“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.” (Matthew 10:28)
What’s the worst thing that can happen? As the disciples went out on their Impossible Mission, they had plenty of obvious reasons to fear. They might be killed. They might be stoned. They might be tortured. They might go hungry. They might be thirsty. They might be exhausted. They might be mocked. They might be ridiculed. They might be muddy or dusty. They might need to buy new clothes. They might get tired of the road. They might get bored. They might get a hangnail.
Physical fears are real. He is not belittling them. The days ahead for the disciples would be rough. He just told them that. But Jesus knows that as scary as most of those things really are (He faces them Himself!) there is more to fear.
Jesus tells them that if they are going to be afraid, there is Someone BIGGER to fear.
Every physical fear is temporary. But there ARE eternal things to fear.
But Jesus is not warning them to make them fear something else. In fact, He is reminding them of the gospel that they are on their way to preach. Humans have EVERY reason to fear God. Humans have more reason to fear God than reasons to fear anything physical. But through Christ, we do not need to be afraid of God! His just wrath is redirected to Christ on the cross. His anger is re-aimed to His Son. The reasons we have to be afraid of God are all made naught.
Jesus is saying, loudly, “FEAR NOT.”
Here, simply, is His logic: There are many legitimate things to fear. But God is more fear-able than ANY of them! If you are going to be afraid, be afraid of HIM! Yet the Fearful God is appeased through Christ Himself… so you have nothing to fear!
We face physical dangers, too. A strange new virus. An economic disaster. An over-reaching government. And as we go out to spread the gospel (it is still our job, too, right? Just like the disciples…) Jesus might be speaking directly to us.
Those physical fears loom large. But if you are going to be afraid, be afraid of the REAL dangers, the eternal dangers, the soul-dangers. Yet Christ Himself has handled them.
With your eyes on Jesus… there is nothing left worth fearing.