We continue the patristic interpretation with verse 26 of the tenth chapter:
“Therefore do not fear them; for there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and nothing hidden that will not be made known.”
Saint Hilary of Poitiers speaks of this verse as follows: “By these words the Lord pointed to the Day of Judgment, when the secret thoughts of our desires will be revealed, and what we now consider hidden will be uncovered and brought to light. Therefore, the Lord teaches that we should not fear threats, nor evil schemes, nor persecuting authorities, for the Day of Judgment will show that all these things were empty and futile.”
Saint John Chrysostom interprets these verses in the following manner: “Why do you grieve? Is it because you will be called deceivers and liars? Wait a little, and all will call you saviours and benefactors of the world. Everything hidden is revealed in time. Time exposes both the slander of enemies and reveals your virtue. If you truly show yourselves to be saviors and benefactors, manifesting every virtue, people will not pay attention to slanderous words but will look to the truth of deeds. Then they will be shown to be slanderers, and you will shine brighter than the sun—for in the end time will reveal and proclaim who you truly are; it will sound louder than a trumpet, and all will be witnesses of your virtue. Therefore, says Jesus, the words I now speak to you should not cast you into despondency, but should inspire you with hope for future blessings; it is impossible that your deeds should remain hidden.”
The following verse:
“What I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim upon the housetops.”
Saint Ephrem the Syrian offers an interesting explanation of this verse and writes: “By the words in the dark He meant the Jewish people, while in the light signifies the Gentile nations.” For his part, Blessed Augustine adds another interpretation of these words: “What I tell you in the dark means that you are still in bodily fear, because fear reigns in darkness. Speak in the light, that is, in hope of the Truth, having received the Holy Spirit.”
Saint Hilary of Poitiers draws attention to yet another aspect and reveals the hidden meaning of these words. He writes: “In the Gospel we do not see that the Lord had the habit of preaching at night or teaching in darkness. However, since any of His preaching appears as darkness to carnal people, and every one of His words as night to unbelievers, Jesus commands that what is spoken in darkness be proclaimed in the light, and what is whispered in the ear be declared from the housetops—that is, from elevated places and with a loud voice.” Saint Chrysostom provides yet another explanation of these words: “Not in one, nor in two or three cities, but preach to the whole world, says Jesus; traverse land and sea, inhabited and uninhabited places, with heads uncovered and with complete boldness proclaim everything to kings and peoples, philosophers and orators. That is why the Lord said from the housetops and in the light, that is, without any fear and with full freedom. … By saying this, Jesus not only commands them, but also foretells the future with complete certainty in the truth of His words, showing that the apostles will overcome all things, and thereby once again uproots from them the fear of slander that was hidden (or not yet evident?) within them.”
Verse 28:
“And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”
At this point, Saint John Chrysostom offers a very profound explanation of the meaning of the entire Christian proclamation, revealing the true motive of the apostles and of all their true successors. Chrysostom speaks thus: “What is Jesus actually saying? ‘You fear death and therefore do not dare to preach? But precisely for that reason you must preach—because you fear death. This will deliver you from true death.’ Even if they kill you, they will not destroy what is best in you, no matter how much effort they exert. Therefore, Jesus did not say, ‘who do not kill the soul,’ but ‘who cannot kill the soul.’ Even if they wished to do so, they would not be able. Thus, if you fear torture, then fear far more dreadful torments. Do you see how the Lord once again does not promise deliverance from death, but, by allowing them to die, grants a greater good than if He had not allowed them to suffer in this way? Indeed, learning to despise death is far more important than being delivered from death. Thus Christ does not cast them into danger but raises them above danger; in a few words He establishes in them the teaching of the immortality of the soul, planting salvific doctrine with but a few phrases, and consoles them with further reasoning.”
Saint Justin of Ćelije explains what we Christians should truly fear: “The body of a man can be killed by anyone, but the soul by no one except sin. Sin is the sole murderer of the soul. Supreme authority over the soul is given to man himself: he has the power to destroy it and the power to preserve it for eternal life. Here man decides; God accepts the decision. In order that they might joyfully endure not only sufferings and insults, but even bodily death itself, the Lord warns His disciples of the immortality of the soul—not only of its immortality, but of its transcendence over death. ‘And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.’ Fear sin, which can cast both soul and body down into hell; man himself decides which lot he will choose for eternal life: paradise or hell. God accepts his decision, because He saves no one by force, nor does He condemn anyone by force; were He to save by force, God would be a tyrant; were He to condemn by force, He would be the destroyer of human free will. In the former case He would not be love; in the latter, He would not be justice. The apostolic calling is this: not to fear men who cannot, even if they wished, kill the soul, but to fear God, who—out of His righteous love—cannot fail to consign spiritual suicides to the dark eternity which they themselves have chosen: hell. Conquer fear with fear; overcome fear of men with fear of God.”
