Jesus teaches us to simply move on when people don't want to hear the kingdom message.
Matthew 10:14-15 14 If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet as you leave that house or town. 15 Truly I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.
Matthew 10:21-23 21 "Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. 22 All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. 23 When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. I tell you the truth, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
Do we ignore Jesus' teaching to move on when people don't want to hear the kingdom news?
Note: Jesus has just sent his followers to teach the Kingdom Message (proclaim the good news, 'The kingdom of heaven has come near.' Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons) to the most religious people of his day. Since these were good "bible belieiving" relgious people, it would have been shocking to his followers that Jesus compares these good religous people to the people of Sodom and Gomorrah. The sin they were both committing was explained by the prophet Ezekiel: "This was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy. They were haughty, and did abominable things before me; therefore I removed them when I saw it" (Ezekiel 16:49-50).
Whenever Christianity becomes a religion instead of the committment to be the hands and feet of Jesus ministering to the spiritual and physical needs of others, the religion takes precedent over loving God and others. Sodom put itself before God and others. So did the religious people Jesus was sending his followers to. And they refused to hear the kingdom message. Jesus says to move on when the religious people (or anyone else) won't hear his message.
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