Now whatever city or town you enter, inquire who in it is worthy, and stay there till you go out. And when you go into a household, greet it. If the household is worthy, let your peace come upon it. But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet. Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city! (Matthew 10:11-15)

The Unworthy

There are difficult truths that permeate the preaching of the gospel. Jesus came to seek and save the lost. He suffered terribly on the cross before He died. The grace of God was consummated at Golgotha to save all mankind from the wrath of God. It is not in the heart of God that any man should perish but that all will come to repentance. Nothing more can be done from the heavenly plan to redeem the world. God’s love was so great to offer His only begotten Son to die for everyone. The message of the gospel is the most powerful testimony of mercy known to men. In the face of God’s love, mercy, and grace, many refuse to accept the gift of salvation. Some are unworthy of the gospel and will die in their sins.

Jesus sent out His twelve apostles to preach the good news of salvation. He gave them the power to heal the sick, raise the dead, cast out unclean spirits, and show the power of God through miracles. The twelve are told not to go to the Gentiles or Samaritans but only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. They were to preach the message of the coming kingdom in the name of Christ. When they entered a city or town to preach, they were to determine if the people were worthy of the gospel. If the people or household were worthy, the twelve would remain and preach. Jesus warns the twelve that if a household is not worthy and the people will not receive the preachers, they were to depart from that house or city, shaking the dust off their feet.

Jesus sternly warns against a household or city that is not worthy from an Old Testament example. The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed by the fury of the Lord for being so full of wickedness they could not continue to exist. Those who refuse to accept the gospel of Jesus Christ will find themselves judged by the character of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. The gospel of salvation cannot be shunned or ignored. When Jesus sent the twelve out to preach and confirm the word with miracles, there was no greater message men could hear. Refusing to listen to the gospel made the soul unworthy. They were to be rejected and dismissed.

The warning of Jesus of those who are unworthy finds its truth in the world today. There are more Bibles published in the world than any other book. No time in history has seen the ease of knowledge and the dispersion of the word of God through unimaginable means as found in the modern world. In this country, churches dot the landscape of almost every community. The knowledge of Jesus Christ is more fluent to more people who spend less time giving thought to eternal lessons. Religion is ridiculed as old-fashioned and outdated. Prayer is banned. Morality is mocked. The masses have little interest in the spiritual teachings of the Bible. There are thousands of people living all around us that are unworthy and unwilling.

God does not ignore the unworthy. Jesus called those who refused to listen to the gospel unworthy because of their hearts. This is not the will of the Father. God does not want anyone to perish, but a person must accept the teachings of Jesus to be worthy – saved. Those who are unworthy do not have time for God. They ridicule the Bible and scoff at those who teach the cross of Jesus Christ. Jesus preached of a man casting his pearls before the swine or that which is holy to dogs. Some hearts are hardened by the deceitfulness of sin, refusing to allow the word of God to permeate their minds. The unworthy will not stand before the judgment seat of the Father with joy. Their condemnation comes from their hearts. Jesus is the only way to the Father. Rejecting the way, the truth, and the life will make someone unworthy. To be found worthy, obey the will of the Father.