24 “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master.
25 It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household!
26 Therefore do not fear them. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known.
27 “Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops.
28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
29 Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will.
30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
31 Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.
a disciple is not above his teacher (v.24) — and shouldn’t expect better treatment
Beelzebub (v.25) — probably from the Philistine word for “chief demon” — Baal — the Jews associated him with Satan
there is nothing covered that will not be revealed (v.26) — Some commentaries say this means that the persecutors’ unbelief will eventually come to light at the judgment (1 Corinthians 4:5), and that is certainly true. But others say it means that the truth of the kingdom message will eventually be revealed in spite of the persecution, which is also true. Perhaps the Lord meant both, but the next verse makes me lean toward the second meaning.
fear Him (v.28) — There is One to fear. By some strange perversion there are those who say that Jesus here meant the devil. Satan has no power to fling soul and body into Gehenna, and we are never told from Genesis to Revelation to fear the devil. We are always told to fear God. Men may destroy the body, but there is One Who can take hold of the body and the [soul], and condemn them to the place of rubbish and ruin. Fear Him! — Morgan, page 109
What if they should even go so far as to kill the body, as they often did and will yet do, especially to the Jewish saints in the great tribulation. (We mention again that all these words have a future meaning and fulfillment during that time of Jacob’s trouble, after the removal of the church. The Jewish believers will know the comfort of these words, as saints during this age know them.) If they kill the body they cannot kill the soul and the killing of the body and faithful testimony given through martyrdom will enrich the Lord as well as the disciple. We may not be called upon to surrender thus our bodies, yet the principle of it is ours; fear nothing outward, nothing temporal, whatever it may be. “but fear rather Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” And He who is able to do that and will do it at the Great White Throne to the unsaved, is God. He then is to be feared alone. O course all this is not to be read as referring to the believer. He who has believed is passed from death unto life, he does not come into judgment. Once saved means always saved. We must, however, not overlook the fact that among the twelve there was one who was not saved. It was the first warning coming to Judas. He looked to outward things and was a thief. — Gaebelein, page 214.
copper coin (v.29) — farthing, a coin of very little value
