From: Matthew 10:26-33
Jesus’ Instructions to the Apostles (Continuation)
(Jesus said to His disciples,) [26] “So have no fear of them; for nothing is co-
vered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. [27] What I tell
you in the dark, utter in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim upon
the housetops. [28] 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. [29] Are not
two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground with-
out your Father’s will. [30] But even the hairs of your head are all numbered.
[31] Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. [32] So
every one who acknowledges Me before men, I also will acknowledge before My
Father who is in heaven; [33] but whoever denies Me before men, I also will deny
before My Father who is in heaven.”
*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:
26-27. Jesus tells His disciples not to be afraid of calumny and detraction. A
day will come when everyone will come to know the whole truth about everyone
else, their real intentions, the true dispositions of their souls. In the meantime,
those who belong to God may be misrepresented by those who resort to lies,
out of malice or passion. These are the hidden things which will be made known.
Christ also tells the Apostles to speak out clearly. Jesus’ divine teaching me-
thod led Him to speak to the crowds in parables so that they came to discover
His true personality by easy stages. After the coming of the Holy Spirit (cf.
Acts 1:8), the Apostles would have to preach from the rooftops about what
Jesus had taught them.
We too have to make Christ’s doctrine known in its entirety, without any ambi-
guity, without being influenced by false prudence or fear of the consequences.
28. Using this and other Gospel texts (Matthew 5:22, 29; 18:9; Mark 9:43, 45,
47; Luke 12:5), the Church teaches that hell exists; there those who die in mor-
tal sin suffer eternal punishment (cf. “St. Pius V Catechism”, I, 6, 3), in a man-
ner not known to us in this life (cf. St. Teresa of Avila, “Life”, Chapter 32). See
notes on Luke 16:19-31.
Therefore, our Lord warns His disciples against false fear. We should not fear
those who can only kill the body. Only God can cast body and soul into hell.
Therefore God is the only one we should fear and respect; He is our Prince and
Supreme Judge—not men. The martyrs have obeyed this precept of the Lord in
the fullest way, well aware that eternal life is worth much more than earthly life.
29-31. An “as” (translated here as “penny”) was a small coin of very little value.
Christ uses it to illustrate how much God loves His creatures. As St. Jerome
says (”Comm. in Matth.”, 10:29-31): “If little birds, which are of such little value,
still come under the providence and care of God, how is it that you, who, given
the nature of your soul, are immortal, can fear that you are not looked after care-
fully by Him whom you respect as your Father?” Jesus again teaches us about
the fatherly providence of God, which He spoke about at length in the Sermon
on the Mount (cf. Matthew 6:19-34).
32-33. Here Jesus tells us that public confession of our faith in Him—whatever
the consequences—is an indispensable condition for eternal salvation. After the
Judgment, Christ will welcome those who have given testimony of their faith and
condemn those whom fear caused to be ashamed of Him (cf. Matthew 7:23; 25:
41; Revelation 21:8). The Church honors as “confessors” those Saints who have
not undergone physical martyrdom but whose lives bore witness to the Catholic
faith. Although every Christian should be ready to die for his faith, most Christians
are called to be confessors of the faith.
*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
Scripture readings from the Jerusalem Bible by Darton, Longman & Todd
Readings at Mass
Liturgical Colour: Green.
| First reading |
| Jeremiah 20:10-13 © |
Jeremiah said:
I hear so many disparaging me,
‘“Terror from every side!”
Denounce him! Let us denounce him!’
All those who used to be my friends
watched for my downfall,
‘Perhaps he will be seduced into error.
Then we will master him
and take our revenge!’
But the Lord is at my side, a mighty hero;
my opponents will stumble, mastered,
confounded by their failure;
everlasting, unforgettable disgrace will be theirs.
But you, O Lord of Hosts, you who probe with justice,
who scrutinise the loins and heart,
let me see the vengeance you will take on them,
for I have committed my cause to you.
Sing to the Lord,
praise the Lord,
for he has delivered the soul of the needy
from the hands of evil men.
| Responsorial Psalm |
| Psalm 68(69):8-10,14,17,33-35 © |
In your great love, answer me, O Lord.
It is for you that I suffer taunts,
that shame covers my face,
that I have become a stranger to my brothers,
an alien to my own mother’s sons.
I burn with zeal for your house
and taunts against you fall on me.
In your great love, answer me, O Lord.
This is my prayer to you,
my prayer for your favour.
In your great love, answer me, O God,
with your help that never fails:
Lord, answer, for your love is kind;
in your compassion, turn towards me.
In your great love, answer me, O Lord.
The poor when they see it will be glad
and God-seeking hearts will revive;
for the Lord listens to the needy
and does not spurn his servants in their chains.
Let the heavens and the earth give him praise,
the sea and all its living creatures.
In your great love, answer me, O Lord.
| Second reading |
Romans 5:12-15 © |
Sin entered the world through one man, and through sin death, and thus death has spread through the whole human race because everyone has sinned. Sin existed in the world long before the Law was given. There was no law and so no one could be accused of the sin of ‘law-breaking’, yet death reigned over all from Adam to Moses, even though their sin, unlike that of Adam, was not a matter of breaking a law.
Adam prefigured the One to come, but the gift itself considerably outweighed the fall. If it is certain that through one man’s fall so many died, it is even more certain that divine grace, coming through the one man, Jesus Christ, came to so many as an abundant free gift.
| Gospel Acclamation |
Jn1:14,12 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
The Word was made flesh and lived among us:
to all who did accept him
he gave power to become children of God.
Alleluia!
Alleluia, alleluia!
The Spirit of truth will be my witness;
and you too will be my witnesses.
Alleluia!
| Gospel |
| Matthew 10:26-33 © |
Jesus instructed the Twelve as follows: ‘Do not be afraid. For everything that is now covered will be uncovered, and everything now hidden will be made clear. What I say to you in the dark, tell in the daylight; what you hear in whispers, proclaim from the housetops.
‘Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; fear him rather who can destroy both body and soul in hell. Can you not buy two sparrows for a penny? And yet not one falls to the ground without your Father knowing. Why, every hair on your head has been counted. So there is no need to be afraid; you are worth more than hundreds of sparrows.
‘So if anyone declares himself for me in the presence of men, I will declare myself for him in the presence of my Father in heaven. But the one who disowns me in the presence of men, I will disown in the presence of my Father in heaven.’