I'll be honest, I'm not sure what to make of verse 28 when isolated by itself. The context helps a bit. But I still find it somewhat mysterious. Look at verses 29-31. This speaks of the Father's love and care for us. A stark contrast to the seeming threat of verse 28. Maybe some of our pals here have a better grip on this one than I do.
Matthew 10:26-31
“So do not be afraid of them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. 27 What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. 28 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 hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. 30 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
1. And at one point, upon summoning His twelve disciples to Himself, He gave to them authority pertaining to unclean spirits (attitudes; breath-effects), to be habitually casting them out, as well as to be constantly curing (or: treating and caring for) every disease and all incapacities (weaknesses; infirmities; sicknesses).
2. Now these are the names of the twelve men sent forth with a mission (emissaries; envoys; representatives): First, Simon, the one called Peter, and then Andrew, his brother. Next, Jacob (James) the [son] of Zebedee, and his brother John.
3. And then [there are] Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew – the tax collector (or: tax-farmer), Jacob the [son] of Alphaeus and Thaddaeus,
4. Simon the Cananaean [other MSS: Cananite; possibly = a nationalist political party], and then Judah (Judas) the one of Iscariot – the one handing Him over (or: turning Him in [to the authorities]).
5. Jesus commissioned and sent off these, the twelve, upon passing on announcements and instructions to them, continuing in saying, "You men should not go off into the roads or paths of ethnic multitudes ([the] nations; the non-Israelites; or: pagan ways), and you should not enter into a Samaritan city.
6. "But, instead, continue on your way toward the lost and destroyed sheep that belong to 'the house of Israel.'
7. "Now as you are traveling on your way, be constantly performing the work of a herald, repeatedly saying publicly that the reigning and activity of exercising the sovereignty of the heavens (or: kingdom of the atmospheres) has drawn near and is close enough to touch (= has arrived and is now accessible)!
8. "Be constantly serving, curing and restoring to health (or: giving attentive care to and treatment for) those who are habitually weak, feeble and inadequate. Habitually be rousing and raising up dead people. Be continually cleansing lepers (scabby folks). Make it a habit to cast out demons (Hellenistic concept and term: = animistic influences). You folks receive (or: received) freely (as a gift; = without cost), [so] give freely (as a gift; = without charge).
9. "You should not be procuring or acquiring gold, nor yet silver, nor even copper [i.e., no pocket money] into your belts or girdle purses.
10. "[Take] no beggar's pouch (or: food bag; or: traveling knapsack) into the road, nor two undergarments (tunics) or sandals nor yet a staff or club. You see, the worker [is] worthy of his nourishment (or: is of corresponding value for his food, keep and support).
[comment: be barefoot priests: the Land is holy; the villages are temples – Bruce Chilton]
11. "Now, into whichever city or village you men may enter, search out who within it is suitable (of corresponding values to your own; worthy), [then] remain lodging there until you should leave (go out of the midst [of the town]).
12. "So, when entering in the house, greet, express good wishes and embrace the household,
13. "And if, indeed, the house should be suitable and worthy, you men let your peace [= shalom] come upon it – yet if it may not be suitable or worthy, let your peace and shalom be returned back upon yourselves.
14. "Also, whoever may not welcome and receive you men, nor even listen to your words or hear your message, as you are going outside, from out of the house or that city, shake the dust off your feet.
[note: Hospitality in those times and countries involved having a servant wash the feet of their guests; further: Jews did this when they left a Gentile country, so this would indicate that this town was being regarded as polluted and unholy, and in the same category as the Gentiles; comment: this could be a metaphor to shake off that incident, so as not to let their “humanity” cling to them]
15. "Assuredly – I now say to you folks – it will proceed being more endurable in the land of Sodom and Gomorrah, in a day of separating and deciding, than in that city (or: it will be more supportable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah, in a day of judging, than for that town)!
16. "Now look, and really see this situation: I, Myself, am now sending you folks off – being emissaries on a mission – as sheep within the midst of [a pack of] wolves! Therefore, habitually come to be thoughtful, prudent, cautious and discreet (or: = wary and on the alert; = observant, decisive and timely) – as the snakes [are]; and yet [still] unmixed (pure; = without negative characteristics added) – as the doves [are].
17. "So constantly hold your attention toward protecting yourself from humanity. You see, they will periodically be giving you folks over (turning you in) unto [their] local city councils and courts, and then they will proceed scourging you with lashes and whips.
18. "Yet you men will also, on My account, be from time to time led (or: brought) before (or: on [the stand to speak to]) governors and kings, with a view to being a witness to them and providing evidence for them – as well as to and for and among the ethnic multitudes (the nations; the non-Israelites; = the pagans).
19. "However, whenever they may hand you folks over (turn you in), you should not be anxious or overly concerned about how or what you should be speaking, for, what you should say will continue being given to you men – within that hour!
20. "You see, you, yourselves, are not the ones then speaking, but rather, [it is] the Spirit (Breath-effect; Attitude) of your Father repeatedly speaking within you.
21. "So brother will continue giving over (turn in) brother unto death – and a father, a child – and children will continue standing up upon (or: rising up against or attacking) parents and will from time to time murder them, or cause them to be put to death.
22. "And further, you folks will continue being hated, detached and regarded with ill-will by everyone – because of My Name. Yet the one remaining under [these conditions] and patiently enduring into a conclusion (or: into an ending [of these events]; unto [the] final act) – this one will habitually be rescued (delivered; saved; restored to health and wholeness).
