Hello everyone. Welcome back to logical Bible
study. And once again, we're taking a
look at the Gospel reading for today's mass.
So if you go to mass today, you'll hear from Matthew chapter
10 verses 26 to 33. So we're going to have a look at
the text. And then as we always doing this
podcast, we want to have a go at Analyzing the literal sense of
scripture. What was the original meaning in
the plain sense of the text? What's the author trying to
communicate to his audience? And of course if we understand
that correctly then that would also be the meaning that is
intended by the Holy Spirit. And so that's where we always
want to start as Catholics when we study the scripture.
So Matthew chapter 10 verses 26 to 33.
Jesus instructed. The 12 as follows, do not be
afraid for everything that is now, covered will be uncovered
and everything. Now, hidden will be made clear
what I say to you in the dark. Tell in the daylight, what you
hear in Whispers Proclaim from the housetops?
Do not be afraid of Those Who Kill the body, but cannot kill
the soul, fear Him, rather who can destroy both body and soul
in hell. Can you not buy Two Sparrows for
a penny and yet not one falls to the ground without your father?
Knowing why every hair on your head, has been counted.
So there is no need to be afraid.
You are worth more than hundreds of sparrows.
So, if anyone declares himself for me in the presence of men, I
will declare myself for him in the presence of my Father in
heaven, but the one who disowns me in the presence of men, I
will disown in the presence of my Father in heaven.
So some quite complex language here in Matthew and some
interesting things we can learn about theology.
So the context of this one is really important.
When is Jesus saying this? So this is in the middle of a
long speech that Jesus gives his 12 Apostles before he sends them
out amongst the town's. So it's a long disciple speech.
Basically, if you want to hear the entire speech, you can hear
that during the weekday cycle around week, 14 of ordinary
time, every year. So Monday, through Saturday, in
week, 14 of ordinary time, the lectionary breaks down this
speech into smaller chunks. Now, in this particular part of
the speech to his Apostles, he's encouraging them not to be
afraid when they face difficulties on their mission.
So he's about to send them out on a mission and he's also
referring to the Future missions.
They're going to experience after he's gone.
Verse 26, Jesus instructed the 12.
Now, the audience here is important, he is talking to the
Twelve Apostles and he's giving them instructions about their
specific Mission. So that means what Jesus says
here does not necessarily apply to all disciples in all times.
We can't say that this applies to us in the same way.
First thing he says, is do not be afraid or literally have no
fear of them, so who's the them? Well, in context, his telling
the apostles not to be afraid of the Jewish leaders and the
governors who are going to persecute them and put them in
on trial in the coming years. So Jesus knows that the apostles
when they preach, the gospel are going to face persecution.
And he's telling them do not be afraid of those who persecute
you for everything that is now, covered will be uncovered and
everything. Now hidden will be made, clear,
this is probably a reference to the apostolic age.
So, Jesus is looking Head to the time when the apostles will
preach on Earth and Jesus is saying that.
While he is, currently speaking about the kingdom during his own
lifetime, in a kind of a Ordway using things like Parables his
teachers here that after his return to heaven and the Holy
Spirit has come and the apostolic age.
The apostles will proclaim the kingdom of God, clearly to the
whole world and they won't use Parables.
So, let's have a look at that. Phrase again, for everything
that is now, covered will be uncovered and everything.
Now, hidden will be made clear. So, I think that is, was talking
about the up, Systolic age. The apostles preaching will be
quite clear and not vague as Jesus teaching, sometimes is
deliberately. And, by the way, Jesus
deliberately makes things vague his contrasting.
That with the way, the apostles will preach would be very plain.
That's how God sets up, his Plan of Salvation during Jesus
lifetime, he reveals the kingdom to people in a sort of hidden
way where that only those who are open to it will understand.
And but then the, when the apostles preached, it sort of
changes it. Bit and they speak in a much
more plane way and apparently that's how the father wanted to
set it up. Verse 27, what I tell you in the
dark tell in the daylight, what you hear in Whispers Proclaim
from the housetops. So once again, same meaning
Jesus is telling the apostles that they will need to boldly
proclaim, the things of the Kingdom, which at the present
time that he's speaking, he's only revealing to them
privately, he's saying the day will come, when you're going to
shout, the mysteries of the Kingdom from the housetops, and
what does it mean by housetops Will in that culture?
All houses had roofs for socializing.
So you go up on the roof to talk to people and to do certain
tasks, it was actually good place to stand and Shout a
message. To the neighborhood.
So, it's a metaphorical thing when Jesus says, she'll from the
housetops. Here means tell everyone, That
is going to be the apostles mission after Jesus is gone.
First 28, do not be afraid of Those Who Kill the body but
cannot kill the soul. So Jesus now encourages his
Apostles to put their suffering that they're going to experience
in an eternal perspective. He knows that they're going to
encounter a lot of persecution in the coming years and he knows
that some of them are even going to be killed for their faith.
And we know from history, that that appears to be the case.
