Then Jesus began to denounce the towns in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent.
“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you.
And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades. For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day.
But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”
Matthew 11:20-24
There is a small phrase that Jesus uses in Matthew 11 that is among the most comforting we’ll ever hear. And yet, it is so subtle, it’s easy to miss. If you weren’t reading closely, you might skip right over it.
In fact, there’s even a chance you read our passage for the week above and wondered if I had put in the wrong Scripture. Trust me, I included the right one.
In Matthew 11, Jesus is addressing the crowds and begins to denounce the cities where He had performed miracles because the people did not repent.
And in His warning, He makes a striking, almost unbelievable statement:
“If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.”
Think about that. Jesus told the crowds that the cities of Tyre and Sidon would have repented if they had witnessed the same miracles He just performed.
Most of us know that God is omniscient—that He knows all things. But have you ever stopped to realize that God doesn’t only know the past and the future?
He also knows the “what ifs!”
Jesus says, “If this had happened, then this would have been the result.”
That’s incredible. God doesn’t just know what will take place; He knows what would have taken place if circumstances had been different. He knows every possible outcome in every possible situation. He knows what would be the result in our lives of every possible hypothetical that He could orchestrate.
Nothing surprises Him. Nothing catches Him off guard. Nothing is hidden from His omniscience. He knows every good (and bad) outcome that would play out in our lives of any work He brought into them.
And this truth brings us comfort. Or at least, it can.
Because sometimes we look back on our own lives and wonder, What if God had stepped in the way I hoped He would? Where was God when I needed Him to _______? How come God doesn’t _______?
The reality is this: God is not only Lord over what has happened, but also over what could have happened.
He knows every path, every possibility, every outcome, every hypothetical. And in His wisdom and love, He is working all things together for His glory and for our good (Romans 8:28) conforming us every day more and more to the image of His Son.
So we can rest in this confidence. We can rest in His power and wisdom that He is working all things for good—even when we can’t see it.
The God who knows the “what ifs” of the universe is the same God who holds your life in His hands. He sees you, He loves you, He knows what you need. And He is faithful to finish the work He began in you.
Prayer
Father, thank You that nothing is hidden from You. You know my past, my present, and my future. Help me to trust that Your wisdom is greater than mine today—and that Your love never fails. Amen.