23. "Now whenever they may continue chasing you or be repeatedly persecuting you in this [particular] city, proceed taking flight (escaping) into a different one, for, truly – I now say to you folks – you can under no circumstances complete the circuit of (or: finish [visiting]) the cities (or: towns) of Israel until the Son of the Man (humanity's son; = Adam's son; or: = the awaited Messianic figure) should go (or: comes; can come).
24. "A student (or: disciple) is not over or above the teacher, nor [is] a slave over or above his owner.
25. "[It is] sufficient and enough for the student (or: disciple) that he can come to be as his teacher, and the slave as his owner. Since (or: If) people call and surname the Sovereign (Master and Sole Owner) of the house (the Householder) 'Beelzeboul' [spellings vary; = lord of the flies, a Philistine deity], how much rather (or: more) those of His household.
26. "So then, you men should not be made to fear them. You see, there is nothing being veiled or covered which will not proceed having its covering taken away and be revealed, and hidden which will not be habitually made known and familiar.
27. "What I am now saying to you folks within the darkness (the shaded areas of obscurity; = being within the system and religion of the dim shadows) you say within the light (= the light of the coming Day). And what you are now hearing whispered into the ear, you people, as heralds, publicly proclaim upon the housetops (= make it publicly known).
28. "Stop being (or: Do not continue being [other MSS: You should not be]) made to fear from the one normally killing the body, and yet continuing unable (with no power) to be killing the soul. But rather, be habitually fearing (or: continue being wary of, with a healthy respect for) the person being constantly able and continuing with power to loose-away and destroy (or: to cause to be lost) both soul (the interior life; [note: may refer to the person's reputation in regard to character and other personal qualities]) as well as body within the Valley of Hinnom
(Greek: Gehenna; Jerusalem's garbage dump: the place where criminals and folks with disgraced lives, and thus considered unfit for proper burial, were cast away; the disgraced end of an outcast or criminal).
29. "Are not two sparrows normally sold for a penny (Roman copper coin of the smallest value)? And yet not one from among them will proceed falling upon the ground without being with (or: being away from) your Father!
30. "Now even the hairs of you head are all ones having been counted and numbered!
31. "Therefore, stop fearing (or: Then do not continue fearing). You folks continuously carry on through so as to excel and be of more consequence than (be superior to and thus of more value than) whole flocks of sparrows!
32. "Everyone, then, that will keep on acknowledging union with Me and speaking in accord with Me in front of (before and in the presence of) humans (mankind), I, Myself, also will continue to acknowledge union with him and will keep on speaking of him in the same way (saying the same thing of him) in front of (before and in the presence of) My Father – the One within and in union with the heavens (or: in the midst of the atmospheres).
33. "Yet, whoever may refuse [to acknowledge] Me, or can disown and deny Me, in front of humans (mankind), I, Myself, also will continue refusing [to acknowledge] him, and will keep on disowning and denying him, in front of My Father – the One within and in union with the heavens (or: in the midst of the atmospheres).
34. "You folks should not assume from custom or infer from the Law that I come (or: came) to throw peace [= shalom] upon the Land (or: earth). I do (or: did) not come to throw peace, but to the contrary, a sword (a curved weapon for close combat)!
35. "You see, I come (or: came) to disunite (to make to be two and then pit):
'a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a bride against her mother-in-law,'
36. "And so,
'a person's enemies [are/will be] those of his own household.' [Micah 7:6]
37. "The person habitually having fondness and affection for father and mother over and above for Me is not suitable for Me (or: worthy or of equal value with regards to Me). Likewise the person continuing in having fondness and affection for a son or daughter over and above for Me is not suitable for Me (worthy of Me).
38. "Furthermore, he who is not habitually taking his cross (execution stake) and then constantly following after (behind) Me, is not suitable for Me (worthy of Me).
39. "The person who is searching and then finding his own soul (his own will, his intellect, his emotions and his self-life as his goals; his self-seeking, self-possessed persona and identity), will be repeatedly losing it. And yet the person loosing-away or destroying his soul (his own will, his self-centered life of a self-seeking, self-possessed persona and identity, his emotions, his plans and goals) – on account of Me – will be progressively finding and discovering it [i.e., his true self, identity and purpose].
40. "The person habitually receiving, welcoming and embracing you folks continually receives, welcomes and embraces Me; and the person that continues receiving, welcoming and embracing Me continuously receives, welcomes and embraces the One sending Me off as a representative with a mission (as an emissary).
41. "The person who by habit receives, welcomes and embraces a prophet into [the place of regard and function] that pertains to a prophet's reputation and vocation, will repeatedly receive a prophet's wage and reward. Likewise the person who by habit receives, welcomes and embraces a fair and just person (one who maintains right relationships with God and mankind, and who has been rightwised into the path of the Way pointed out) into [the place of regard and function] that pertains to a fair and just person's reputation and way of life, will habitually receive a wage and reward that pertains to a rightwised and equitable person.
42. "And further, whoever should give only a cup of cold water to drink to one of these little ones, into [the place of regard and function] that pertains to the reputation and vocation of a disciple, assuredly, I now say to you, he can by no means lose his wage or reward.
-Jonathan Mitchell N.T. Translation-
