Gospel (Mt 10:24-33)
Jesus said to his disciples,
“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 Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household.
“So have no fear of them; for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. What I tell you in the dark, utter in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim upon the housetops. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father’s will. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven; but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.”
Commentary
In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus speaks about our fears. He tells us not to be afraid to proclaim the Gospel. He calls us to be Christians in broad daylight. Today the danger exists of limiting our faith to the private sphere, of thinking that we can practice our faith on our own, detached from our relationship with others. Modern society pressures us to not spread the Gospel, but to keep it deep inside. We are in danger of becoming Christians behind closed doors, failing to reflect our Christian life in our social and professional life. Jesus, in contrast, shows us a very different path: “What I tell you in the dark, utter in the light.” He calls us to be his witnesses in the world, to bring his message everywhere. We are called to give light to all men and women, to bear witness to Christ’s teaching in the midst of all our ordinary daily activities.
“Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.” We should fear only those who seek to cause us to fall into sin. Jesus gives us the key to overcoming all our fears: knowing that we are God’s children. God has not only created us in his image and likeness. He has made us his children. And as his children, we are loved absolutely. We are loved not for what we accomplish, but for who we are: God’s dearly beloved children.
“Even the hairs of your head are all numbered.” This trusting relationship with our Father God enables us to bring every aspect of our life to our prayer: our tiredness, our suffering, our daily effort to be consistent Christians. All our daily activities are important to God. The certainty of being loved leads us to bear courageous witness to Jesus in the world.