Beware, but Fear Not
TRANSLATION
(17) “Be on your guard, for you will be delivered over to councils, and in their synagogues they will scourge you. (18) You will be brought before governors and kings for my sake for a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. (19) But whenever they deliver you over, do not be anxious about what you will say, for what you will say will be given you in that hour, (20) for it is not you who speaks, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks through you. (21) Brother will deliver brother over to death and the father his child, and children will rise up against their parents and have them put to death. (22) And you will be hated by all for my name’s sake, but the one who endures to the end will be saved. (23) When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next, for truly I say unto you, you will not have traveled through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
(24) “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor is a servant above his master. (25) It is enough for a disciple to be like his teacher and the servant (to be) like his master. If they have called the master of the house ‘Beelzebul,’ how much more will they (speak ill) of his household! (26) Do not fear them, for there is nothing covered that will not be revealed and nothing hidden that will not be made known. (27) What I tell you in the dark, communicate in the light, and what you hear whispered proclaim from the housetops. (28) And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear the one who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. (29) Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet, not one of them will fall on the ground without your Father (knowing it). (3) But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. (31) Therefore, do not fear. You are worth far more than many sparrows.”
OBSERVATIONS
Again, by observing the repetitions, we can grasp the thrust of this segment. In the first paragraph, “deliver(ed)” occurred twice (vss. 17 & 19). Verbs for “speak” and “say” predominated in verses 19 & 20. Nouns describing family relationships “brother…father…child(ren)… parents” were concentrated in verse 21. In verse 23 we have “town(s)” occurring twice. There Jesus warned his disciples regarding the kind of opposition they should expect to face as they served him.
In the second paragraph we find several other repetitions. In verses 24 & 25, “disciple…teacher…servant…master…house(hold)” predominated. “Fear” is found four times (vss. 26, 28, & 31). In verses 26 & 27, contrasting terms should be noted: “covered…revealed,” “hidden…made known,” “dark…light,” “hear whispered…proclaim.” In verse 28 we find “kill…body…soul…destroy” repeated. Finally, Jesus mentioned “two sparrows” and “many sparrows” (in vss. 29 & 30).
OUTLINE
I. Jesus warned his disciples regarding the hostility they would face. (17-23)
II. Jesus encouraged them not to fear but to trust in the Father’s care. (24-30)
IDEA STATEMENT
While Jesus’ disciples may encounter stiff opposition as we do his will, we need not fear because we have the triune God on our side.
APPLICATION
It is never enough simply to tell those who are scared not to be afraid. What we require is someone to provide us with good reasons why we need have no fear. That was precisely how Jesus prepared his disciples for the opposition they would face as they went out to minister for him in Galilee. His assuring them that the Holy Spirit would be with them to protect them and give them the words they would have to speak let them know that they would be the beneficiaries of his divine enablement whatever opposition they encountered. His reminding them that they would experience the same kind of opposition he had continually faced throughout his earthly ministry was designed to give them assurance that they were now involved in spiritual warfare that counted for eternity. Finally, he used two illustrations, one involving the value of sparrows and the other of numbering the hairs on our heads, to show us how precious each of us is to a Father who has pledged himself to protect us.