106: Jury Duty in Sodom

BEMA Episode Link: 106: Jury Duty in Sodom
Episode Length: 33:43
Published Date: Thu, 28 Feb 2019 01:00:00 -0800
Session 3
About this episode:

Marty Solomon and Brent Billings examine Jesus as he moves on from John the Baptist and begins to confront the religious worldview around him.

Discussion Video for BEMA 106

Poet & Peasant and Through Peasant Eyes by Kenneth E. Bailey

Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus by Ann Spangler and Lois Tverberg

Walking in the Dust of Rabbi Jesus by Lois Tverberg

Reading the Bible with Rabbi Jesus by Lois Tverberg

New Light on the Difficult Words of Jesus by David Bivin

The Secret Message of Jesus by Brian D. McLaren

PaRDeS (Jewish exegesis) — Wikipedia

BEMA 61: Ezekiel — Strength

Transcript for BEMA 106

Notes

*Note: The following notes are handwritten by me, Adam, and I reserve the right to be wrong.

BEMA Episode 106: Jury Duty in Sodom - Study Notes

Title & Source Summary

Episode: 106 - Jury Duty in Sodom
Hosts: Marty Solomon and Brent Billings Focus: Matthew 11:20-30

This episode examines Jesus’s confrontation with the religious worldview in the Jewish Triangle region (Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum). Jesus pronounces judgment on these highly religious communities, comparing them unfavorably to pagan cities like Tyre and Sidon, and even to Sodom. The discussion explores the rabbinic method of interpretation (PaRDeS) to understand Jesus’s critique and his invitation to find rest in his teaching.

Key Takeaways

The Triangle communities (Chorazin, Bethsaida, Capernaum) were the most orthodox, devoted Jewish communities who knew scripture and lived committed lives, yet Jesus pronounces harsh judgment on them
The issue was not their belief or knowledge, but their lack of repentance - specifically their failure to care for those on the margins (the mamzers)
Jesus uses remez (rabbinic hints) to connect his critique to Old Testament passages about Tyre/Sidon and Sodom, whose primary sins were pride, corruption of wisdom, and failure to care for the poor and needy
When Jesus says “Come to me and I will give you rest,” he is making three profound claims: “I am God,” “I am the new Moses,” and “I am Torah in flesh”
Religious devotion without compassion for the marginalized brings greater judgment than the sins of pagan cities

Main Concepts & Theories

The Problem of Belief Without Repentance

The transcript reveals a crucial distinction that challenges typical evangelical assumptions. The Triangle communities had extraordinary belief - they memorized scripture, attended synagogue, lived committed lives, and witnessed Jesus’s miracles. Matthew 11:20 states Jesus performed “most of His miracles” in these towns, and in other Gospel accounts, Jesus could not perform miracles where people did not believe. This suggests the Triangle communities did believe.

However, Jesus condemns them for not repenting. The issue was not intellectual assent to truth but refusal to change their behavior, specifically how they treated people on the margins. They were “completely one-faced” in matching words to deeds, yet their entire religious system created and marginalized the mamzers (illegitimate ones, outcasts).

PaRDeS: The Four Levels of Jewish Interpretation

The episode provides an extended explanation of rabbinic hermeneutics through the acronym PaRDeS:

P’shat - The surface-level, literal meaning of the text
Remez - The hint or allusion to other biblical passages
Drash - The interpretive meaning drawn from connecting texts
Sod - The hidden, mystical meaning (cannot be accessed through Google alone)

An important clarification: God works equally at all levels. Deeper levels do not make someone more spiritual or grant more access to God’s working. The levels simply add color, depth, and life to understanding, opening up the text without invalidating surface readings.

The Sins of Tyre, Sidon, and Sodom

Through remez analysis, Jesus connects the Triangle’s failure to specific Old Testament judgments:

Tyre and Sidon (Ezekiel 28:11-19):

Pride and arrogance
Corrupted wisdom despite initial perfection
Violence and dishonest trade
Taking advantage of others

Sodom (Ezekiel 16:49-50):

Arrogance and being overfed
Unconcerned about others
Failure to help the poor and needy
Haughty behavior
Detestable things before God

Significantly, in 7-11 direct Old Testament references to Sodom, only one (Jude) mentions sexuality. Every other reference associates Sodom with pride, affluence, and failure to care for the vulnerable - exactly what Jesus critiques in the Triangle.

