5th Sunday after Pentecost.
June 19, 2005
Matthew 10:24-33.

^10:24"A 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!
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. ²⁷ What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops.
²⁸ 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? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. ³⁰ And even the hairs of your head are all counted. ³¹ So 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; ³³ but whoever denies me before others, I also will deny before my Father in heaven. (NRS).

Don't Fear to Acknowledge Jesus

  I don’t really like conflict. I don’t want to become the object of scorn nor do I want to have to defend myself in the face of events out of my control. But it happens. For example, a few days ago my neighbour was telling some friends that I’m the one he told them about who voted for Bush in the presidential elections. Now they were all drinking beer and this was mostly in jest, but since Bush isn’t too popular right now, you end up having to defend yourself anyway. Somehow I’m partly responsible for the war in Iraq!

  Now I’m sure you all know what it’s like to hold an unpopular position or opinion. You may like the wrong political party or take the unpopular side of a hot social issue like same-sex marriage or national healthcare. Or maybe it’s something simpler; you like music or fashion that others do not appreciate. There are limitless reasons why other people might criticize you and even physically oppose you. To avoid that kind of conflict, you might do as I sometimes do and just hold your peace. Don’t acknowledge who you are or what you think.

  However, there are times when we can’t keep quiet. Usually this happens when the issue at hand is not a matter of opinion but of truth. Suppose my neighbour is simply sitting on his porch getting drunk. If I go tell him that this is wrong and he ought not do it, I’ll be told in graphic terms where to put my opinion! In that case, it’s probably better to just keep quiet. However, once he’s good and drunk, if he heads for the car, I need to speak up. In fact if he’s been drinking at my house I can be held legally liable. It’s no longer a matter of moral opinion but of law.

  Facts and opinions. The world tells us to share facts and might even punish us if we keep them to ourselves; but opinions the world tells us to keep to ourselves and might punish us if we share them! And I imagine we all pretty much accept that distinction and rule.

  The issue Jesus sets before us today causes us to confront this social rule. Jesus wants us to acknowledge or confess him before others. The problem is that the world has decided that any statement concerning Jesus is a matter of opinion rather than fact. As an opinion you and I are free to believe whatever we want about Jesus, but we are not so free to share that belief with others. Most people would like us to keep this opinion to ourselves unless we are asked for it.

  We know that. We know that to acknowledge that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and the Saviour of the world is considered an opinion. We know that to acknowledge Jesus as Lord makes other people uncomfortable, even violently angry. And so, perhaps more often than not, when the subject of Jesus comes up we are hesitant to acknowledge our faith in him. We pull a half-Peter. We don’t openly deny knowing Jesus but we don’t acknowledge him either. Later, like Peter, we regret our cowardice.

  This is an issue that will not go away; we cannot hide from it. In chapter 10 of his Gospel, Matthew has collected some of Jesus’ teaching concerning our witness to the world about him. The Chapter begins with Jesus naming the 12 apostles and sending them out to teach and heal as he had done. As you go, proclaim the good news, 'The kingdom of heaven has come near.' Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. (Matthew 10:7-8). This was not an opinion blitz or poll. This was head on confrontation with the devil and the world. It was a battle for truth. Jesus didn’t send then out to express their opinion about him. He sent them to physically demonstrate his claim that in him, God had come to us to restore our relationship to him! That’s the same way he dealt with John the Baptist. When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, "Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?" Jesus answered them, "Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me." (Matthew 11:2-6).

  Naturally, there were both great blessings and grave consequences to this announcement. One could be healed and have God’s blessing on his house. Or, If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet as you leave that house or town. Truly I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town. (Matthew 10:14-15).

  Jesus then goes on to talk about more than just the 12 apostles. He talks about all who have followed him and become his disciples. Everyone therefore who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven; but whoever denies me before others, I also will deny before my Father in heaven. ‘Everyone’ includes us. Jesus expects you and me to acknowledge him before others. On the one hand, that means, as the occasion arises, that we admit that we are followers of Christ and give a reason for this hope we have. On the other hand, it means to confess that what we say in our Creed is true! “And I believe in Jesus Christ his only son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence he will come to judge the living and the dead.”

  That confession offends the world. It offends the world because it claims to be, not an opinion, but objective truth that one ignores to one’s peril. These are historical details—“suffered under Pontius Pilate”—and facts for which eyewitnesses were willing to die. The claim that Jesus is the Christ has always offended the world. When Jesus said it, it offended most of the Jewish leadership. So they insulted and criticized him and finally killed him! Jesus told his disciples that if he, the teacher and master, offended the world, they would do the same when they repeated his words and deeds. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul [i.e., the devil], how much more will they malign those of his household!

  We therefore, can expect trouble when we acknowledge Jesus before others. They will tell us to keep our opinion to ourselves. So where do we get the courage and the resolve to share this “opinion” with others? That is the question Jesus is tackling in this part of his teaching.

  One of the places where we get this courage is the conviction that he really is the Son of God. The main point in all of Jesus’ proclaiming and teaching and healing is that he is the promised Saviour. To prove that claim he fulfilled dozens of Old Testament Prophecies and did miracles. The Gospels preserve real history so that our faith is based on something real rather than a nice idea. Convinced of that objective reality, what we share with others is not an opinion but truth. And knowing that what we share is truth rather than opinion makes us bold!

  The second thing that makes us bold witnesses is Jesus’ promise: Everyone therefore who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven. This is the very Gospel itself. On the day of reckoning, Jesus will take you right up to the Father and say, “I know this one. He is my brother; she is my sister.” Have you ever depended on a friend to get you into a party or a club or some business where you were otherwise unknown and unwelcome? All the friend had to do was say, “This guy’s with me!” and you were in. That’s what Jesus means. He will simply say, “This guy’s with me!” and you will be in the kingdom of heaven.

  But whoever denies me before others, I also will deny before my Father in heaven. People need to know the truth now in this life because they will face it in the end. Jesus wants to acknowledge them before his Father along with us. He wants to save all people because he has already died for them.

  And there’s a third thing here that makes us bold witnesses: God’s control of things. Jesus says, So have no fear of them; for nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known. What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops. Jesus will not always be invisible. One day all will see him, even those who killed him. And then he will reveal our secrets. He will judge all people and demonstrate their real nature and intentions on the basis of their deeds. No one will fool God; no one will get away with anything. So that person who intimidates and insults you for your confession of Christ will have his or her real fears and motives exposed. You, however, will be vindicated.

  He goes on, 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. Some of us will pay the ultimate price for our testimony, death. But this is neither a defeat for us nor a victory for them. For God will raise the dead and he alone will grant eternal life or condemn to hell. No one can take eternal life from us. So there is ultimately nothing that others can do to stop us from speaking the truth and acknowledging Jesus before others.

  Jesus adds one more thing. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. And even the hairs of your head are all counted. So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows. Generally speaking, God isn’t going to let others kill us! We are dear to him. He gave Jesus’ life for ours! If God pays attention to the birds and the hairs on our head, certainly he pays attention and helps us when we are confessing the truth that he commands us to confess!

  Brothers and sisters, Jesus wants you to be his witnesses however and whenever that happens. And he doesn’t want you to be afraid to acknowledge him before other people. That’s the point of this lesson. Jesus knows that many will reject our witness to the truth and insult us as they did him. But don’t fear that. Know that God has the last word and that Jesus will acknowledge you before the Father in heaven.