Proper 7 - Series A

Proper 7
(25 June 2023)
Series A

Jeremiah 20:7–13
Romans 6:12–23
Matthew 10:5a, 21–33

Delivered from Sin and Death, You Now Live before God in the Righteousness of Christ

The outcome of sin is death, “but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). He has set you free from the slavery of sin and has brought you “from death to life” (Romans 6:13). No longer are you under the condemnation of the Law, but you live “under grace” (Romans 6:14). Such is your courage in the face of “those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul” (Matthew 10:28). For though “you will be hated by all,” and maligned by the world for the name of Christ (Matthew 10:22, 25), you abide in the care of your Father in heaven, who numbers “even the hairs of your head” and values you more “than many sparrows” (Matthew 10:30–31). By the Word of Christ, you have become like Him, your Teacher and Master in whom you endure to the end, and “will be saved” (Matthew 10:22, 25). For He is with you “as a dread warrior,” who has overcome your enemies (Jeremiah 20:11). By the righteousness of faith, He delivers your heart, mind, body and life “from the hand of evildoers,” and He brings you into the land of the living (Jeremiah 20:12–13).

Hated for the Name of Jesus?!
Rev. Dr. Daniel J. Brege


…and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.  (Matthew 10:22)

Perhaps for too long Christians in the USA have not been hated, at least not apparently.  Generally speaking, followers of Jesus in our country have not been hated like they have been in other nations and in other centuries.  To be sure we don’t want to be hated, nor should we attempt to create ways to generate such hatred.  But be certain of this, if we are standing for the truth of Christ Jesus we should not be surprised that we are hated, rather we should be surprised that we are not.   Christians every year are being martyred by the tens of thousands.  In perhaps a lesser way Christians—even in the USA—are being verbally “hated” in communities, in congregations and even within families (vv 21,34-37).

Jesus predicts that we will be hated for His name’s sake. The “name of Jesus” especially identifies who He is and what He has done.  When we stand for this truth, identifying who Jesus is as the incarnate second person of the Holy Trinity and proclaiming His vicarious and victorious death and resurrection, the world that has been usurped by Satan will naturally hate us. The world abhors the fact that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and in fact this identity of Jesus is what caused the world to condemn Him to death (Luke 22:66-71).

The world hates a righteous God who has authority to destroy both body and soul in hell (v 28). The world gnashes its teeth when it hears of absolute right and wrong.  The “self-help” world, which claims total self-sufficiency, wants to hear nothing about needing a Savior from sin and death. The world is convinced that it has the power to overcome “evil” and that ultimately science will overcome death.  How dare these Christians say otherwise!

However the hatred for those who follow Jesus did not begin with our Lord’s prediction recorded in Sunday’s Gospel.  The “prince of this world” has always led “his” world to such vitriol and abhorrence against the truth of Christ. Thus Christ’s people both before and after Him have been hated for His name’s sake.  The prophets who predicted the Prince of Peace were frequently martyred (e.g. Mt 23:31,37).  Throughout history there has been repeated fulfillment of what the inspired poet of Israel explained in Psalm 2:  “…The heathen rage and the people imagine a vain thing.  The kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers take council together against the LORD and against His Christ.”  Indeed those who stand for the name of Jesus have been and will at times be brought before kings, governors, judges, etc., as was the case with our Lord, with Peter, Paul, Luther, and thousands of others. Thankfully they (and we) do not speak on our own, for, as Jesus promises, it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you (v 20).  The evil spirit(s) have no chance against the Holy Spirit!

But what if we are actually killed by the hateful world?  If we stop and think about this prospect—really deeply consider it—we quickly realize that on our own we will not be able to stand up for Jesus unto death.  Who can or will die for a man who lived some 2,000 years ago?  No one—by themselves.  When the time comes, however, even as we have the Spirit of our Father giving us the right words to say, so too we have the Holy Spirit empowering us even to die for the name of Jesus.  For the One who gives us victory over death and the grave promises, I am the resurrection and the life.  We will thus be enabled by His Spirit to fear not those who destroy the body (v 28).