Jesus’s Three-Fold Claim in Matthew 11:28-30

When Jesus says “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest,” he makes rabbinic connections that would have shocked his audience:

1. “I will give you rest” - Claiming to be God

Remez to Exodus 33:14: “The Lord replied, ‘My presence will go with you and I will give you rest.’”
Only God gives rest. By saying “I will give you rest” without attribution, Jesus claims divine prerogative

2. “I am gentle and humble in heart” - Claiming to be the New Moses

Remez to Numbers 12:3: “Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth”
Rabbinic thought joked that only Moses had the audacity to claim humility
Jesus positions himself as the second Moses

3. “You will find rest for your souls” - Claiming to be Torah

Remez to Jeremiah 6:16: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls”
The “way” in Jewish thought is Torah
Jesus claims to be Torah in flesh, the fulfillment and proper interpretation

Matthew’s Agenda: Defending the Mamzers

The episode reinforces Matthew’s consistent agenda throughout his Gospel - to look out for the mamzers, those marginalized by the religious system. The Triangle’s religious worldview created mamzers through strict purity codes, then failed to care for them. Jesus offers a different yoke - one that is light, not because it is easy (the way is still narrow), but because it does not burden people with guilt, shame, and impossible expectations while ignoring actual human need.

Alternative Reading: Ezekiel 28 as Adam, Not Satan

The transcript offers a fascinating alternative interpretation of Ezekiel 28, traditionally read as describing Satan’s fall. Reading it as describing Adam makes compelling sense:

“Seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty” - Genesis creation narrative
“In Eden, the garden of God” - explicitly Adam’s location
“Anointed as a guardian cherub” - Adam’s stewardship role
“Blameless from the day you were created till wickedness was found” - the fall
“Threw you to the earth” - Adam’s curse to toil in the soil
No biblical evidence God ordained Satan as a guardian cherub in heaven

This reading fits the context better since Ezekiel 28:12 explicitly states this is “concerning the king of Tyre,” using human history as a parallel.

Examples & Applications

Modern Evangelical Parallel

Marty makes a direct application to contemporary evangelical culture: “We are so wound up about preserving our comfort and the world that we feel like we built. Now we feel like it’s under attack and everybody is out to get us and it’s all falling apart and it’s no longer this wonderful, comfortable thing for one particular group of people.”

The warning applies to churches and individuals who:

Know their doctrine and theology thoroughly
Attend services and worship enthusiastically
Live morally upright lives by their standards
Yet fail to care for those outside their circle
Focus more on cultural preservation than compassion

The Triangle as Religious Elite

The three cities of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum represented the “Harvard” of Jewish religious life - the most committed, learned, and devoted communities. Capernaum especially was known for religious leadership. These were not compromisers with Hellenism, not hypocrites in the two-faced sense, but deeply sincere believers.

Yet their very devotion created a system that excluded and burdened rather than liberated and welcomed. This illustrates how religious systems can become oppressive even when - or especially when - they are most rigorous.

Rest vs. Ease

Jesus’s offer of a “light” burden does not mean an easy path. The way remains narrow. But the burden carried on that path is light compared to the heavy loads of guilt, shame, performance, and exclusion imposed by Pharisaic interpretation. This distinction challenges both legalism (which adds burdens) and cheap grace (which eliminates the narrow way entirely).

Potential Areas for Further Exploration

Complete PaRDeS Analysis - What other remez possibilities exist in Jesus’s reference to Tyre, Sidon, and Sodom? What drash emerges from different textual connections?
Sodom in Scripture - Study all 7-11 direct references to Sodom throughout the Bible to understand the consistent pattern of sins associated with this city
Matthew’s Gospel Structure - How does Matthew continue to develop his agenda for the mamzers throughout chapters 12 and beyond?
The Yoke Metaphor - Research how “yoke” functioned as a rabbinic term for a teacher’s interpretation of Torah. How did different rabbis’ yokes compare?
Ezekiel’s Use of Corporate Personality - How does Ezekiel use kings and cities as representatives of broader spiritual realities? Study Ezekiel’s literary techniques
Jesus as New Moses - Trace the New Moses theme throughout Matthew’s Gospel. What other passages develop this connection?
Gentile Cities in Jewish Thought - How were Tyre, Sidon, and other Gentile cities viewed in Second Temple Judaism? What made Jesus’s comparison particularly shocking?
The Triangle Archaeological Evidence - Research the archaeological remains of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum to understand their religious character
Hospitality Laws and Sodom - Study ancient Near Eastern hospitality codes and how Sodom’s treatment of strangers violated these fundamental social contracts
Judgment Language in Prophetic Literature - How do the prophets typically structure judgment oracles? What pattern does Jesus follow?

Comprehension Questions

Analysis Question: Jesus performed miracles in the Triangle cities, yet condemns them for not repenting rather than not believing. What is the crucial difference between belief and repentance in this context, and how does this challenge modern evangelical emphasis on “belief”?
Interpretive Question: Using the PaRDeS method, explain how Jesus’s reference to Sodom in Matthew 11:23-24 functions on the p’shat, remez, and drash levels. What is the force of his argument when all three levels are understood?
Application Question: According to Ezekiel 16:49, Sodom’s sins were being “arrogant, overfed, and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy.” How might comfortable, wealthy religious communities today mirror Sodom’s sins while condemning other sins they associate with that city?
Theological Question: When Jesus says “Come to me and I will give you rest,” he makes three distinct claims by quoting Exodus 33:14, Numbers 12:3, and Jeremiah 6:16. Explain each claim and why it would have been shocking to his Jewish audience.
Comparative Question: Jesus says judgment will be more bearable for pagan cities (Tyre, Sidon, Sodom) than for the Triangle cities. What principle of divine judgment does this reveal about religious knowledge, opportunity, and responsibility?

