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 Persecution a ‘comin - Jesus’ ominous words
anticipate a coming krisis. What connects fearful crisis (v. 25) to fearless
confession (v. 27, 32) is the Greek word, oun, "therefore" (vs. 26.)
". . . Therefore, do not fear them" (v. 26). Since Jesus sends them out and they
can’t hope to be treated better than he, therefore they must keep a tough
"no fear" attitude and be faithful to their calling. [1]
Whispers & Shouts / Darkness & Daybreak - Matthew reworks Luke’s
version of this saying from an emphasis on human behavior ("Whatever you have said
. . . shall be heard," Lk. 12:3), to the messianic secrecy motif ("What I
tell you . . . shout abroad," Mt. 10:27). What has been kept a secret during
Jesus’ earthly ministry must soon be proclaimed from the housetops.
How Can These Things Be? - How can disciples of Jesus find the courage to live
such a life as he describes in this lesson? Jesus gives at least three reasons why his
disciples can adopt a "no fear" stance in the face of persecution:
Eschatological judgment - will soon come to make everything public; no way to
keep personal faith a private thing. Everyone will know sooner or later where we stand.
Fear God - Matthew says there is a realm of our human existence that none but
God can touch. Thus, fear of God and impending judgment can overcome any fear that comes
from human institutions.
God is faithful - cares for all Creation even sparrows and inchworms. Nothing
happens-even a sparrow tumbling from its nest escapes God’s awareness.
 What warnings or encouragements would you need to hear from Jesus in order to go
and represent him?
Under what circumstances do you find it most difficult to speak about your faith?
Persecution strengthens? We’ve all heard that persecution strengthens the
church. At least this much is true-when we’re not expending energy just to survive or
to resolve a crisis, we tend to slip into "a comfortable religiosity that takes all
too lightly its commitment to God and God’s purposes for this planet." [2]
 Raise the problems of this passage-the "gap theory"-present reality
from the ideals contained within this passage
Reflect on where most Christians are at regarding their faith, persecution, and
proclamation.
Amplify Jesus’ three reasons why we can live in faithful discipleship.
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[1] Douglas R. A. Hare in Interpretation Series: Matthew (Louisville: John
Knox Press, 1993), page 115.
[2] Van A. Harvey, A Handbook of Theological Terms (NY: Macmillan Publ. Company,
1964), page 214.
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