesus’ direct ministry to reference.