In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus warns the disciples of the adversities that await them. Jesus is preparing his Apostles for their first experience of proclaiming the Kingdom of God and persistently exhorts them “not to be afraid.”
Matthew was writing the Gospel during the reign of Emperor Domitian, who persecuted Christians for refusing to worship him as “Lord and God.” In Ephesus, a temple was constructed with a colossal statue of Domitian. The local authorities wanted everyone to bow down and worship the image of the emperor.
Christians who refused to worship the emperor were tortured, discriminated against, and had their properties confiscated. It was becoming increasingly difficult for many Christians to endure these constant harassments, and they were at the point of apostasy. How to help them through this challenging time?
In this historical context, to encourage and comfort the Christians of his community, Matthew wrote the sayings of Jesus regarding the difficulties they would have to bear. The Gospel of today emphasises three times: “Do not be afraid! ” For those who have chosen to follow Christ, fear is their worst enemy. A person may be anxious about losing their position, losing their friendships, losing their property, getting punished, being demoted, or even dying. Now the disciples are afraid of the violence unleashed by the enemies of Christ. They are scared that their mission might fail.
When Jesus says, “What I say to you in darkness, speak in the light; what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops”, we might be a little confused unless we understand Jewish customs. Whenever the Rabbis wanted to send their disciples to preach in public, they first trained them in secret. Hence, the disciples, who learned in secret from the Rabbis, kept their knowledge to themselves for a long time before later proclaiming it to the public. That is precisely the role of Jesus’ disciples today. The disciples are to proclaim in public what they heard from Jesus.
Jesus’ life, suffering, death and resurrection are the best proof for the disciples. After his crucifixion and burial, Jesus’ enemies were convinced they had silenced him forever and put a huge, immovable rock on him and his message. However, on Easter day, he is risen, just as the seed, buried in the ground, dies but only to reappear a hundredfold.
Sadly, many people are still killed for the cause of the Gospel today. Even without bloodshed, persecution exists. Sometimes it openly manifests itself through insults, public taunts, subtle and disguised marginalization, discrimination, and exclusion … Yet the Lord’s message is, “Do not be afraid.”
Father Josekutty Mathew CMF
