Deeds of Dead People

Learning the lessons of personal and public history

07/16/2024

Mt 11:20-24 Jesus began to reproach the towns where most of his mighty deeds had been done, since they had not repented. “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. And as for you, Capernaum: Will you be exalted to heaven? You will go down to the nether world. For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”

The Spanish philosopher George Santayana once famously said: “Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” That means we should all be students of history and learn its lessons. And further I believe we should assiduously study not only the macro, world history, but also our own micro personal and family histories. A Latin student was once trying to get his teacher to pay attention to history when he wrote on his Latin test: “Latin is a dead language, dead as it can be. First it killed the Romans and now it’s killing me.” But unfortunately, his teacher taught Latin and not history.

Jesus wants the Jewish people to become students of history and learn from their own sordid past. He warns, like George Santayana: “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes.” In the Old Testament these pagan cities were notorious for their wickedness. So, if the Jewish people of Jesus’ day were smart they would learn from their ancestors, rather than repeat their mistakes. But they didn’t learn and so they would suffer for their ignorance. And these cities did suffer, and they still do suffer.

Let me give you two examples where we today are no different from Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum. First, on the macro, national level, and second on the micro, personal level. We Americans are quick to denounce the atrocities of World War II, especially the systematic extermination of 6 million Jews in Nazi concentration camps. And those war crimes are indeed horrendous and cry out to heaven for justice.

But have modern Americans really taken a moral step forward when we systematically exterminate tens of millions of babies by abortion? The Nazis took a class of human beings – ethnic Jews – and decided they were not human. We Americans take a class of human beings – unborn babies – and we have decided they are not human. Our American atrocities are also crying out to heaven for justice. “Those who do not learn from the past are doomed to repeat it.”

Here’s an example on the micro, personal level from the world of annulment ministry, where I serve as a judge. Anyone who seeks an annulment for a previous marriage must fill out a lengthy questionnaire and a crucial part is a family history. Thus, we inquire about their parents, and their childhood, and their adolescents, and their prior dating experiences. Petitioners often ask in frustration and anger: “What does any of that have to do with my marriage to my ex-spouse who I want an annulment from? Let’s talk about how evil he is!”

We patiently try to help the petitioner realize that if we do not learn from the mistakes our parents made – being an alcoholic, abuser, womanizer, etc. – we will very likely repeat those mistakes. One psychologist put it well saying: “We are our parents unfinished homework.” That is, what mom and dad failed to learn in their own lives, they pass that ignorance – their character flaws – on to their children.

The last question on the annulment form is a very telling one: “What have you learned from your previous marriage and divorce?” And if all the person can answer is: "I learned that I married a jerk!” then I am afraid that person has learned nothing about themselves, or about what marriage is.

My friends, it is imperative that every Christian should become a student of history. The coming of God’s Kingdom is hampered when his people keep repeating old mistakes! My good friend, Fr. Greg Luyet, majored in history in college. I always thought it was such a waste of time studying the deeds of dead people and times and places that have no relevance for me today. But the more we adopt that arrogant attitude, the more we repeat the mistakes of the past on the national, personal, and kingdom levels.

Praised be Jesus Christ!