By Emily Cavins

“For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I tell you that it shall be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you.” ~ Matthew 11:23b-24

The Gospel reading from yesterday was quite appropriate for me, not because I am excited about the judgment of God, but because I am an archaeologist and have spent time digging at sites mentioned in the gospel. In the reading, Jesus warns that on the day of judgment, it will be worse for cities in the Galilee who heard the gospel than for the people of Sodom who had not heard it. I know firsthand of the destruction of the city of Sodom. It was decisive and swift when a hot blaze from a comet crashed through Earth’s atmosphere, causing an explosion like an atomic bomb, burying the city beneath three feet of pulverized remains of mud-brick walls, bones, and pottery.

The excavation site is called Tall el Hammam in the country of Jordan, located directly east of Jericho across the Jordan River. The final excavation report has not been published, so it is difficult to find many details, but I can attest that something catastrophic happened at Sodom that came upon them suddenly.

I also had the opportunity to excavate at a site called Hippos on the Sea of Galilee that overlooks the lake. From that vantage point, one can see where these cities, Bethsaida, Chorazin, and Capernaum, are located on the northern shore. The revelation of Jesus’ authority occurred along this shore. After his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus revealed his authority over death with the resurrection of a young girl; he revealed his authority over disease with many healings; he revealed his authority over nature with the calming of the sea; he revealed his authority over Satan with the deliverance of the demoniac; he revealed his authority to forgive sin at the healing of the paralytic. There was little room left to doubt that Jesus was the savior of the world, and yet many did not believe.

We have been given such a revelation through the Church, so we must never let our faith become one of skepticism. The truth has been revealed to us through the authority of Jesus Christ given to the Apostles. That in itself is a testament to the truth of what happened along the shore of the Sea of Galilee.

Prayer:

Dear Lord, let our faith be rekindled each time we hear your word read at Mass and each time we receive you in the Eucharist. Help me to live each day as though I know your revelation is true.

Call to Action:

Read through Matthew 8 and meditate on the ways that Jesus revealed himself to the people in Galilee and then compare that to how the Church reveals these truths to us. It will help you be able to communicate truth to this skeptical generation.

Note:

You can google Sodom on Google maps and it will appear there with a few photos.

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