Life is not fair...

But God is just, and there is an accountability according to what one has and not what he doesn’t have.

The rebuke and the comparison.

20  Then He began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent:  21  "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.  22  "But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you.  23  "And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades; for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.  24  "But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you."  Matthew 11:20-24

Tyre is an island city in the Mediterranean off of Lebanon of ancient

Phoenicia (150 foot walls), Sidon was similar, 25 miles to the north.

These are the 4^th and 3^rd largest cities of Lebanon today.

The OT prophets spoke against these cities for their pride and treatment of Jews, see Ezekiel 26:2-4; Joel 3:4-6.

 Sodom was one of the 4 cities of the plain destroyed in Canaan north of the Dead Sea.

Chorazin was a village in northern Galilee, two and a half miles from Capernaum.  Bethsaida also in northern Galilee. 

None of these exist today except ruins.

Why is it that identifiable groups like cities or people groups, or those of a certain order, like the Pharisees are often addressed and accountable as a whole?

Is it the affect the society/ group structure has on one another? And so there is a group accountability and consequence?  

People are often proud in their identities and influenced by the group.

If the miracles of Christ were done in Tyre, Sidon, or Sodom, as they were in Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum, they would have repented and remained.

Tyre, Sidon, and Sodom did not get to witness the personal presence and miracles of Christ, and yet Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum did. 

This reveals that God knows contingent outcomes: if this would have happened, then this would have resulted.

It did not make a difference for them, except that it will affect the judgment.  

The judgment will be greater on Jews (Chorazin, etc) over Gentiles (Tyre, etc).  

The consequences seem both physical and spiritual, physical as in the eventual non-existence of the city/people, but spiritual, as in degrees of toleration in the day of judgment.   What does this mean?   It may not be merely the varying degrees of grief in the day judgment over knowing one's exclusion from the kingdom of God, but degrees of consequence in that place commonly referred to as Hell.  We don’t want to go there to find out.

The greater the opportunity one has the greater the consequences.

Life’s circumstances are not equal, but the consequences will be according to the advantages or opportunities one had.

Lk 12.48  For everyone to whom  much  is  given , from him  much  will be required; and to whom  much  has been committed, of him they will ask the more.

Mat 13: 10  And the disciples came and said to Him, "Why do You speak to them in parables?"  11  He answered and said to them, "Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 

12  "For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.

Parable of the Talents

25:  28  `Therefore take the talent from him, and give [it] to him who has ten talents.  29  `For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.

This is the principle that may explain why some are saved and some are not or why some believers mature and some do not—they chose to make use of that which God has given, being the Scriptures.

It also applies especially to Israel, who had a place of privilege and blessing which was taken away and given to gentiles.