Matthew 10:5, 21-33

:5 Τούτους τοὺς δώδεκα ἀπέστειλεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς παραγγείλας αὐτοῖς λέγων• Εἰς ὁδὸν ἐθνῶν μὴ ἀπέλθητε καὶ εἰς πόλιν Σαμαριτῶν μὴ εἰσέλθητε•

These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans,

21 παραδώσει δὲ ἀδελφὸς ἀδελφὸν εἰς θάνατον καὶ πατὴρ τέκνον, καὶ ἐπαναστήσονται τέκνα ἐπὶ γονεῖς καὶ θανατώσουσιν αὐτούς.

Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death,

22 καὶ ἔσεσθε μισούμενοι ὑπὸ πάντων διὰ τὸ ὄνομά μου• ὁ δὲ ὑπομείνας εἰς τέλος οὗτος σωθήσεται. 

 and you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.

23 ὅταν δὲ διώκωσιν ὑμᾶς ἐν τῇ πόλει ταύτῃ, φεύγετε εἰς τὴν [a]ἑτέραν• ἀμὴν γὰρ λέγω ὑμῖν, οὐ μὴ τελέσητε τὰς πόλεις τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ ἕως ἂν ἔλθῃ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου.

When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next, for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

24 Οὐκ ἔστιν μαθητὴς ὑπὲρ τὸν διδάσκαλον οὐδὲ δοῦλος ὑπὲρ τὸν κύριον αὐτοῦ.

A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant Or [bondservant; ]above his master. 

25 ἀρκετὸν τῷ μαθητῇ ἵνα γένηται ὡς ὁ διδάσκαλος αὐτοῦ, καὶ ὁ δοῦλος ὡς ὁ κύριος αὐτοῦ. εἰ τὸν οἰκοδεσπότην Βεελζεβοὺλ ἐπεκάλεσαν, πόσῳ μᾶλλον τοὺς οἰκιακοὺς

αὐτοῦ.

It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household.

Have no fear

26 Μὴ οὖν φοβηθῆτε αὐτούς• οὐδὲν γάρ ἐστιν κεκαλυμμένον ὃ οὐκ ἀποκαλυφθήσεται, καὶ κρυπτὸν ὃ οὐ γνωσθήσεται.

“So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. 

27 ὃ λέγω ὑμῖν ἐν τῇ σκοτίᾳ, εἴπατε ἐν τῷ φωτί• καὶ ὃ εἰς τὸ οὖς ἀκούετε, κηρύξατε ἐπὶ τῶν δωμάτων.

 What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops.

28 καὶ μὴ φοβεῖσθε ἀπὸ τῶν ἀποκτεννόντων τὸ σῶμα τὴν δὲ ψυχὴν μὴ δυναμένων ἀποκτεῖναι• φοβεῖσθε δὲ μᾶλλον τὸν δυνάμενον καὶ ψυχὴν καὶ σῶμα ἀπολέσαι ἐν γεέννῃ. 

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. [Gehenna]

29 οὐχὶ δύο στρουθία ἀσσαρίου πωλεῖται; καὶ ἓν ἐξ αὐτῶν οὐ πεσεῖται ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν ἄνευ τοῦ πατρὸς ὑμῶν.

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. 

ἀσσαρίου - Roman copper coin (Latin quadrans) worth about 1/16 of a denarius (which was a day's wage for a laborer)

30 ὑμῶν δὲ καὶ αἱ τρίχες τῆς κεφαλῆς πᾶσαι ἠριθμημέναι εἰσίν.

But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. 

31 μὴ οὖν [i]φοβεῖσθε• πολλῶν στρουθίων διαφέρετε ὑμεῖς.

Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

32 Πᾶς οὖν ὅστις ὁμολογήσει ἐν ἐμοὶ ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ὁμολογήσω κἀγὼ ἐν αὐτῷ ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ πατρός μου τοῦ [j]ἐν οὐρανοῖς•

So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven 

33 ὅστις δ᾽ ἂν ἀρνήσηταί με ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ἀρνήσομαι κἀγὼ αὐτὸν ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ πατρός μου τοῦ ἐν οὐρανοῖς.

 but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.

The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition. Copyright © 2010 by Society of Biblical Literature and Logos Bible Software

ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.