1st Reading – Jeremiah 20:10-13

Jeremiah said:
“I hear the whisperings of many:
‘Terror on every side!
Denounce! Let us denounce him!’
All those who were my friends
are on the watch for any misstep of mine.
‘Perhaps he will be trapped; then we can prevail,
and take our vengeance on him.’
But the LORD is with me, like a mighty champion:
my persecutors will stumble, they will not triumph.
In their failure they will be put to utter shame,
to lasting, unforgettable confusion.
O LORD of hosts, you who test the just,
who probe mind and heart,
let me witness the vengeance you take on them,
for to you I have entrusted my cause.
Sing to the LORD,
praise the LORD,
for he has rescued the life of the poor
from the power of the wicked!”

Jeremiah was a prophet in the southern kingdom; his career began in his youth in 626 BC and extended beyond the ruin of Jerusalem in 586 BC.

More than any other prophet, Jeremiah lived out the message he preached. He incurred hatred and persecution throughout his life and his faithfulness to his mission from God brought him nothing but heartbreak.

In today’s reading, we hear Jeremiah despairing about his situation.

Jeremiah said: I hear the whisperings of many: “Terror on every side! Denounce! Let us denounce him!”

This passage follows the classic pattern of a lament. Jeremiah is in danger because he has announced the judgment of God on the people. Just before the reading begins, Jeremiah prophesied that because the people had not been faithful to God, they would be defeated:

“Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: I will surely bring upon this city all the evil with which I threatened it, because they have stiffened their necks and have not obeyed my words” (Jeremiah 19:15).

All those who were my friends are on the watch for any misstep of mine. “Perhaps he will be trapped; then we can prevail, and take our vengeance on him.”

Even his close friends are waiting for him to make a mistake or stumble so they can denounce him. They hope to entice him into a situation where they can take revenge against him.

But the LORD is with me, like a mighty champion: 

Despite being completely isolated, lacking any support, and besieged on every side, Jeremiah finds solace in the presence of the Lord. He sees God as a powerful warrior (gibbôr) who will fight for his cause.

my persecutors will stumble, they will not triumph. In their failure they will be put to utter shame, to lasting, unforgettable confusion.

As a result of Jeremiah’s confidence in God, he believes that his persecutors will stumble and fail in their attempts to harm him. They will be put to shame and confusion, a fate that in an honor-shame society is sometimes worse than death.

This confidence has its foundation in Yahweh’s promise (Jeremiah 1:8, 19), which the prophet often recalled. In the midst of strong contradictions, he keeps his faith in Yahweh’s loyalty.

In today’s gospel reading, this is exactly what Jesus instructs his disciples to do: put their trust in God’s power and provident care.

O LORD of hosts, you who test the just, who probe mind and heart, let me witness the vengeance you take on them, for to you I have entrusted my cause.

The term “LORD of hosts” carries military connotations, since hosts (tsâbâ’) are army divisions. It brings to mind the cosmic battle between God and evil, in which God emerged victorious (see Psalm 24:9-11). This title was also used during wars against other nations, when God was the triumphant commander of Israel’s army (2 Samuel 5:10).

With such a powerful God by his side, Jeremiah is confident in his deliverance and protection.

Some readers today may be troubled by the prophet’s prayer for vengeance. However, it is essential to understand this within the context of the prophet’s society. This is not a prayer seeking bloodthirsty revenge but a plea for divine justice and the correction of iniquity.

What is remarkable is that Jeremiah turns to God, trusting him to rectify the situation, rather than taking matters into his own hands.

Sing to the LORD, praise the LORD, for he has rescued the life of the poor from the power of the wicked!

In this final verse, Jeremiah shifts his focus to singing praise to God. He acknowledges that God has delivered the lives of the needy from the hands of evildoers. It is a declaration of gratitude and recognition of God’s deliverance.

Note that Jeremiah praises God before justice has actually been wrought. The prophet is confident that he will be delivered and that God has already begun the process of righting the wrong.

Jeremiah’s trust in the Lord in the face of grave danger is truly extraordinary.