Summary

BEMA Episode 106 examines Jesus’s confrontation with the religious elite of the Triangle region in Matthew 11:20-30. These communities - Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum - represented the pinnacle of Jewish religious devotion, with thorough knowledge of scripture and committed lifestyles. Yet Jesus pronounces harsh judgment, declaring that pagan cities like Tyre, Sidon, and even Sodom would face more lenient judgment.

The key issue was not belief but repentance. Through rabbinic methods of interpretation (PaRDeS), Jesus connects his critique to Old Testament passages revealing the sins of these condemned cities: pride, corrupted wisdom, dishonest trade, and most critically, failure to care for the poor, needy, and vulnerable. The Triangle’s religious system created mamzers (outcasts) and then failed to care for them, prioritizing doctrinal purity over human compassion.

Jesus then makes three shocking claims through rabbinic allusion: he is God (who gives rest), the new Moses (humble in heart), and Torah in flesh (the way to rest for souls). His yoke is light not because discipleship is easy, but because unlike the Pharisaic system, it does not burden people with guilt and shame while ignoring their actual needs. The episode concludes with a sobering application to modern evangelical culture, warning against preserving comfort and doctrine while neglecting those on the margins.

Related Episodes: Episodes 104-105 (Matthew 11:1-19), Episodes 107+ (Matthew 12) Transcript Status: Approved for release February 10, 2023

Original Notes

Matthew 11:20-24
- Jesus rebukes the three towns in the Triangle and points out their lack of repentence.
- These towns are some of the most believing areas in all of Jerusalem.
- Why would he specifically call them out for repentence?
- Jesus also compares them to Tyre and Sidon and Sidom. This comparison likely gives insight into why towns with such incredible belief would need to repent.
- References to Tyre, Sidon, and Sodom:
- Remezes that seem to hold significance:
  - Tyre & Sidon: Ezekiel 28:11-19
    - Note: All of Ezekiel 28 is about Tyre and Sidon.
  - Sodom: Ezekiel 16:49-52
- What was the sin of Tyre, Sidon, and Sodom? Not taking care of those in need. The mumzer.
- Jesus argues that if Tyre, Sidon, and Sodom were to have seen the signs performed by Jesus, they would have repented of their sins. The implication is that Bethsaida, Chorazin, and Capernaum didn’t take care of those in need. While they believed deeply and followed all of the rules, it didn’t make a difference in the way they treated others, specifically those who were in need like the alien, the orphan, and the widow.
Matthew 11:25-30
- Jesus says many things in this passage.
- Focusing on the last parts of what Jesus says, though.
  
  28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
  - He mentions his yoke. Pharisees have a yoke and their yoke loads many expectations onto those who accept a yoke as their own.
- Matthew 11:28 “and I will give you rest.”
  - Remezes that seem to hold significance: Exodus 33:14.
    
    The Lord replied, “My presence will go with you and I will give you rest.”
  - Those in the Triangle knew their scripture well.
  - Some expect that those hearing Jesus would have either picked up a stone to stone him or you could have heard a pin drop.
  - Jesus would have been expected to say, “God has said I will give you rest” or “God will give you rest” but certainly not, “I will give you rest.”
  - Jesus here claims to be God by claiming to provide rest that only God can provide.
- Matthew 11:29 “I am gentle and humble in heart, …”
  - Remezes that seem to hold significance: Numbers 12:3
    
    3 (Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.)
  - Jesus here claims to be Moses by claiming to be humble just as Moses was humble.
- Matthew 11:29 “… and you will find rest for your souls.”
  - Remezes that seem to hold significance: Jeremiah 6:16
    
    16 This is what the Lord says:
    “Stand at the crossroads and look;
    ask for the ancient paths,
    ask where the good way is, and walk in it,
    and you will find rest for your souls.
    But you said, ‘We will not walk in it.’
  - Jesus here claims to be Torah, the way, by claiming to give others rest just has Jeremiah argues Torah gives rest.

Discussion Questions

Overview
- Arrogance, haughtiness, I-know-better has gotten in the way and prevented the triangle from taking care of others.
- Keep discussion light. It shouldn’t be heavy-handed or dark.
Head
- Discuss passages and Tyre, Sidon, and Sodom. Do these passages sound like the church in your context?
Heart and Hands
- Am I the kind of person who is compassionate and loving and gracious and forgiving? Is this who I am?
- Am I overly religious but lack the character of God?
- Am I overly religious but lack godliness as God defines it?
- Not
  - Do I go to church?
  - Do I follow all of the ten commandments?
  - Do I do my bible study.

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S3 106: Jury Duty in Sodom

Tyre, Sidon, and Sodom [33:43]