Matthew 10:24-31 Do Not Fear

"A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master.  It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If they have called the head of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign the members of his household!   "Therefore do not fear them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known.  What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim upon the housetops.  Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.  Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.  But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows. [Matthew 10:24‭-‬31 NASB]

Three times in this passage, Jesus says, "Do not fear."

He begins by telling us that we are not to expect better treatment from the world than He received. They call Him Beelzebul, which is synonymous with Satan. If they were willing to say such lies about a man who preached peace, and did good works, who healed the sick and forgave sins, how much more will they feel free to speak against us, who, in spite of our best efforts will never be as good as Jesus.

No matter what they do to us, they did it to Jesus first. If it is our goal to become like Jesus (and that should be our goal) then we must be ready to accept the consequences of that effort.

Jesus said, "Therefore do not fear them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known." There are two meanings to this. One is implied, and the other is revealed. First, do not fear them, because their lies will be revealed. In the end, the truth will be known. Sometimes that happens in this life, and sometimes we will have to wait for it to be revealed by God at the time of judgement.

Jesus states the less obvious meaning, which is that we should not leave anything hidden. Rather, we should speak the words of our Master boldly and in the light. If the consequence of that boldness is ridicule or persecution, then so be it.

Jesus said, "Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul" In other words, the very worst they can do to you is kill you. If they do, then you have become like your Master in your death. He said, "fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." I generally think of the phrase "fear God" to mean "have a sense of awe and respect." But that is not what Jesus is describing here. He is describing the consequence of denying God.

Picture the complacent Christian going about his life, keeping his head down, and never speaking up for God. When the time comes to confess or deny Him, they deny. Remember what Jesus said, "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. " [Matthew 7:21‭ NASB]

Jesus said, "Do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows." A sparrow has almost no value, yet God is aware of every one of them. And He knows EVERYTHING about your life. He even knows how many hairs are on your head.

Just as a sparrow doesn't fall to the ground without the knowledge of the Father, so it is with you. He doesn't promise that you will not fall, only that He will be there when you do. It is hard to imagine, sitting safely here in America, but there are many parts of the world today where Christians are being killed because of their faith and testimony. Our Father is not faithless to allow such things. In fact, He promised that it would happen. Those believers who so identify with Jesus in His death will be received by the Father in Heaven, and great will be their reward.