2nd Reading – Romans 5:12-15

Brothers and sisters:
Through one man sin entered the world,
and through sin, death,
and thus death came to all men, inasmuch as all sinned—
for up to the time of the law, sin was in the world,
though sin is not accounted when there is no law.
But death reigned from Adam to Moses,
even over those who did not sin
after the pattern of the trespass of Adam,
who is the type of the one who was to come.

But the gift is not like the transgression.
For if by the transgression of the one the many died,
how much more did the grace of God
and the gracious gift of the one man Jesus Christ
overflow for the many.

Today’s passage from Paul’s letter to the Romans highlights the incomparable nature of God’s saving grace.

Brothers and sisters: Through one man sin entered the world,

This “one man” is Adam, the first human being.

Through Adam’s disobedience, sin entered the world.

and through sin, death, and thus death came to all, 

When sin became part of the human experience, it brought with it death. This was a universal consequence — humanity’s guilt before God began with Adam, and it infected the entire human race.

While Paul does not explicitly use the phrase “original sin,” he affirms the fundamental concept behind it. He draws upon the shared human experience to explain the widespread existence of sin and death in the world.

“As infants cannot help being descended from Adam, so they cannot help being touched by the same sin, unless they are set free from its guilt by the baptism of Christ.” [Saint Augustine of Hippo (414 AD) Letter to the Sicilian Layman Hilary 157]

inasmuch as all sinned for up to the time of the law, sin was in the world, though sin is not accounted when there is no law.

Sin was widespread even before the giving of the Mosaic Law. While the Law made people aware of sin by defining and revealing it, sin itself was already present. However, sin is not counted against individuals when there is no law to define it.

In other words, the power of sin and death are independent of the Law.

But death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who did not sin after the pattern of the trespass of Adam,

Adam was explicitly told by God that the penalty for his disobedience would be death: And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die” (Genesis 2:16-17).

Later, after Moses received the Law, certain commandments involved the death penalty if broken (Exodus 21:12ff, Leviticus 24:16).

Between Adam and Moses, there was no death penalty. However, all the people from that period still died, which means that the universal experience of death is due to original sin, not anyone’s personal sin.

who is the type of the one who was to come.

Adam, the first human being, was imperfect and disobedient. His actions and their consequences impacted all of humanity.

Jesus Christ is the new Adam. Unlike the first Adam, he is the perfect and obedient Son of God. His actions and their consequences also impacted all of humanity: they fulfilled and reversed Adam’s legacy, offering salvation, reconciliation, and the hope of eternal life to all who believe in him.

But the gift is not like the transgression. For if by that one person’s transgression the many died, how much more did the grace of God and the gracious gift of the one person Jesus Christ overflow for the many.

Paul uses what is called an a fortiori argument to make his next point. This is a form of reasoning used in Jewish legal and philosophical discussions which extrapolates conclusions from a lighter case to a heavier case.

The point he makes is about the excellence of Christ: If this was the impact of Adam’s sin, how much greater must be the impact of God’s grace? Just as death for all entered the world through the sin of one (Adam), so grace was won for all through the gift of one (Christ).

Note the universality of Paul’s teaching: God’s grace overflows “for the many.” Paul’s letter shows how, in light of Jesus’ passion, death, and resurrection, God’s people began to realize that God loves and desires to save all people, not just a chosen few.

Gospel – Matthew 10:26-33

Jesus said to the Twelve:
“Fear no one.
Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed,
nor secret that will not be known.
What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light;
what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops.
And 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 Gehenna.
Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin?
Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s knowledge.
Even all the hairs of your head are counted.
So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
Everyone who acknowledges me before others
I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father.
But whoever denies me before others,
I will deny before my heavenly Father.”

In last week’s gospel reading, Jesus commissioned the Twelve and instructed them on their mission and the challenges they may face

In today’s reading, Jesus continues that instruction by teaching the apostles how to act when they face persecution.

And they will, in fact, suffer persecution. Just before this passage, Jesus told them as much: “Brother will hand over brother to death, and the father his child; children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by all because of my name, but whoever endures to the end will be saved” (Matthew 10:21-22).

