THE TEXT BELOW IS THE TRANSCRIPTION OF THE VIDEO COMMENTARY BY FR. FERNANDO ARMELLINI

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A good Sunday to all. 

Today’s evangelical passage is part of the second sermon that the evangelist Matthew presents in his book. The first sermon is the famous one on the mountain; the second, delivered by Jesus, is not addressed to the crowds but to the group of disciples who have followed him and are sent on a mission. 

Matthew preserves this text because it is not directed at the small group Jesus was forming; it is addressed to anyone who today feels they are a true disciple of Jesus of Nazareth, with a task and a mission to fulfill. Therefore, we are these disciples who are sent! 

Jesus gives them directions before they go; he tells them what message to announce to the world. It is very simple: “The kingdom of heaven is near.” Being ‘near’ does not mean it is about to arrive; ‘near’ means you can already be part of it; it’s here, so don’t miss this opportunity to receive the kingdom of God, the new world that Jesus of Nazareth introduced. Then, the task they have to do is to “cast out demons, cure all diseases.”

What does the ‘demon’ mean? It’s the strength of the old world, old-worldliness, that seeks to perpetuate a kingdom belonging to the evil one; it is not of love. These demons are not part of the new kingdom. ‘Demons,’ in the plural, because many must be expelled, and this is the disciples’ task. 

Then, cure all diseases. Not organic diseases … doctors take care of them; these diseases prevent the realization of authentic human life in a person. We know these diseases, these demons, very well. They are pride, envy, jealousy, and the desire to accumulate goods from this world … these are the demons that prevent the kingdom of God from being established in the world. The disciples’ task, therefore, is to announce that the kingdom of God is here, and the second task is to cast out demons and cure all diseases. So, we face a sick world, and we are sent to this world. 

Then, a third indication: how the disciples should present themselves. This is also true for us today if we want our mission to be effective. No bags of money, no two robes (one is enough), no sandals, not even a cane, which was the poor man’s defensive weapon … none of that! The disciple has no weapon; he presents himself (Jesus will shortly say) like a lamb amid wolves. 

In short, these disciples appear deprived of everything indispensable for a movement that would like to assert itself, for a party that wants to be successful in this world; it needs money and many other things. The message the disciple is called to introduce into the world has an irresistible divine force. But if you trust resources that are those of the world, it means you do not have confidence in the strength this message has by itself. 

Then Jesus clearly explained what the disciple would inevitably face if he wanted to carry out his mission. What reception will the disciples have? Jesus says: Don’t expect to be greeted with applause. No! You will be like lambs among wolves, so be wise as serpents and simple as doves; therefore, be loyal; you have nothing to hide! The disciple is certainly not greater than the Master, who has been called Beelzebub… don’t expect anything better. 

When Jesus said these things (I’m summarizing this part of the sermon, the context in which today’s passage is set), the disciples must have been stunned; they must have asked themselves: ‘But if this is so, will it be worth the effort for a cause that will surely fail? We had followed the Messiah, but we did not expect this; perhaps it is better if we give up everything; we return to Capernaum and resume our life, like everyone’s life, a good life….” But this is not the new world; it is a life still embedded in an old reality. 

Jesus read in their eyes the fear of committing to this mission. Fear has a vital function because it warns you of danger and, therefore, prevents you from making wrong decisions or reckless gestures that can cost you your life. Beware if one is not afraid! It is said that “young people are the best soldiers and the worst drivers” because they do not fear danger. Therefore, they risk their lives quickly. But if fear gets out of control, it becomes an obstacle, preventing you from making brave gestures and paralyzing you. 

If you want to follow Christ, remember that the first reaction you will experience is fear; if you do not feel fear, it means you have not understood what Jesus asks of you and where he wants to take you. He was afraid too, but if you want to be a disciple, you cannot let fear dominate you; otherwise, think of something else: you can be an admirer of Christ, practice some devotions and pious work, even good works, but you will not be fully involved in his proposal to become a builder of the new world. 

The theme of today’s Gospel is Jesus’ account of the disciples’ fear. Let’s listen: Jesus said to the Twelve:

Fear no one. Nothing concealed will not be revealed, nor secret will not be known. What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light; what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops.

In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus repeats three times: “Fear no one.” Jesus says: ‘You will experience fear; I have also experienced it, but I did not allow myself to be guided by fear; I made brave decisions, and you will have to do the same.’ 

The first fear that Jesus considers is the one the disciple feels in response to a danger that does not come from outside but from within. Everyone experiences this fear: ‘I have to go and announce a new man, a new world, but am I making it happen in me, or am I afraid to accept this kingdom of God, this new world? How can I announce it to others if I have not assimilated it myself? I am fearful of making this total choice. Accepting something from this mission may be possible, but giving my life to Christ… I don’t think I can do it! I am afraid of giving up my selfishness; I keep thinking about myself when I make decisions, or I am so scared to open my heart to unconditional love, even for the enemy … this is too much!’ 