Thus, we see that the Church clearly teaches that sin is our true murderer and the mortal enemy whom we ought to fear.
Saint Isidore of Pelusium, at this point, responds to the propaganda of atheists that existed even in his own time, more than fifteen centuries ago: “Clinging to this notion, beloved, that souls allegedly are extinguished together with bodies, do not sin without fear, as though you expect no punishment for yourselves; rather, abandon this thought, having learned the truth from the Judge—that souls are both immortal and will be punished… For it is written: And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Behold the most indisputable testimony to the immortality of the soul! This is the truest proof both of the resurrection and of punishment! For the Saviour’s judgment must be acknowledged as stronger than any proof whatsoever.”
Blessed Augustine also addresses the question of the death of the immortal soul. He writes as follows: “And behold, the soul can die and yet be immortal. In what way is it immortal? In that a certain life continually exists in the soul and never ceases. In what way, then, does the soul die? It does not die in such a manner that life ceases to exist, but by abandoning life (within it)… Why does the soul die? Because its life—that is, God—leaves it. Therefore, know firmly and hold to this: the body is dead without the soul, and the soul is dead without God. Any person without God has a dead soul. You grieve for the departed; grieve rather for sins, for godlessness, for unbelief.”
We see this truth also in the Lives of the Saints. Thus, the holy martyr Eudoxius, responding to the governor who was interrogating him, says: “I do not fear the fire that you mention, but the one that is never extinguished, and the gnashing of teeth, and the other cruel torments prepared for those who do not obey the true God and who reject Him.”
The next three verses before us:
“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them falls to the ground without your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Therefore do not fear; you are of more value than many sparrows.”
Saint Basil the Great, commenting on these words that describe the all-encompassing scope of God’s care for us, offers the following admonition: “Let nothing lead you into unbelief. Do not say: this happened by chance, and that happened of itself. In everything that exists there is nothing chaotic, nothing indeterminate, nothing in vain, nothing accidental. Do not say: an evil chance or an evil hour. These are the words of ignorant people.”
Saint John Chrysostom explains what Jesus’ words about the birds and about the hairs on our head mean. He speaks as follows: “Birds cannot be caught without God’s knowledge. Jesus does not say that birds fall by God’s action, for such a notion would be unworthy of God; but only that nothing can happen without being known to Him. If He knows everything that happens and loves more strongly than a father—if He loves you so much that even the hairs of your head are numbered—then you should not fear. And again, Jesus did not say this because God supposedly counts our hairs, but in order to show the perfection of God’s knowledge and His great care for us. Therefore, if God knows everything that happens and is able to preserve you, and yet wills that you be subjected to sufferings, do not think that you suffer because God has abandoned you. He does not wish to deliver you from misfortunes, but wishes to teach you to despise afflictions, for in this consists true deliverance from misfortune.”
Chrysostom continues his interpretation of these verses with great depth: “Therefore do not fear; you are of more value than many sparrows. Do you see that fear had already taken hold of the apostles? Jesus knew their hidden thoughts, and therefore He added: do not fear. Even if enemies prevail, they will prevail only over what is inferior—that is, the body—which, even if they did not kill it, nature itself would nonetheless destroy. Thus, they have no power even over the body, for it is subject to nature. If you fear this, then you should tremble and fear something far greater—Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna. Although Jesus does not directly say that He Himself is the One who can destroy soul and body, by what He has said He has already shown that He is the Judge. And now the situation among us is reversed: Him who can destroy both soul and body, that is, punish us, we do not fear, while we tremble before those who kill the body; God can destroy both soul and body, whereas men can destroy not only neither the soul nor even the body; for even when they subject the body to countless torments, they only render it more glorious. Do you see how Jesus shows the struggle to be easy? Death had powerfully shaken their souls and seized them with fear, because it had not yet been conquered, and those who were to despise it had not yet been granted the grace of the Holy Spirit.”
Blessed Jerome, responding to the absurdity of accusations directed against the Church’s understanding of Jesus’ words, writes the following: “By the words, even the hairs of your head are all numbered, Jesus shows the boundless providence of God toward human beings and signifies His ineffable love, since nothing in us is hidden from God; even insignificant and idle words do not escape His knowledge. Those who deny the resurrection of the body mock the Church’s understanding of this passage, as though we were claiming that even all the hairs that have been counted but cut off will be restored. However, the Saviour did not say, ‘the hairs of your head are all preserved,’ but ‘numbered.’ Where there is numbering, only knowledge of the quantity is indicated, not the preservation of that quantity.” We thus see, from the words of the saints, that it is not only a peculiarity of our own time that enemies of Christianity seize upon the most improbable details in an attempt to weaken or undermine faith in God among people.
Adapted for the contemporary reader based on patristic commentary by Stanoje Stanković