Jesus said to the Twelve: “Fear no one.

The passage opens with an exhortation: Fear no one.

Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known.

Those who belong to God may be misrepresented by lies now, but ultimately the truth will prevail.

What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light; what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops.

Jesus urges his disciples to openly and boldly proclaim the truths he has shared with them. They are not to be timid or secretive but should boldly and publicly declare the message they have received from him.

We too must make Christ’s doctrine known in its entirety, without fear or a false sense of prudence.

And 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 Gehenna.

The apostles shouldn’t fear persecution or even physical death, but what they should fear is total destruction in Gehenna and rejection by God.

Gehenna is a term that appears in the New Testament, often used by Jesus to refer to hell, the place of eternal destruction. The word “Gehenna” is derived from the Hebrew term ge-hinnom which means “Valley of Hinnom,” a geographic location outside of Jerusalem.

This valley had a dark history associated with the offering of child sacrifices to pagan gods. Because of this, Jeremiah cursed the place and predicted that it would be a place of death and corruption (2 Kings 23:10; 2 Chronicles 28:3; 33:6; Jeremiah 7:31; 19:2ff; 32:35).

(Note: This is one of the gospel texts that the Church uses to teach that hell exists; others include Matthew 5:22,29; 18:9; Mark 9:43,45,47; Luke 12:5; 16:19-31.)

Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s knowledge.

Like Paul, Jesus uses an a fortiori statement to make his point. If God cares for even the smallest and seemingly insignificant creatures like sparrows, how much more will he care for his faithful followers?

Even all the hairs of your head are counted. So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

Jesus reiterates his exhortation against fear; the apostles are valuable in the sight of God.

Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father. But whoever denies me before others, I will deny before my heavenly Father.

Jesus returns to an eschatological theme. Public confession of faith in him — whatever the consequences — is an indispensable condition for eternal salvation.

This coincides with other scriptural teachings about those who will be rejected by God, such as Matthew 7:23, Matthew 25:41, and Revelation 21:8.

It is far better to endure suffering and even death for the sake of Christ than to be rejected by God for eternity.

Connections and Themes

The hardships in discipleship.  In our society, success is measured by wealth. Possessions and cunning are valued over integrity and commitment. The desires of the powerful often take precedence over all else. It is a world that desperately needs conversion, but one that ignores or even persecutes those who call for change. This world is marked by the consequences of Adam’s sin, which ushered in a culture of death.

Those who respond positively to God’s call may face hostility in this world because their values and commitment to righteousness challenge the established order. This hostility can come from friends, neighbors, and even family members. Like Jeremiah, disciples of Christ may find themselves surrounded by fear and opposition. Embracing the reign of God means challenging the status quo of the world, and this can lead to ostracization.

Fear no one. Amidst our struggles, we can find solace in God’s promises and trust in His faithfulness. We are not alone in this world, left to navigate it on our own. God’s care extends even to the smallest creatures like sparrows, so how can we doubt His care for us? God knows us intimately—our fears, dislikes, thoughts, and dreams. Yet, why do we struggle to believe that God truly cares for us?

Perhaps it’s because we expect God to shield us from all hardships and swoop in to rescue us whenever we face pain. But should we not realize that God’s care can work alongside our difficulties? Is it not a display of divine power to strengthen us in the midst of our trials rather than remove them entirely? We have God’s promises, but do we truly trust that He will be faithful to them? Or do we find ourselves seeking different assurances, unsatisfied with what God has already promised?

The gracious gift of God. The outlook for Christians may seem bleak but for believers, there is radiant hope. Paul assures us that God’s gracious gift, Jesus Christ, surpasses the impact of sin. This gift is more magnificent than anything we could have anticipated. In our moments of disappointment, Jesus provides solace. In the face of challenges and hardships that accompany our faith, He grants us strength. We are called to openly acknowledge Him in the world, and in return, He promises to acknowledge us before God. Even in the depths of darkness, there is a glimmer of light. Even amidst suffering, hope prevails.