Matthew 10:29-33: a reflection

29“Aren’t two sparrows sold for an assarion coin? Not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. 30But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31Therefore don’t be afraid. You are of more value than many sparrows. 32Everyone therefore who confesses me before men, I will also confess him before my Father who is in heaven. 33But whoever denies me before men, I will also deny him before my Father who is in heaven.

Jesus grounds the courage to confess him before others in the Father's sovereign care, telling us that not even a sparrow falls to the ground apart from the Father, so we need not be afraid. Not one sparrow falls to the ground apart from your Father's will, Jesus says; the very hairs of your head are all numbered; therefore don't be afraid. And then: everyone who confesses me before men, I will confess before my Father. Because nothing befalls us, not even a sparrow's fall, apart from the Father's care, we need not be afraid, even to confess Christ before others when it is costly. The Father's sovereign care over all that befalls us is the ground of fearless confession. This shows that because nothing befalls us apart from the Father's care, we can confess Christ without fear. Nothing befalls you apart from the Father's care; so do not be afraid. The Father's sovereign care is the ground of fearless confession of Christ. You are held even in hard things; confess Christ without fear. Let the Father's care free you to own Christ before others.

Notice how Jesus links the Father's care to the courage to confess him. He tells us that not one sparrow falls to the ground apart from the Father's will, and that the very hairs of our head are numbered: nothing that befalls us, not even so small a thing as a sparrow's fall, is outside the Father's care and knowledge. Therefore, he says, do not be afraid. And immediately he speaks of confessing him before others: everyone who confesses me before men, I will confess before my Father. The connection is this: because we are held so securely in the Father's care, with nothing befalling us apart from him, we can confess Christ before others without fear, even when such confession is costly. This grounds our courage. To own Christ before others, to confess him, can be costly, exposing us to rejection, hostility, or worse; and fear can tempt us to keep silent, to hide our allegiance. But Jesus assures us that nothing befalls us apart from the Father's care; even in the hardest consequences of confessing him, we are held by the Father, who numbers our hairs and notes the sparrow's fall. Because we are so held, we can confess Christ without fear, entrusting even the costs to the Father who cares for us. We do well to let the Father's sovereign care free us from fear, so that we confess Christ before others rather than hiding him. Let the Father's care free you to confess Christ without fear. Nothing befalls you apart from the Father; you are held even in hard things. Do not hide your allegiance to Christ out of fear. Confess Christ before others, entrusting the cost to the Father who cares for you.

That is worth taking to heart, for nothing befalls us apart from the Father's care, and this frees us to confess Christ before others without fear, as Jesus grounds our courage in the Father's care. To confess Christ can be costly, and fear can tempt us to hide him; but Jesus says not a sparrow falls apart from the Father, so we need not be afraid to own him. You are held. Do not hide your allegiance to Christ out of fear; because you are held in the Father's care, with nothing befalling you apart from him, confess Christ before others, entrusting the cost to him. Confess Christ before others without fear, entrusting even the cost to the Father, because nothing befalls you apart from his care, as Jesus grounded the courage to confess him in the Father's sovereign care, telling us that not even a sparrow falls to the ground apart from the Father and that the very hairs of our head are numbered, therefore do not be afraid, and then that everyone who confesses him before men he will confess before his Father; for because nothing befalls us, not even a sparrow's fall, apart from the Father's care, we need not be afraid even to confess Christ before others when it is costly, the Father's sovereign care over all that befalls us being the ground of fearless confession, since Jesus links the Father's care to the courage to confess him, telling us that nothing that befalls us is outside the Father's care and knowledge and therefore not to be afraid, and immediately speaking of confessing him before others, the connection being that because we are held so securely in the Father's care we can confess Christ without fear even when costly, which grounds our courage, since to own Christ before others can be costly, exposing us to rejection or hostility, and fear can tempt us to keep silent and hide our allegiance, but Jesus assures us that nothing befalls us apart from the Father's care, so that even in the hardest consequences of confessing him we are held by the Father who numbers our hairs and notes the sparrow's fall, and because we are so held we can confess Christ without fear, entrusting even the costs to the Father, so that we do well to let the Father's sovereign care free us from fear.

Lord Jesus, you ground the courage to confess you before others in the Father's sovereign care, telling us that not even a sparrow falls to the ground apart from the Father, so we need not be afraid. Not one sparrow falls to the ground apart from your Father's will, you say; the very hairs of your head are all numbered; therefore don't be afraid. And then: everyone who confesses me before men, I will confess before my Father. Because nothing befalls us, not even a sparrow's fall, apart from the Father's care, we need not be afraid, even to confess you before others when it is costly. The Father's sovereign care over all that befalls us is the ground of fearless confession. Show me how you link the Father's care to the courage to confess you. You tell us that not one sparrow falls to the ground apart from the Father's will, and that the very hairs of our head are numbered: nothing that befalls us is outside the Father's care and knowledge. Therefore, you say, do not be afraid. And immediately you speak of confessing you before others: everyone who confesses me before men, I will confess before my Father. The connection is this: because we are held so securely in the Father's care, with nothing befalling us apart from him, we can confess you before others without fear, even when such confession is costly. This grounds my courage. To own you before others can be costly, exposing me to rejection, hostility, or worse; and fear can tempt me to keep silent, to hide my allegiance. But you assure me that nothing befalls me apart from the Father's care; even in the hardest consequences of confessing you, I am held by the Father, who numbers my hairs and notes the sparrow's fall. Because I am so held, I can confess you without fear, entrusting even the costs to the Father who cares for me. Take that to my heart. Keep me from hiding my allegiance to you out of fear; help me confess you before others, Lord, entrusting the cost to the Father who cares for me, because nothing befalls me apart from his care and I am held even in hard things.