Therefore do not be afraid of them. Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known. 27 What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light; what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. 28 And 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 Gehenna. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s knowledge. 30 Even all the hairs of your head are counted. 31 So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. 32 Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father. 33 But whoever denies me before others, I will deny before my heavenly Father.
In Matthew chapter 10, Jesus sends the Twelve on mission. He prepares them to preach, heal, and bear witness to the kingdom of heaven. He also tells them that the mission will bring opposition. They will not always be welcomed. Some will reject them because they belong to Christ and speak in his name.
For that reason, Jesus says three times, “do not be afraid” (vv. 26, 28, 31). He teaches them what kind of fear should govern their lives. They should not let fear of human rejection, suffering, or even death silence their witness to him.
Jesus first tells them that what is hidden will be revealed and what is secret will be known (v. 26). The kingdom is already present in his words and works, but what has been revealed is not yet fully recognized by all. Jesus tells the disciples that what they have received from him must not remain hidden among them. In this verse, “darkness” and “whispered” refer to private instruction, not to sin or deceit. What Jesus teaches them privately must be spoken “in the light,” and what they hear quietly must be proclaimed “on the housetops” (v. 27). The image of the housetop points to open public announcement. In other words, the teaching Jesus gives them privately is meant to become public witness. The gospel is not a private possession. It is given so that it may be announced.
Jesus then directs their fear away from human power and toward God. Human opponents may harm the body, but the body is not disposable or unimportant. The body belongs to the whole person and is meant to be a temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). Jesus’ point is that human opponents do not have final authority over the whole person. God alone is the final judge of body and soul (v. 28). Gehenna refers to final ruin and separation from God. Jesus’ words are serious because the disciples’ mission concerns eternal life, not merely public opinion or earthly safety.
Yet this warning is immediately joined to the Father’s care. Jesus speaks of sparrows, small and inexpensive birds, and says that not one falls to the ground without the Father’s knowledge (v. 29). If even such little creatures are known by God, then the Father surely knows and cares for his disciples. “Even all the hairs of your head are counted” (v. 30). The Father who calls them into mission also watches over them.
This is why Jesus can say again, “do not be afraid” (v. 31). The disciples are worth more than many sparrows. Their value does not depend on public approval, success, safety, or comfort. Their worth rests in the Father who knows them and in the Son who sends them.
The passage ends with a direct call to fidelity and the promise that faithful witness to Christ will be acknowledged before the Father. “Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father” (v. 32). To acknowledge Jesus means to confess him openly, to belong to him, and to remain faithful to him before others. To deny him is to refuse that allegiance when witness is required. Jesus places this choice before the Father, where the truth of discipleship is finally known (v. 33).
This Gospel remains close to the life of Christians today. Some believers face open persecution. Others face ridicule, pressure, indifference, or the temptation to remain silent because faith may be unwelcome. Jesus calls his disciples to steady courage, rooted in the Father’s care and in the promise that Christ will acknowledge his faithful ones before the Father.
Lord Jesus Christ, give me courage to acknowledge you before others. Keep me from fear that silences faith, and teach me to trust the Father who knows and cares for me. Amen.
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Sources and References
- The New American Bible, Revised Edition. Washington, DC: Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, 2011. Matthew 10:26-33; 1 Corinthians 6:19; and notes on Matthew 10:26 and 10:32.
- Casciaro, José María, gen. ed. The Navarre Bible: New Testament, Expanded Edition. Dublin: Four Courts Press; New York: Scepter Publishers, 2008. Pages 82-83, notes on Matthew 10:26-33.
- Brown, Raymond E., Joseph A. Fitzmyer, and Roland E. Murphy, eds. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1990. Pages 651-652, paragraphs 70-71.
- Aguilar Chiu, José Enrique, Richard J. Clifford, Carol J. Dempsey, Eileen M. Schuller, Thomas D. Stegman, and Ronald D. Witherup, eds. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. New York: Paulist Press, 2018. Page 929.
- Collins, John J., Gina Hens-Piazza, Barbara Reid OP, and Donald Senior CP, eds. The Jerome Biblical Commentary for the Twenty-First Century. Third Fully Revised Edition, with a Foreword by Pope Francis. London: Bloomsbury T&T Clark, 2022. Page 1193.
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