Matthew 10:16-42
16″See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. 17Beware of them, for they will hand you over to councils and flog you in their synagogues; 18and you will be dragged before governors and kings because of me, as a testimony to them and the Gentiles. 19When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given to you at that time; 20for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. 21Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death; 22and you will be hated by all because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 23When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next; for truly I tell you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes. 24A disciple is not above the teacher, nor a slave above the master; 25it is enough for the disciple to be like the teacher, and the slave like the master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household! 26So have no fear of them; for nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known. 27What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops. 28Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. 30And even the hairs of your head are all counted. 31So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows. 32″Everyone therefore who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven; 33but whoever denies me before others, I also will deny before my Father in heaven. 34Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; 36 and one’s foes will be members of one’s own household. 37Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. 40″Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. 41Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward; and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous; 42and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple—truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.”
There is a whole lot of fear going on in this passage. The fear that this passage draws out in me is the part about secrets. In verse 26,
“So have no fear of them; for nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known.”
It appears that Jesus is talking to his disciples but we know that the religious elite are already watching Jesus closely. Words that appear to be said for comfort, can also be interpreted as a cautionary tale. And never in history have we experienced it more instantaneously than today.
The way media and internet intersect, there is almost no time delay in secrets being revealed. I have to admit that I do not love seeing all the dirty laundry displayed that the internet displays. However, I do like the daily reminder that whatever I post on FaceBook or my other social apps will never disappear and are never secrets to anyone. This keeps me honest, rigorously honest. And it also reminds me daily, that whatever my actions or words are, they are never really secret. And this is good. It means that when I do something that is wrong, I must go back and make it right. That way, no matter who hears about it, I may be embarrassed about the mistake I made but I will not be shamed and made to feel less then. For it is when I am filled with fear and feel less then, that is when truly questionable behavior begins. Is this ever true for you?
There is a whole lot of fear going on in this passage. The fear that this passage draws out in me is the part about secrets. In verse 26,
“So have no fear of them; for nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known.”
It appears that Jesus is talking to his disciples but we know that the religious elite are already watching Jesus closely. Words that appear to be said for comfort, can also be interpreted as a cautionary tale. And never in history have we experienced it more instantaneously than today.
The way media and internet intersect, there is almost no time delay in secrets being revealed. I have to admit that I do not love seeing all the dirty laundry displayed that the internet displays. However, I do like the daily reminder that whatever I post on FaceBook or my other social apps will never disappear and are never secrets to anyone. This keeps me honest, rigorously honest. And it also reminds me daily, that whatever my actions or words are, they are never really secret. And this is good. It means that when I do something that is wrong, I must go back and make it right. That way, no matter who hears about it, I may be embarrassed about the mistake I made but I will not be shamed and made to feel less then. For it is when I am filled with fear and feel less then, that is when truly questionable behavior begins. Is this ever true for you?
by Rev. Mary
There is a whole lot of fear going on in this passage. The fear that this passage draws out in me is the part about secrets. In verse 26,
“So have no fear of them; for nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known.”
It appears that Jesus is talking to his disciples but we know that the religious elite are already watching Jesus closely. Words that appear to be said for comfort, can also be interpreted as a cautionary tale. And never in history have we experienced it more instantaneously than today.
The way media and internet intersect, there is almost no time delay in secrets being revealed. I have to admit that I do not love seeing all the dirty laundry displayed that the internet displays. However, I do like the daily reminder that whatever I post on FaceBook or my other social apps will never disappear and are never secrets to anyone. This keeps me honest, rigorously honest. And it also reminds me daily, that whatever my actions or words are, they are never really secret. And this is good. It means that when I do something that is wrong, I must go back and make it right. That way, no matter who hears about it, I may be embarrassed about the mistake I made but I will not be shamed and made to feel less then. For it is when I am filled with fear and feel less then, that is when truly questionable behavior begins. Is this ever true for you?
There is a whole lot of fear going on in this passage. The fear that this passage draws out in me is the part about secrets. In verse 26,
“So have no fear of them; for nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known.”
It appears that Jesus is talking to his disciples but we know that the religious elite are already watching Jesus closely. Words that appear to be said for comfort, can also be interpreted as a cautionary tale. And never in history have we experienced it more instantaneously than today.
The way media and internet intersect, there is almost no time delay in secrets being revealed. I have to admit that I do not love seeing all the dirty laundry displayed that the internet displays. However, I do like the daily reminder that whatever I post on FaceBook or my other social apps will never disappear and are never secrets to anyone. This keeps me honest, rigorously honest. And it also reminds me daily, that whatever my actions or words are, they are never really secret. And this is good. It means that when I do something that is wrong, I must go back and make it right. That way, no matter who hears about it, I may be embarrassed about the mistake I made but I will not be shamed and made to feel less then. For it is when I am filled with fear and feel less then, that is when truly questionable behavior begins.
One of my biggest fears is that someone will find out something about my personality that I am blInd to, sort of like a dark side of myself laying secret even to my self. I think there are many of us fear that someone will reveal that really we are all phonies. Is this ever true for you? It is why I try to be rigourously honest and continuously self-aware. Secreets are powerful, no doubt, but they are also dangerous. There is a saying in recovery, you are only as sick as your sickest secret. No one can have any power over you if they hold no secrets.
Reflection by Rev. Mary
Crafton, Barbara Cawthorne. A Journey With Matthew: The 50 Day Bible Challenge . Forward Movement. Kindle Edition.
