Pentecost 5 (6)

Matthew 10:24–33 (NIV84)

24 “A student is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25 It is enough for the student to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebub, how much more the members of his household!

26 “So do not be afraid of them. There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. 27 What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. 28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. 30 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

32 “Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. 33 But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.

Notice how often Jesus tells his disciples in this short passage to not be afraid or to be afraid.

Verse 26: Don’t be afraid of those who will persecute you. (Sheep among wolves, flogged in the synagogues, called before governing authorities, betrayal by even family members, hated, treated like they would treat Jesus.)

Verse 28: Those who can kill the body but cannot kill the soul.

Verse 28: Be afraid of the One who can destroy both the soul and body in hell.

Verse 31: General “don’t be afraid”.

The admonition to not be afraid is a common command in the Bible. 69 times we have the translation “Do not be afraid.”

Genesis 15:1 “ After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.””

Revelation 2:10 “ Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.”

Why so many admonitions or encouragement to not be afraid? Because there would be threats against those who followed God as well as other threats to a person’s health and safety.

Fear is a common reaction that people have. They are known as phobias. You have undoubtedly read lists of peoples greatest fears and may have some of them yourself.

Loud noises

Various types of animals

Darkness

Falling

Unknown

Being a victim

Public speaking

Death

Fear can keep us safe (examples).

A healthy fear of sharks can keep us from entering shark invested waters.

A healthy fear of being a victim can keep us out of unsafe neighborhoods or keep us from saying certain things among certain crowds.

A healthy fear of disease can inspire us to practice good hygiene and food safety.

It can also cripple us (examples).

My mother was so anxious and fearful of driving that even though she had a valid drivers license, I cannot recall her ever driving. Fortunately she had a husband who would drive her wherever she needed to go.

Fear of reprisals (or just the threat of reprisals) can and does keep people for doing what is required.

Jesus knew that he would be sending his disciples out into dangerous situations. Dangerous not because of extreme conditions, war zones, crime ridden areas, or places where diseases ran rampant. He wasn’t sending them out into the most polluted atmosphere in history for that region, to the top of a volcano, or 12,000 feet beneath the sea. He was sending them out to a hostile world which had rejected him and who would reject those whom he had taught. John would later write about this:

John 1:10–11 (NIV84)

10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.

This had been prophesied by Isaiah: Isaiah 53:2–3 (NIV84)

2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. 3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

This is what had happened in the past. Jesus would not be the first person who had been sent by God to be rejected by those to whom they were sent. Matthew 23:37 (NIV84)

37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing.

This is what was happening to Jesus. Mark 11:18 (NIV84)

18 The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.

This is what would happen and still does happen even today.

Church historians are well aware of how Christians have been persecuted and victimized from the days of the early Jewish persecutions, the Roman persecution, and with the rise of Islam. At times Christians would even persecute other Christians over differences in doctrine in practice. What is often ignored is present day danger outside of our immediate culture.

According to a statement in a new book: The Church Crisis, between 2000-2010 an estimated 1,000,000 Christian died as martyrs world wide and that the rate continues.

When you know a situation is dangerous, you have several options.

Be crippled by fear and not do what you are supposed to or even run away.

Lie to yourself and say it won’t be so bad.

Commit yourself to a higher calling and take the risks because . . .

The one sending you has a much greater ability to harm you for not obeying. (This is how the military works, doesn’t it?

A soldier knows that going into battle has inherent risks from equipment failure, disease, and the fact that the enemy is trying to kill you. I just read a book about the dangers of being a German fighter pilot and the dangers of flying mission on B-17s over Germany. Airmen died from the enemies attacks but also from mid air collisions, and engine failure, as well as bad weather. The book often refers to the fears those young men had but they also knew the penalty if they deserted or failed to carry out their missions. Penalties which were especially harsh for the German Luftwaffe pilots because of the type of government Germany had.

Jesus is quite frank in saying to his disciples that if they are tempted to not do their assigned calling out of fear of their human enemies, they had better think twice and realize that not doing what they were trained and called to do would put them at the risk of a greater threat — God himself. We may not like to think of God as a punisher of the sins of omission but Jesus does not shrink from it.

Matthew 10:28 (NIV84)

28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

2 Thessalonians 1:8–10 NIV

8 He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might 10 on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you.

If Jesus were to stop here, the disciples might be convinced that the main reason to obey was because God was going to get them (punish them) for not doing their job. But Jesus continues by encouraging them not to operate out of fear but out of trust. Trust in the one who is sending you to protect you. Matthew 10:29–31 (NIV84)

29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. 30 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

Later, St. Paul (though not one of the twelve) would affirm just trust in God. 2 Timothy 4:16–18 (NIV84)

16 At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them. 17 But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion’s mouth. 18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

As followers of Jesus who have been taught by him, we are not to conceal his teachings but be open about them even though it may bring about negative reactions. This is not always natural: To reveal the truth rather than cover it up.

What are some things we try to conceal?

Age

Hair color

Wrinkles

Weight

Sinful habits

Financial information

Opposite is transparency. If we trust in the One who has given us the message of salvation, we can trust that he will bless those who are open with the Gospel. This is what Jesus meant in his sermon on the mount when he talks about letting our light shine. This is the encouragement Peter gives in 1 Peter 3:13–17 (NIV84)

13 Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? 14 But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened.” 15 But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16 keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. 17 It is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.