However, Jesus tells them not to fear bodily death since in doing
so they will gain much greater if they died in the faith
though, go to heaven here, he says, there's a much worse fate
that they should be afraid of, which is this fear Him rather,
who can destroy both body and soul in hell, this is a scary
phrase. Now, some of thought that this
refers to Satan and typically people will say that who aren't
comfortable with seeing God is Judge, but in context and
certainly in the way Jesus explains how in other places,
this is God, God, the father is the one who can destroy both
body and soul in Hell. Jesus is not telling them to
fear Satan. That would not seem to fit with
his other teachings. He's saying fear God.
So, the father is the one who sends people to hell, not Satan,
Satan might be there in a sense, but God is the one who sends
people there. So here, why does Jesus bring
this up? Well he's basically warning his
Apostles not to give up on the Faith, No matter how much they
will be persecuted. He says that although denying
the faith might give them some temporary relief, they'll stop
being persecuted in this life and there might be tempted to do
that actually. He says that if they give up on
the faith, they will end up in a much worse place, he'll in
eternal life here. This is a pretty clear teaching
at least for the apostles that If you deny the faith you end up
in hell. It probably applies particularly
in this context to the apostles though.
The apostles in particular are being warned about this because
they are given a very special commissioning and Authority from
Jesus. So they have a greater
responsibility to stay in the faith and also means they
receive a greater condemnation if they don't use their
responsibility. Well, Now what's the word for?
He'll hear the word for hell is gehenna.
That's Jesus word that he usually uses when he's
describing the Eternal state of Destruction.
Jesus teaches things about how all through the gospels and here
notice what he says, fear the one who can destroy both body
and soul in hell. So, he says something quite
clear about how it works. Both the body, and the Soul, are
in some sense, destroyed in hell, now there's a lot of
discussion among theologians about what it means to have your
soul destroyed, some have thought that it means.
Annihilated as in your cell goes out of existence.
That's not the Catholic view though, the Catholic View.
Destroyed here. In some sense means broken down
which is certainly the way destroyed is used in other
places in the Bible. So inhale, it's a scary thought
but Jesus is saying it is a place where your soul is kind of
broken down. So he puts that aside for a bit,
the afterlife stuff. He's now going to give a couple
of short metaphors to show the apostles and to encourage them
that God is indeed watching over them.
So they should not fear but he's going to return at the end of
our past. Age to more information about
the afterlife verse 29 first little metaphor.
Can you not buy Two Sparrows for a penny?
So sparrows were used for different things by the Jews.
It appears there might have been used in liturgical sacrifices at
the temple. Certainly they are very cheap, a
penny is very cheap, but Jesus says and yet not one of them
falls to the ground without your father, knowing So even though
sparrows were common in that culture and that were quite
cheap Jesus says God, the Father sees and knows when every single
Sparrow Falls. This is an affirmation of God's
omniscience this versed clearly teaches that God sees.
I mean, if he sees all the sparrows Falling by implication,
it teaches that God sees everything on Earth.
Jesus Point. Here is this, if the father can
see when every Sparrow Falls, of course he can see.
And watch over each of you apostles, who are so much more
precious than the sparrows. Now, some translations actually
make it stronger than this. Rather than saying yet not one
fall to the ground without your father.
Knowing it actually says, without your father, willing it
now, that's even stronger, isn't it?
Because it tells us if that's the right translation.
God not only is watching everything.
He is actually planning and allowing everything everything
is under his control and that's certainly part of Catholic
belief as well. Verse 30.
Why? Every hair on your head?
Has been countered. So Jesus teaches that God, the
Father Knows people. So intimately that he even knows
the number of hairs on our head. How incredible is that?
We should reflect on this verse more?
This is a God who knows us far more intimately and deeply than
we even know ourselves. He knows the number of hairs on
our head. We don't know that but he does.
Verse 31. So there is no need to be
afraid. You are worth more than hundreds
of sparrows. The apostles, as God's
Messengers are far more valuable than sparrows, that's the
teaching here. Now, Jesus probably applies this
to all humans as well probably in.
Jesus mind, all humans are valuable to God.
They're more valuable than sparrows because we're made in
God's image. We are all incredibly loved by
God, much more than common animals.
Now that has interesting applications.
As for animal rights movement, doesn't it?
Because the clear teaching of scripture is that although
animals are incredibly valuable and worth protecting the clear
teaching of scripture is that humans are much, much more
valuable than animals in the eyes of God, at least.
Jesus is now going to return to the theme of the afterlife and
he's going to talk a bit about martyrdom and how martyrdom
works if you're killed for, proclaiming your faith in Jesus
verse 32. So, if anyone declares himself
for me in the presence of men or is other translations, have this
acknowledges me before men, When would this happen well in
context? Jesus is predicting that there
will come a time. When the apostles will be asked
by the Jewish leaders often at the point of death, whether they
believe, Jesus is the Messiah and we know from history, that
that happened. They basically were told if you
deny your faith in, Jesus will stop persecuting you.
And many of them or certainly, the apostles did not.
