Curtis Mitch writes that some of us read passages like these and are not greatly affected by them. The situation is remote, the language of prophetic judgment is foreign, and there seems to be little that fits our contemporary Christian experience. Unfortunately, this is a serious miscalculation on our part. These verses are directly relevant to the lives of God’s people today. The lesson to be learned is simple: with great privilege comes great responsibility. The Galilean cities denounced by Jesus were blasted with unusually harsh words because they were among the precious few to see, hear, and touch the Messiah in person. They had incentives to believe in Jesus that most would never have. As a result, the culpability of these towns for impenitence could hardly be greater. What about us? Jesus has entrusted the Church with the fullness of Christian truth and grace. Christians of all confessions hold that salvation in Christ is ours for the taking and that the Bible is the living Word of God. Have we responded to these privileges with faith and zeal proportionate to their greatness? If we are honest with ourselves, we will surely find areas that are not fully surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus. Yet if Christ is truly present among us—in his Word, Eucharist, and Church—then we are in a situation much like that of ancient Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum as they witnessed his ministry. Here is a case where applying Scripture to our lives means learning from the mistakes of others. Unlike the towns of Galilee, will we take advantage of our time to repent of our sinful ways and pursue holiness? Or will we procrastinate until the window of opportunity closes for good? Much has been given to us, and so much will be required.