Matthew 10:24-39

This passage occurs in year A of the Revised Common Lectionary, during "ordinary" or "proper" or weeks after Pentecost" time.  Most recently, June 21, 2026.

Summary thoughts:  I sense that Jesus is challenging his disciples about fear and anxiety.  As disciples we will fear and get anxious about the wrong things: Our physical comfort (even health!) and our reputation.  Jesus is calling us to fear the proper thing: God. I am still working through this passage, but I think it can speak to us today as disciples in a time of great fear and anxiety.

As I read this in 2026, I am drawn to the word sword (μάχαιρα) and reflect on who and why the sword is used. 

Some words that drew me into further study:

βεελζεβουλ ("Beelezboul" or "Beelezbub"10:25)  Literally Lord of the "flies." This is the name of a Philistine god.  In the Old Testament, he is referenced when an Israelite king grows sick:  

• "Now Ahaziah fell through the lattice in his upper chamber that was in Samaria, and he became ill; and he sent messengers and said to them, 'Go inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I will recover from this illness.'" 2 Kings 1:2  (Elijah promptly condemns this king for inquiring of another god).

So why flies?  Flies are attracted to that which is sick and dying, so flies would come and pester humans who were sick.  Turns out that people would perform rituals for flies to ward them off.  The god who could take away the flies would be the god who would have brought about healing. 

It also may be a play on words that allowed the Israelites to insult another god -- calling him the lord of the Flies.

See:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myiagros and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beelzebub

Later in the Gospel, people claim Jesus is working through Beelzeboul (12:24; 12:27).  Jesus is warning his disciples here of insults they will receive for following him.

αποκαλυφθησεται (from αποκαλυπτω, meaning "reveal", 10:26)  In everyday language, apocalypse means the end.  But it literally just means the "revealing."  When I reflected on this passage in 2020, I offered, perhaps we are living through the apocalypse now in that so much of what is problematic in our culture has been revealed.

των αποκτεννοντων ('the ones who kill', 10.27)  This is a substantive participle (in the genitive).  It literally means the ones who kill.  This is rather fascinating.  Jesus is likely referring to individuals who will persecute his followers.  

The last time I significantly wrestled with this passage was 2020, when the nation was living in intermittent lockdown from COVID and also protesting the George Floyd killing.  This served as a powerful time to reflect on what exactly could and would kill us:  The virus?  Complacency?  Racism?  Still wrestling with this question six years later.

γεεννα (literally Gehenna, 10:28)  Gehenna; not hell as we often think of it.  It was a burning trash dump.  Simply, it does not mean a location, underground, in which people are tortured in the afterlife.  However, Jesus likely uses it symbolically in this and other cases in the Gospel of Matthew to denote some area/place/space of punishment.

• "Literally valley of Hinnom, a ravine south of Jerusalem where fires were kept burning to consume the dead bodies of animals, criminals, and refuse; figuratively in the Gospels and James for hell, a fiery place of eternal punishment for the ungodly dead (MT 5.22)"  Friberg Lexicon, accessed through Bible Works
• It was the location, in all likelihood, of childhood sacrifices to previous gods of the region (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gehenna) 

υηεις ('you', 10.31)  When Jesus says that "you" are worth more than sparrows, it is a you plural -- you all are worth more, not just you as an individual!

πατηρ (literally pater, meaning 'father', used throughout this passage)  I find it interesting that Matthew positions these sayings about the heavenly father 's provision (vs 29) against our love of our earthly fathers (vs 37).  As I considered Jesus' teaching (and ministry), I sense that Jesus is trying to create fictive families.  By a fictive family, I mean a group of people who are not (closely) biologically related who function like a family in terms of caring for each other.  Friends!  As humans, we are capable of creating enormous fictive families (tribes, political parties and national states).  Yet repeatedly we show a bad capacity to hurt and exclude those not in our particular fictive family.  This is most distressing.  Jesus intends to create one fictive family of the entire human family, helping us see that we are united in him.

μάχαιρα (meaning 'sword', 10.34)  What I find fascinating is that Jesus says that he has come to "bring" a sword, but he does not ask his followers to take up the sword.  In fact, he tells them to put down the sword for all who take the sword, will perish by the sword (26:52).  When the sword is employed by God, it is the Word of God that pierces the soul (Hebrews 4:12)

Simply:  Jesus uses the sword to put to death the sinner in us.  We are not called to use the sword to put to death the sinner in our neighbor.

This passage does not seem to address the question of whether Christians can bear arms; rather it suggests that Christianity will produce divisions.  In fact, the disciple is called to lose his or her life rather than take someone else's.