Matthew 10:27-31

Our stories are valuable—absolutely valuable. Our stories most often define us. So when we share our authentic stories with each other, I think that we participate in a divine act.

I also think that Jesus of Nazareth understood this. Jesus was careful to take time to hear people’s stories—even the stories of people who had been pushed to the margins of society, told they were worthless, untouchable, or unclean. And in doing so, those stories became life—for those who heard them and for those who shared them.

In many ways, the community of people in the Gospel of Matthew were people whose stories were not being heard. Remember that Matthew was written well after Jesus’ death. The temple of Jerusalem had been destroyed. As Matthew was written mostly for Jewish people, this was a devastating time. They had little hope of their community and way of life being restored. They were persecuted. They were afraid. This is why Jesus tells them to not be afraid three times in only three verses of scripture. It’s urgent. They are hanging by a thread. The message that Jesus and the followers were speaking and living was dangerous, because they were trying to promote the idea that all people had access to God and were valued by God, even those whom the religious authorities and the Roman empire deemed worthless.

But they still were a community that whispered to each other in the dark because they were afraid. The threat of violence was real. The threat of their stories being trampled on was real. But Jesus told them that their stories needed to be told in the light, in the public square. Jesus told them not to fear the bullies but to fear instead the Evil One. Keep in mind that the “American” understanding of the “devil” is much different than what was uttered in Matthew’s Gospel. For the Jesus of Matthew, this devil had power to destroy both body and soul. This was far worse than any threats of the Romans or Sanhedrin/Religious authorities. This is not Jesus separating the real world from the spiritual—this is a connection. The very real Romans and religious authorities were oppressing people, and this was the work of the evil one.

Then Jesus closes with a more positive spin. Birds. Sparrows, to be more precise.

Sparrows were cheap and edible in the 1^st and 2^nd century. You could buy two sparrows for 1/16 of a denarius. Real cheap. But not even one of these cheap sparrows will fall to the ground apart from God. This means that the Divine cares for all the creation, including those whose stories had been trampled on, who had been pushed to the margins.

For all of you who still whisper in the dark because you are scared to be yourselves, have courage.

You are not alone.

You have value.

Your stories deserve to be told in the light.

For those of you who consistently live with fear and anxiety because of what people will do or say to you, find courage. You are loved. You are not alone. You have value. Your stories deserve to be told in the light.