Gospel Reflection on Matthew 10:26-33
- Jun 19
- 3 min read
June 21, 2026
“So have no fear of them; for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. What I tell you in the dark, utter in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim upon the housetops. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father’s will. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. So every one who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven; but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.
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Our present generation has a high need for recognition. The lure of social media is all about being noticed. And the recognition that the world pushes us to seek is based on the outside of our life.
It's largely superficial, focused on our looks, on who we know, on what others think about us, on what we're currently engaged in doing. When we try to satisfy our companions in life, we become shadows of ourselves. In order to get a laugh from them or a good reaction, we become scarecrows who live a life inferior to that to which we have been called.
The reality is that we're all invited to undertake a transformational journey that begins when our hearts are touched by a beautiful word about who we are and who we can be in Christ. This word describing our true beauty germinates in our hearts. This word reminds us that we're already cherished and recognized, held valuable, that we are already known and held as precious by God.
This word of God is spoken in our hearts, in an internal room, then gradually it becomes visible. If it doesn't become visible, then it's not real. If it doesn't become concrete, then it was never fertilized.
But before this beautiful word about who we are and can be can bear visible fruit, we must face the gauntlet of opinion. This great journey can be interrupted by fear, by the fear of incurring the wrath of others, the fear of disappointing those around us. This fear is one of the most common elements that brings out human ugliness.
In this Jubilee year, St. Francis of Assisi gives us a remarkable example of what this looks like.
In front of his own Father, he publicly acknowledged the Fatherhood of God, and laid aside his rich garments, his suit of armor, and so became an enormous gift of grace for the entire Church, and in fact for all of humanity. In recognizing our true Father, we too can become gifts for humanity. But to do that, we must disobey our addiction to popularity.
Just as Francis became a great example of what can happen when we ignore the opinions of others, Herod was a great example of surrendering our future to the opinion of others. Herod goes ahead and kills John the Baptist out of fear of losing face in front of the guests at a banquet, even though in his heart he had already sensed the importance of John.
The Gospel presents us with a choice: which is more important? To kill the body or to kill the soul? What uses my body if I lose my soul?
A body without a soul is an inconsistent and superficial life. In order to avoid this tendency of living for vain glory, we have to be led out of that slavery of fear. In fact, Jesus' opening words today are: Do not fear men.
This is the key. If we have fear of people, then we end up living as hypocrites, living a double life. One life that's public, another life that's hidden.
Jesus calls on us to conserve and nurture the hidden life in our hearts, which is central. To enter into a covenant with God, that we will place our priority on the care of our souls, and then secondarily manage our bodies. The point of departure on this great journey must be our soul, not our bodies. This is wisdom for a life that's beautiful and true.
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