Final Destinations Series

Matthew 10: 27 – 31

Final Destinations

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.

If you have the opportunity to review all four Gospels you will find that Luke also recorded this teaching of our Lord. Let’s see if Luke gives us any more information.

Luke 12: 3 – 7, “3 Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops. 4 “And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. 5 But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him! 6 “Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. 7 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.”

You might be thinking to yourselves that they are both the same. Take another look at both again. I want to list theses two verses from each Gospel and see what you think?

Matthew 10: “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.”

Luke 12: 4 “And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. 5 But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!

And you say, ‘So?’ Look at Matthew’s version which says that someone’s soul and body can be destroyed in hell by God. In Luke’s version it reports less information of a person being cast into hell. Some of you might also now being thinking so what? They both are saying the same thing even though Luke doesn’t mention a body or a soul? I hope to explain this difference in a little while.

27 “Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops.

Here we see our Master and Teacher, our Lord Jesus Christ telling His disciples and us ‘in the darkness’ that we all must speak out in places where all can see, and what He as it were whispers in their ear they are to yell out from the housetops - For that indeed is the purpose for which He has called them and us. No believer in our Lord Jesus Christ gets a free pass to ignore this order from our Holy Ruler. It is in order that they might be His witnesses. News was regularly literally shouted from high housetops so that it could reach as many as possible.

The reference to darkness and light looks back to chapter 4 verse 16. ‘The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death life has sprung up.’ Our Wonderful Holy Lord Jesus here confirms that Matthew has taken that idea from His own teaching (as well as from Isaiah chapter 9 verse 2). His disciples had been in darkness, but He has come as a light to speak to them in the darkness so that they might become a light to others. As the light of the world He has spoken to them in the darkness, so that they might be filled with light.

The inner rooms when there are no lights were the most private parts of people’s homes. Similarly, what evil thoughts, words or actions we think are covered up are not secret from the one who sees and knows all. If our Holy Master and Ruler will not allow a man whom He loved to get away with sinful actions, do you think He will allow anyone else? The man as you know whom our Great God loved was David. David took his best friends wife and committed adultery with her. She wound up pregnant by David. To cover up this shame, David ultimately order his best friend, Uriah, to be killed. We find this information in the book of 2 Samuel chapter 11,