Matthew 10:24-33 * June 19, 2005 * Pentecost 5 * Rev. Johann Caauwe

Jesus’ words in the Gospel for today must have been comforting to the Romans. Of course, I’m sure they treasured the words that Paul wrote to them in his letter, just as we do. I’m sure that Paul’s letter was very valuable to them in later years when they began to experience severe persecution. I’m sure that it was tremendously helpful to have such a comprehensive summary of what they believed.

But when it came time to stand up and confess; when it came time to confess their faith in Jesus and be killed or to deny it and live, I think that these words of Jesus must have brought great comfort to the Romans. But I don’t think Jesus was limiting his words to those who stood at the edge of a sword. He speaks these words to all who confess him. He speaks them to me. He speaks them to you. With these words,

Jesus Comforts his Confessors

He does that with the I. truth about his Word

and the II. truth about his care

In this section Jesus is speaking to his twelve disciples. You may recall that in last week’s Gospel Jesus sent these men out. He told them that the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few and that they should pray for workers. Then Jesus promptly answered their prayers by sending them out as workers. Jesus gave them some directions about where they were to go, how they should go, and what they could expect.

Much of what Jesus had to say to them was not pleasant. Jesus told them that they could expect to be rejected, arrested, beaten, and hated. That’s not terribly comforting. And what he continues with does not appear to be any different:

“A student is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for the student to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebub, how much more the members of his household!” (v. 24, 25)

Jesus’ disciples had no reason to believe that they would be treated any better than Jesus was. Jesus was hated; naturally his followers would be hated. Jesus said he was the Son of God. They said he was Beelzebub. They called him a liar; so his followers must be liars as well. His followers have been misled; their confession is based on a lie.

Would you stand before a high priest, or an emperor or king—with your life on the line—and confess a lie? Would you confess your faith to a friend, neighbor or co-worker if you weren’t sure it was actually true? Or would you instead be overcome with fear—fear of damaging a relationship, losing a friend, or losing your life?

Satan and his followers love to plant fear by calling Jesus and his followers liars. They say, “look around you, and it seems that what Jesus says isn’t true. Look around and you’ll see that the wicked people prosper and the righteous people suffer. It looks like when you die you die, so it’s better to live life to the full now; eat, drink, and be merry. If Jesus is a liar then you would have all kinds of reasons to be afraid when it’s time to stand up and confess your faith.

But Jesus says: “do not be afraid of them. There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known.” (26) You don’t need to be afraid because Jesus is not a liar. And you have Jesus’ word that someday this will be evident to everyone. But for now Jesus calls on his confessors to listen:

“What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs.” (27) Just as Jesus often took his disciples aside to teach them, he speaks to us in his Word. He speaks to us in His Word personally, individually. He speaks to you as though it were you and him alone in a dark room. He whispers things to you that you won’t hear anywhere else. You see, he knows your own personal failures and faults. In his Word he exposes the unique sinful thoughts and desires that you have. Even in the dark, he sees you very clearly. But it is also there that he whispers his sweet message of forgiveness to you, just to you. He calls to you “though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow” (Isaiah 1:18). With this gospel whisper he wins us, draws us in, and creates in us the faith to believe it.

And then he compels us to speak this word to others. We have not been misled by a lie; we have been compelled by the gospel. We are moved to confess by the word of God itself. We are like the prophet Jeremiah who said that God’s word was in his heart like a fire shut up in his bones. He couldn’t help speaking it. Whether that word is a word of the law, telling people of their sin or one that announces God’s forgiveness, we, too cannot help speaking about what God has told us.

And when our message is ignored or rejected, the very same message we confess is the same message that comforts us.

When I was a teenager, I remember having certain doubts. I was pretty sure that my church taught what the Bible said, but I thought to myself, “well, what if the Bible isn’t correct?” At Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, above the doors that lead to the library are the words “Thy Word is Truth.” Those are Jesus’ words from John 17. On a high school visit to the Seminary, I very vividly recall seeing those words and being comforted by them. “Thy Word is Truth.” I knew that God would not lie to me and if he said his Word was true it must be true. There Jesus comforted a young confessor with his Word of truth. It is that comfort that compels us go forth confessing his name to the world.

But Jesus not only comforts us with the truth about his Word, but he also comforts his confessors with the truth about his care.

In this whole section you might say that Jesus is brutally honest about what his disciples may face. He readily admits that his confessors will be persecuted and some will even die. And again, his words don’t really sound that comforting. At first glance it doesn’t seem that helpful for him to say, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” (28) It almost sounds like Jesus is dismissing the fact that some people will actually lose their lives for him. And the prospects are even worse for those who deny him.

But Jesus does comfort his confessors. He reminds them first of all that he is the only one who has control over body and soul. Evil men, even Satan himself cannot destroy your soul. God cares for your soul. And he cares for your body, too. “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.“ (29-31)

Because God cares for such an insignificant thing as a sparrow; because God keeps track of such minute details as the number of hairs on your head, certainly God cares for you—because you are worth more than many sparrows.

It’s not an easy thing to determine how much a person is worth. Some people will say that a person is worth how much money a person has, or makes. Or maybe a person is worth the amount of life insurance they carry. Others will say you simply can’t put a value on the worth of a person.

Jesus says that in God’s sight we are worth more than many sparrows. How many sparrows, do you think? And how does God determine how many sparrows you are worth? Is it based on the number of good works you do? Is it based on your church attendance? Is it based on how many friends you bring to church? Of course not.

Perhaps the best way to find out how much you are worth to God is to see how God shows you how much you are worth to him.

He says you are worth enough to him to carefully craft your body together in your mother’s womb. He says you are worth enough to wash you with water and his Word, to call you by name–as a child of God. He says you are worth enough to give you his own body and blood to eat and to drink; you are worth enough to go to such great lengths to say to you again and again, “your sins are forgiven; you are mine.” He says that you are worth enough to hold you in his arms throughout your life and bring you to him when life is over. You are worth enough to stand beside you in heaven, to acknowledge you, to say your name before God the Father and say, “here is one of my confessors. This one is mine.”

It is frightening to imagine speaking the word of God and dying for it. It’s a little scary to think of being persecuted for telling others about Jesus. It’s even a little daunting to think of being ignored, laughed at, having a door slammed in your face, or even a semi-polite, “thanks, but no thanks.” All those things are very real, frightening possibilities for a pastor or for any Christian, but Jesus cares, and that’s comforting.

God only knows what opportunities you will have to confess Jesus’ name. There are probably more than you think. Some will come in the normal course of your life. Some will come as you actively seek people who need to hear Jesus’ Word. Some will simply come as you as a congregation continue to support workers to do this on a daily basis. Some of them will seem easy; some will not. Some may actually hurt. But don’t be afraid. Jesus cares. Jesus does comfort his confessors with the truth about his Care.

Next Saturday, June 25, marks 475 years since several princes of Germany stood before the Holy Roman Emperor and presented what we know as the Augsburg Confession. This is sometimes called the birthday of the Lutheran Church. These men boldly confessed their Christian faith, risking their positions, their power, and even their lives. What they did in Augsburg in 1530 serves as a wonderful example for us. We ought to thank God for what they did and pray that we would be willing to do the same.

But I suspect that they relied on these very same words of Jesus as much a new pastor will. I suspect that they were as comforted by these words as you will be when it comes time to confess. And you will be comforted, because Jesus comforts his confessors, with the truth about his Word and with the truth about his care. Amen.