"... So do not be afraid of them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. 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 hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father's care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. "Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven."
Three times the Lord said "Do not be afraid", this is because: Firstly, nothing hidden will not be made known. This passage of scripture is referring to the Lord's triumph, that in the past His identity is hidden, the Son of Man suffers while on earth. In the same manner, many believers suffer today for the Lord and with the Lord. But the identity of the Lord was not to be hidden forever; His glorious identity was made known after His resurrection from death. This is why in verse 27, "what the Lord tells us in the dark, speak in the daylight." In other words, it is no longer hidden. We can loudly proclaim that He is seated on the throne. Today we sit with Him on that throne, and Satan our enemy cannot claim victory over us, for Christ has triumph over him.
Secondly, do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. The persecutions and attacks from demons can kill our body at its best, but as we belong to the Lord, there is nothing that can separate us from the love of Christ. Bible never teach us to be afraid of demons, the teaching is to be alert and of sober mind; but Bible does teach us to be fearful of the living God, for in Him we live and have our being. May the Lord help us not to be afraid, for the enemy can surround us but cannot swallow us; he can attack us but cannot conquer us, for we belong to the Lord.
Thirdly, the Lord will care for us, since we belong to Him. If He cares about the sparrows, what more about us! A parable speaks of two sparrows watching human being and their busy lifestyle from a treetop, and one of sparrows asks: "Why are human so busy and without joy?" The other sparrow replies: "I don't know. Maybe because they don't have a loving heavenly father like us do!" Like how this loving father provides for sparrows, He will provide for us the same. The Lord says in verse 30: "And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid." Let us do not be afraid anymore, and live for Him; may the Lord grant us a courageous spirit, so that we can testify for Him in this world.
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