a town that missed the point

Bethsaida is a town that sees a fair bit of action during Jesus' lifetime. It was the hometown of Phillip, Andrew and Peter and the disciples were on their way there when Jesus walks on water (Mark 6). A blind man is healed there in Mark 8 and a paralytic healed in John 5 which may or may not have been the same person but, either way, it was a big deal. It was also the location for the feeding of the 5000 in Luke 9, it's likely that most of those miraculously fed would have been from Bethsaida. 

Even so, in Matthew 11 (and Luke 10) we read the following words from Jesus:

Then he began to denounce the cities where most of his mighty works had been done, because they did not repent. “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you.

(Matthew 11:20-22 ESV)

 Phillip, Andrew and Peter appear to be in the minority. The people of Bethsaida had a lot of exposure to Jesus and his "mighty works" but it had not led to repentance. 

Exposure to Jesus teaching every week at church, or even regular experiences of his power does not make you a Christian. Has it led to repentance? If repentance is not a regular feature of our lives, it's worth asking if we have gone the way of the Bethsaidans.