The Message, June 25, 2023: "Dare To Be Bold," Matthew 10:24-39

Author: Rev. Scott W. Cousineau
June 28, 2023

“Dare to be Bold”
A Message by Rev. Scott W. Cousineau
Matthew 10:24-39

“The student is not above the teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for students to be like their teachers, and servants like their masters. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household!

“So do not be afraid of them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. 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. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

“Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.

“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn:

“‘a man against his father,
    a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—
     a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’

“Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.”

            What do you make of this passage? It is not easy to hear. It does not fit nicely with our image of Jesus. Especially that part about, “I did not come to bring peace, but rather a sword!” He literally is the Prince of Peace!!

            He is not the Sovereign of Sword. (Unless I missed that class in seminary.)

            But, as is so often the case, this passage can be quite dangerous if not understood in its proper context. And make no mistake, this passage has been the source of great pain over the generations and manifestations of “church.”

            Let us not get ahead of ourselves. This is a lesson in discipleship. Jesus is always teaching. He knew that his time on earth was limited. He needed to impart as much knowledge, as much confidence, as possible because he knew that the way would not be easy for them.

            “Do not be afraid.” It is one of the most frequently occurring statements in scripture. God knows … Jesus knows … that there is much to be afraid of in this world.

            Do not be afraid. The opening verse of this passage may sound like Jesus was admonishing his disciples not to think more highly of themselves than they ought. “The student is not above the teacher, nor a servant above his master.” But that is not the meaning of this passage. Rather, he was saying that disciples will experience everything that he experienced. All of the struggles and resistance that Jesus faced would also be faced by his disciples.

            But … do not be afraid. In the same way that God is ever-present for Jesus, God will be ever-present for those who follow Jesus.

            Do not be afraid. God will take care of us. Just as God knows every single time that a sparrow … a tiny bird, worthless in the economics of the world … every time a sparrow alights upon the ground, God is aware. If God knows every time that a tiny bird’s feet touch the ground, God will certainly know when you are struggling, when you are lost, when you are in pain. Do not be afraid. God will know and God will care for you.

            Do not be afraid of the dangers and snares of this world. There will be those who will try to hurt you. They may try to deceive you, try to corrupt you. They may threaten you and persecute you, they might even try to kill you emotionally, spiritually and physically … but they cannot kill your soul. Your soul belongs to God. Your soul is loved by God and precious to God.

            Our faith tells us that God is love. Failure to follow God, failure to follow the Way of Love that God sets before us is a type of death. God does not withhold the love, but those of this world forfeit that love when we fail to follow of practice God’s Way. God’s love is always available to us. Jesus shows us how we are to follow.

            Do not be afraid. God is with us. God is always with us. Even more … be bold. Be daring.

            There will be a period of time when Jesus speaks and teaches in private. There will be times when Jesus teaches in the “dark.” Do not be afraid, but also do not be foolhardy. There may be times when the success of the mission and ministry require silence. And then there will be times when we should proclaim the Gospel from the rooftops. Our time with Jesus will offer us the skill of discernment. Do not be afraid. Jesus will help us determine when the time is right.

            Does the name Peyton Thornby ring a bell with anyone? Probably not unless you are well-versed in the world of competitive cheerleading. I am not, but when a good story appears in my news feed, I take note.

            Peyton Thornby is an eight-year-old girl. She joined a competitive cheerleading team, and they earned the right to go to the championships in Tampa, Florida. However, when the day of the competition arrived, none of the other members of her team showed up. Not one. People consoled her, some told her that she should just forget the competition and go home. But Peyton did not want to quit.

            Despite all of those people telling her to quit, she decided to perform. She had only been cheering for one year. The routine was choreographed for a TEAM, not a solo performer, so she made up her own routine! The judges were so impressed that Peyton was presented the FIRST-PLACE trophy!

            In an interview after the competition, Peyton said that she was scared. She was sitting backstage crying. But she said that Jesus whispered in her ear, “You can do this.” And she did.

            Do not be afraid. Dare to be bold.

            But what about that “I did not come to bring peace, but rather a sword” part?

            Sometimes being bold means letting go of the past. Being bold means being willing to challenge the status quo. Jesus came to challenge the status quo. He came to challenge a faith system that had become corrupted. He came to challenge faith leaders that cared more about their power and their prestige than they did people for whom they cared … or were supposed to care.

            Do not be afraid to proclaim the Gospel even when those around you may shun you or deride you. Do not be afraid to live as Jesus taught even when those around us may not live according to that way.

            Do not be afraid. Be bold. Do not keep doing things simply because it is that way that it has always been done. Jesus is the Prince of Peace. He did come so that the world would know peace. However, there are those who wield power and influence and will not relinquish it willingly. As long as there is imbalance in relationships, there cannot be true peace. As long as people suffer because of unjust policies, practices and procedures there cannot be genuine peace. As long as people use the language of faith to support their narrow interpretations of scripture, there will not be peace.

            God is love … pure, genuine, expansive, inclusive, diverse and welcoming. That is the Gospel that we proclaim. That is the Gospel that we live. That is the Gospel that we proclaim from the rooftops. And because of that, there may be ties that will be severed. There may be relationships that are lost.

            There is a time for silence, and there is a time to be bold. In the face of atrocities and hatred and violence we cannot be silent. God’s love must be proclaimed. God’s love must be lived.

            It is time to be bold, but … do not be afraid. God is with us. God is always with us. Amen.

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