At that time:
So many people were crowding together
that they were trampling one another underfoot.
Jesus began to speak, first to his disciples,
“Beware of the leaven–that is, the hypocrisy–of the Pharisees.

“There is nothing concealed that will not be revealed,
nor secret that will not be known.
Therefore whatever you have said in the darkness
will be heard in the light,
and what you have whispered behind closed doors
will be proclaimed on the housetops.
I tell you, my friends,
do not be afraid of those who kill the body
but after that can do no more.
I shall show you whom to fear.
Be afraid of the one who after killing
has the power to cast into Gehenna;
yes, I tell you, be afraid of that one.
Are not five sparrows sold for two small coins?
Yet not one of them has escaped the notice of God.
Even the hairs of your head have all been counted.
Do not be afraid.
You are worth more than many sparrows.”

There is nothing concealed that will not be revealed…, Be afraid of the one who after killing has the power to cast into Gehenna… You are worth more than many sparrows.

This passage is about the last judgement. What Jesus is saying, is that at the end of time, the wisdom and justice of God’s judgement will be made known to all. If you have loved God but made mistakes, the truth of what you really loved will be made known to all. And if you have rejected God, and always chosen yourself first, that truth will be made known to all as well. We may be sad that some will go into Gehenna, but we will also know that those who are cast out are being cast out for perfectly just reasons, and because of their own free will choice.

We are told by many scholars that God does not (but more importantly will not) destroy souls. God is the author of things that are good, true and beautiful. Your soul was created by God good, and as such God will not destroy something that He created good. So then our minds naturally ask, who is it that can destroy body and soul in Gehenna? Is it the devil? There are many scholars that hold this position, and it is not a bad position to hold, but it holds one flaw. The devil is a created being as well. He does not have the power to destroy souls. He can lie, and tempt, and lead souls down the road to destruction but he is not the final arbiter of that end.

So who is the one that can destroy body and soul in Gehenna. Well my friend Bruce explained it to me like this. We humans have free will. We can freely choose good and we can freely choose evil. We can believe the lies of the evil one, or rest in the truth of God. We can prefer the ugly over the beautiful. We humans, in our free will have the complete control over the final disposition of our body and souls. The body and the soul are a composite, one cannot exist without the other. If we corrupt our souls, our bodies will be damaged as well. When we damage our bodies our souls are hurt as well. So we are the ones that can destroy our own bodies and souls in Gehenna.

So the message here is clear. Do not be afraid of the people and things of this world that can only harm you physically, but instead, be afraid of the one that can condemn your soul to hell for all eternity…, You! If you do love God, and put your full trust in Him, then you need not fear the last judgment. God knows all the hairs on your head, and He loves you dearly. And if you really want to be with Him forever, He will give you the grace you need to make that choice, and do what is necessary to make it to heaven, because you are worth more to Him than many sparrows. But if you reject Him, resist His grace, there is nothing He can do to force you to change your mind, and you will destroy yourself.

So this another high call from Jesus…, we must take care of our bodies so that our souls can flourish, and we have to guard what we let into our souls, so that are bodies can be the best version of ourselves. And when we do that, Jesus will be waiting to bring us into His kingdom at the end of our time. This is the most important choice of your life, so choose wisely.

Oh, lord, help me today to do what is needed to reconcile my soul with you. And give me the courage to start with the ones that you have put here with me to love, and to protect. Amen.