Also, when it comes to accumulating some assets, while the brother needs them, I can’t give that up… then there is also unconditional forgiveness… Then there is the fact that around me, I see people make decisions opposite to the one Jesus proposes. I am involved in this reasoning; I can’t escape those things! I also have doubts: wouldn’t it be better for me to adapt to what everyone else is doing and enjoy life without doing nasty things, without overthinking others? Wouldn’t it be better if I also reached a deal? If I make certain sacrifices, in the end, won’t I regret it? 

Here is the fear of making the wrong decision by accepting the proposal of Jesus of Nazareth. One fears ending up among the losers in history. In response to this fear, Jesus offers the first answer: Remember: Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known. Nothing will remain hidden; everything will be known in the end… In the end, life will be evaluated not by human criteria but by heaven and God; then it will become clear what the right life and the wrong life were. The theater of this world’s ephemera closes, and the truth remains. 

Your works of love are hidden today. However, the people you admire, the successful people, are others. But don’t be afraid to choose what I propose to you, because someday the darkness will dissolve. When the light of God’s judgment shines in each person’s life, everyone will see that you have made the right decision, that you were right! 

It’s not just the inner darkness that scares you, but also the dense darkness you know you’ll encounter when you are called to bring this light into the darkness of the old world. You are afraid to confront the external darkness because you will discover distrust, closure, rejection, and hostility… and in this condition, you will prefer to remain silent, keep the hope you have in your heart, and choose to stay calm and quiet. It is fear that leads you to hide your Christian identity.

Fear of reasoning as a Christian among people who follow other principles and make speeches inconsistent with your thoughts. So you’re afraid. You’re so scared to reveal your identity as a disciple. You fear being considered a retrograde, outdated, naive person who has not yet assimilated what most people approve of, one who has not understood the modern mind when thinking about life values, about the very value of life from its conception to its natural conclusion … You may not have the courage to present yourself as a disciple of Christ because you fear being ridiculed. Jesus says: ‘Bring out what I told you in the dark.’ ‘They were in the dark when they received my light; now they have light; bring this light to the world, without fear of the darkness of the world.’ 

It is not the light that should be afraid; it is the darkness that must be afraid. If a room is illuminated, even if the light is a little weak and shaky, as our faith often is, and we open the window at night, it is not the darkness that enters; it is the light that comes out. Darkness always loses; it always has to lose! Jesus reassures the disciples: ‘Despite all the trials and difficulties, the gospel will spread and transform the world.’ Now he tells us the second reason why the disciple should not be guided by fear: “And 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 Gehenna.” 

When we are afraid, an optimistic friend always comes to reassure us, saying, ‘You will see that nothing will happen to you.’ Instead, Jesus says to those who want to be his disciples: Keep in mind that something will certainly happen to you, and worry if it doesn’t, because that would mean you have adapted to everyone’s way of thinking and living, have not disturbed anyone, and that is why they leave you alone. You know that if you preach specific values, you annoy those who don’t believe in them, and they will annoy you even more if you live by them consistently. 

Remember what the Book of Wisdom says in chapter two: “The life of the righteous is different from that of others, and the paths it takes are completely different.” Remember, as Jesus says clearly, that whoever opposes the new world doesn’t want it established; the old world is okay with them… Also, remember that these people can kill you! They are the martyrs of the Gospel, and today there are many, and only God knows most of them. However, we know that those who denounce injustices, who, in the name of the Gospel, side with the weak and the poor, and who also challenge the strong financial powers of the world, know that they are made to pay! Think of the many Bishop Romeros! This is fear. 

Our life is not questioned today, at least here in our context. Still, we will certainly face opposition from those who think differently from Christ, perhaps false accusations, ridicule, and marginalization. Consider, for example, painful misunderstandings within the same family and even kind smiles that do a lot of harm. Sometimes we hear the confidences of mothers who tell us: ‘When my son sees me going out on Sunday, he asks me: What are you going to do in church? Stay home and rest. These stories of religion are things of the past, vestiges of the Middle Ages in which nobody believes today, nonsense things.’ 

These smiles do a lot of harm, and they must be considered when one is practicing the values of the Gospel. Sometimes, smiles can also be directed toward things we should avoid, because it is not always about the Gospel or the evangelical life that is questioned, but about certain obsolete religious practices. This particular credulity has never made sense. However, when there is testimony of authentic evangelical life, we also consider the possibility of family members’ misunderstanding. 

Jesus also experienced it; the Gospel of John tells us that not even his family believed in him. Jesus invites us to reflect: ‘When they dramatically persecute you, threatening your life, as it can happen, or even in other ways, such as ridicule, marginalization, offenses… Think: What harm can enemies of the Gospel do to you? Maybe they can take away advantageous positions, preventing you from advancing in a career, but no violence can deprive you of the only good that lasts, which is the life of the Eternal that has been given to you.’ 

