Seeds for 08/07/2023 - Matthew 10:26-31
Scripture: 26 “So do not be afraid of them, for 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 outside your Father’s care. 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.
Observation: “Don’t be afraid.” How many conversations with angels begin with that exhortation? Here we find this familiar refrain on the lips of Jesus, referencing fear four times in only six verses.
So, who or what are the disciples not to fear? “Them” in verse 26 and “those who can kill the body but not the soul” in verse 28 both refer back to local religious councils, governors, and kings (verses 16-18). In other words, they are not to fear the earthly opponents of Jesus, His ministry and message.
Who or what are the disciples to fear? “The One who can destroy both soul and body in hell” in verse 28. This is a sobering reference to God Himself. The One who has the power to create life has the power to extinguish it too.
Misplaced fear and worry is a problem for human beings. We fret over small things and gloss over large ones. This is a source of anxiety and worry. It also represents a failure on our part to cultivate wisdom.
Proverbs teaches us that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” Fear reveals where we are placing our faith. We fear what we perceive to have power over us and our lives. Fear of humans, even powerful and influential ones, is misplaced fear… and faith.
But fear of the Lord? That’s appropriately attributed faith. He actually does have the power to do far more than we can ask or imagine. While there’s an accountability that accompanies the “fear of the Lord,” it’s mainly a profound, gut-level acknowledgement of faith.
Still, the One we would be right to fear cares for us intimately. Jesus drives the point home by referring to God’s care of the sparrows. We are worth more than sparrows, which God keeps in His care. Later in the Gospel, He’ll go to greater lengths to demonstrate His profound love and care for us. So, don’t be afraid. It’s as logically simple and as emotionally difficult as that. But that’s the promise waiting for us to take hold of it.
Application:
What fear/s hold you back from serving God as you feel led to do so?
What else might the Holy Spirit be speaking with you about in the text today?
Prayer: Lord, give me eyes to see your all-surpassing power and a heart to trust in your intimate care. Amen.
“But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” (Matthew 13:23)
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