Give up the faith. They were willing to die.
They would not deny Jesus, other disciples were not Known to
leave the faith in that situation.
That's why Jesus brings it up because he knows that the
apostles are going to face that challenge.
If anyone declares himself for me in the presence of men, I
will declare myself for him in the presence of my Father in
Heaven. A better translation here.
I think, is I work acknowledge Him before my father?
So the idea here is that, if the apostles remain faithful to
Jesus and do not deny him even at the point of death, then
Jesus Will intercede. On their behalf in heaven and
will tell the father that this Apostle is one of his own.
Therefore, if the Apostle is mastered, as a result of
refusing, to give up on Jesus, they will enter Heaven.
That's the teaching here and sit.
You notice the link here to what he said earlier about fear the
one who can cast you body and soul into hell.
This is another, reminder not to give up the faith so that they
can enter Heaven. Jesus will honor them if they
honor him. But then, he flips it around,
but the one who disowns me in the presence of men, I will
disown in the presence of my Father in heaven.
So anyone who denies Jesus, when questioned Jesus says, he will
deny that person to the father. That's kind of scary, isn't it?
This is a strong implication that the person who denies Jesus
when asked if they believe in him will not be admitted into
heaven. Now, certainly the primary
Application here is to the time of the Apostles.
It's a warning to the apostles that if they deny Jesus, they
will not get into heaven. And so there's some debate about
how much that applies because certainly some people are put
under quite a strong amount of pressure to give up the faith.
But certainly here, we have the basics of the teaching about
martyrdom Now, that's all we get to hear today.
The next part of this speech is read on Monday of week, 15 in
ordinary time. It's not actually read On Any
Sunday. So if you want to hear the next
little bit Monday of week, 15 in ordinary time, Let's take a
quick look at some catechism paragraphs, which make reference
to this passage from Matthew chapter 10 paragraph, 36 3.
This is about the idea of a soul in sacred scripture.
The term Soul often refers to human life or the entire human
person. But Soul also refers to the
innermost aspect of man, that which is of greatest value in
him that by which he is most, especially in God's image, Soul
signifies the spiritual principle in, man.
And certainly we hear Jesus referring to souls here.
Paragraph 1034 is about hell and this brings together various
things Jesus says about gehenna. Jesus often speaks of gehenna of
the unquenchable fire reserved for those who to the end of
their life, refuse to believe, and be converted.
We're both Body and Soul can be lost, Jesus, solemnly, proclaims
that he will send his angels and they will gather all evildoers
and throw them into the furnace of fire.
And that he will pronounce the condemnation.
Depart from me, you accursed into the Eternal fire, scary
words, but this is in the catechism, it's part of Catholic
teaching that those who persist to the end of their life, in
refusing to believe, and be converted, will go to hell where
their soul and body will be lost.
Obviously, there's a bit more Nuance in here.
This is just one paragraph but it does certainly make reference
to Jesus basic teaching about what happens in Hell paragraph,
3 o5. Five.
This is about Divine Providence. One of the most mysterious
aspects of theology, Jesus asks, for childlike, abandonment to
the Providence of our heavenly father who takes care of his
children's smallest needs. And if then goes on to
reference, various passages in Matthew and this is one of them
where Jesus says, you're the very hairs on your head are
numbered. So the Father Knows us and he
takes care of us in his Divine Providence.
Paragraph, 1816 is about faith. The disciple of Christ must not
only keep the faith and live on it, but also professors.
Confidently, bear witness to it and spread it all.
However, must be prepared to confess Christ before men and to
follow him along the way of the Cross amidst the persecutions
which the church never lacks service of and witness to.
The faith are necessary for salvation.
So, everyone, who acknowledges me before men, I will also
acknowledge before my father, who is in heaven, but whoever
denies me before men, I will also deny before.
My father, who is in heaven? So we have there, a direct
quote, from what we heard today in Matthew chapter 10.
To support the Catholic teaching that service of and witness to
the faith are necessary for salvation, we don't like to hear
that those conditions on salvation but this is one of
them we have to witness to the faith and we cannot deny it or
openly. Paragraph to 145.
This is our last one for today. The faithful should bear witness
to the Lord's Name. By confessing the faith without
giving way to fear, preaching, and catechizing should be
permeated with adoration, and respect for the name of our Lord
Jesus Christ. So we'll leave it there for
today. Thank you again, for listening.
I hope you learned something new.
It's always great to dive into the text of the gospels,
particularly Matthew. Because there's a lot of stuff
going on there in terms of the Jewish.
We often don't know about and that's the point of this podcast
to help you get to know those socio-cultural aspects of the
text that you may not have been aware of so that we can better
get out what Jesus intended to teach.
And I know so many of you have benefited from this approach to
scriptures. Thank you for your feedback,
please consider sending in an email.
If you're new to the podcast and you're learning from it, send an
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Catholics. Learning more about the
scriptures. All of the information for that
is in the show notes. Thanks for listening.
We'll see you again tomorrow.