No one can touch your identity as a disciple, and this is what matters; the life remains. Biological life does not last long; the important thing is that real life, the divine life of the son and daughter of God that is in us, cannot be touched! Therefore, the disciple must not be afraid! Jesus says, ‘If you are afraid of someone, you cannot be my disciple because if you are scared of a person, you consider him dangerous, an enemy, and, therefore, you are on guard… how to love him? You can’t be afraid! It can undoubtedly hurt you, but it will not ruin your person because your life does not depend on it.’ 

Now, Jesus says there is someone we must fear because this person has the power to make you perish in Gehenna, body and soul. Who is this dangerous figure? It is not external to us; it is the evil force within each of us. We all experience it. Is that nonsense that leads us to reason and live without considering what Christ tells us? 

It is this negative part present in each of us that we must control and fear, because it can ruin our lives; it must be kept under control; otherwise, it leads us to Gehenna, says Jesus. Gehenna is not hell; it was Jerusalem’s garbage dump, and it is a crude image that Jesus uses; he says, ‘If you follow the evil one that is within you, you throw your life in the garbage bin. You must fear this evil one, not external enemies.’ 

Now let’s listen to the third reason: 

Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s knowledge. Even all the hairs of your head are counted. So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. Whoever recognizes me before men, I will recognize before my Father in heaven. But whoever denies me before men, I will also deny before my Father in heaven. 

Perhaps we have also used the well-known expression “nothing happens that God does not allow.” This saying is a medieval interpretation of the Lord’s words about sparrows that we just heard. It is an incorrect interpretation because it is not true that nothing happens without God’s will. There are many things that God does not want and cannot even prevent. 

Jesus presents the third reason the disciples of Christ should not be afraid, using two images: first, the sparrows, and then the hair on the head. Jesus says: “Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin?” (Let me add in parentheses: it is interesting how Luke tells us this saying of the Lord. He does not say two sparrows for a small coin, but five sparrows for two coins; there were 5 X 4 at that time!) … and we closed the parenthesis … 

What does the sparrow represent? It was considered the most insignificant creature in the time of Jesus. Consider that in the Mishnah treatise of B’rakhoth, blessings are offered for all creatures created by the Lord, except sparrows, because a town of farmers had no sympathy for the sparrows that ruined the grain crops. 

Jesus says: ‘You are afraid, but if God cares for the most insignificant creatures like sparrows, how could He not care for His sons and daughters? Jesus presents this comparison because the choice to follow Him involves not only the person making the decision but also those close to him.’ 

For example, if a father decides to manage the assets according to the Master’s proposal, he does not accumulate; he is satisfied with daily bread, and whatever he has in surplus he gives to the needy. This choice not only affects him but also his whole family; maybe he will not be able to give his children everything that others give… the superfluous is excluded in that house. Perhaps the sons or even the wife disagree with this choice. Jesus says: ‘Do not be afraid, be consistent, do not worry about the consequences that may happen and that can scare you because God is a Father who cares even for sparrows, the more he will take care of you and your family if you are faithful to his Gospel.’ 

Or if you have a profession that forces you to compromise your conscience, for example, an arms factory where you earn a lot, you quit that job and agree to choose another, much less well-paid profession. You will not succeed. Maybe it won’t be accepted by your family; they won’t support this option because they have other dreams to fulfill in their lives. ‘No! —says Jesus—be consistent, don’t be afraid. If you are honest, you won’t miss out on certain career opportunities. Be consistent with your conscience, and don’t fear the consequences!’ 

Jesus answers these questions by appealing to trust in the Father in heaven. He does not promise his disciples that nothing will happen or that they will always be rescued by miracles or wonderful things. No. He only promises one thing to the disciples: ‘You have made the right decision by following the Gospel; be consistent with your beliefs.’ 

Then the other example is the reference to the hairs on the head, whose number eludes everyone; even if we count them the next day, the number will already have changed. Nothing escapes the Father. You care about the number of hairs on your head; worry about the number of hairs on your head. Oh, God will surely take care of you. You have promised to accept his proposal and become the builder of a new world. 

The text ends with a promise: 

Whoever recognizes me before men, I will recognize him before the heavenly Father. 

What happens when we find ourselves in the middle of a crowd and, at some point, we hear someone call out our name? It takes us out of anonymity; we feel a little more important. Before, we were nobody, and now someone has recognized us. But who recognized us? If that person is famous, we are proud, and people around us say, ‘This guy is in the company of that star,’ for example. Maybe I could be in a mafia group and be recognized as someone associated with people of ill repute. 

‘Here’s what’s important—Jesus says—at the end of your life, I will recognize you as someone who looks like me, as one of my group.’ For this reason, ‘make yourself recognized in this world as someone who knows me.’ We remember Peter; when questioned, he said: “…but I don’t know him,” that is, I do not belong to that group, I do not belong to those who resemble that person. ‘Here is what is important—Jesus says—let yourself be recognized as my disciple in this world; don’t be afraid to be recognized because what will be important is that, in the end, I recognize you as someone who is like me, because if you look like me, you are the Son of the heavenly Father.’ 

I wish you all a good Sunday and a good week.