No Fear
A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they malign those of his household. So have no fear. Matt. 10:24-26, ESV.
No fear! Really? Does Jesus know what He is talking about? Has He gone off the track? After all, He had just listed all kinds of things that would happen to them in verses 17-23. In verses 24 and 25 He noted that they would not be above Him but would be persecuted like He was. And He already knew that His life was heading toward a Roman cross. Yet He instructs His disciples to have "no fear."
"No fear" and the reasons for it will dominate this part of Jesus' sermon on mission, being specifically mentioned three times in verses 26, 28, and 31. The obvious fact is that from a human perspective the followers of Jesus have a great deal they could fear, since they will face rejection, persecution, and even death. But still He tells them to have "no fear."
Here all of us who have accepted Christ need to listen up. We often get cold feet and exuberant intestines (signs of fear) at the slightest rejection because of our faith or when we need to speak up for it in difficult contexts. And if what Jesus is true, then it could get a lot worse. Yet He says, "no fear" or "fear not." How can He be so sure of that command? How can He say "have no fear" in the face of things inherently filled with fear?
In verses 26-31 He will provide three forceful answers to those crucial questions. First, we are not to fear "for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not not be made known" (Matt. 10:26, RSV).
In other words, things will not always be as they are now. We see things through a cloud here, but in the future we will perceive them as they really are. Then truth will triumph and God and His people will stand vindicated. At that point in time the principles of the persecutor and the Christian heroism of the believing witness will manifest their true value, and each will receive their due reward.
Witnessing for Christ can have "no fear" because they know that the judgments of eternity will correct the judgments of time.
A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they malign those of his household. So have no fear. Matt. 10:24-26, ESV.
No fear! Really? Does Jesus know what He is talking about? Has He gone off the track? After all, He had just listed all kinds of things that would happen to them in verses 17-23. In verses 24 and 25 He noted that they would not be above Him but would be persecuted like He was. And He already knew that His life was heading toward a Roman cross. Yet He instructs His disciples to have "no fear."
"No fear" and the reasons for it will dominate this part of Jesus' sermon on mission, being specifically mentioned three times in verses 26, 28, and 31. The obvious fact is that from a human perspective the followers of Jesus have a great deal they could fear, since they will face rejection, persecution, and even death. But still He tells them to have "no fear."
Here all of us who have accepted Christ need to listen up. We often get cold feet and exuberant intestines (signs of fear) at the slightest rejection because of our faith or when we need to speak up for it in difficult contexts. And if what Jesus is true, then it could get a lot worse. Yet He says, "no fear" or "fear not." How can He be so sure of that command? How can He say "have no fear" in the face of things inherently filled with fear?
In verses 26-31 He will provide three forceful answers to those crucial questions. First, we are not to fear "for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not not be made known" (Matt. 10:26, RSV).
In other words, things will not always be as they are now. We see things through a cloud here, but in the future we will perceive them as they really are. Then truth will triumph and God and His people will stand vindicated. At that point in time the principles of the persecutor and the Christian heroism of the believing witness will manifest their true value, and each will receive their due reward.
Witnessing for Christ can have "no fear" because they know that the judgments of eternity will correct the judgments of time.
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