The readings for the fourth Sunday after Pentecost are taken from Jeremiah 20:7-13; Romans 6:12-23; and Matthew 10:5a, 21-33.
Jeremiah suffered the contempt of the people who held the Word of the Lord that Jeremiah spoke in contempt. Yet the Word of the Lord was too powerful for Jeremiah to hold back. The Word of the Lord prevails and delivers the needy.
In his letter to the Romans, Paul recognizes the power of logic in the Word of the Lord. The corruption of Adam in our human nature makes us as contemptuous of God’s Word and messengers just as the Israelites were of Jeremiah. But the Word of the Lord regenerates our souls and thus sets us free from the bondage of contempt.
Matthew records how Jesus gave His apostles and disciples the same kind of warning He gave Jeremiah. The corruption of Adam in human nature not only makes us contemptuous of the Word of the Lord but makes us violent in our antagonism toward God, toward truth, and toward His grace. But the love of God prevails, even as Jesus was victorious over sin, death, and the devil in His crucifixion and resurrection. God commands us, “fear not,” because our lives are precious to Him and preserved by His Word and Spirit.