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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.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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What is one of the most common sayings in the bible?
“Do not be afraid.”
It appears more than 100 times – three of which occur in today’s Gospel.
Jesus is sending his disciples out into the world to continue his ministry, and he knows the first hurdle they must overcome is fear.
The disciples are not afraid of following Jesus; they marvel at his power and bask in his fame. What they are afraid of is being his witnesses – of going out and preaching the Gospel to all nations.
The same is often true of us.
We love Jesus. We enjoy listening to him and learning from him. But when our faith moves from a private to a public sphere, we can become afraid – afraid of speaking out; afraid of stepping into the unknown; afraid of placing our fate in God’s hands.
“Do not be afraid,” Jesus says, “every hair on your head is counted; you are worth more than many sparrows.”
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Consider a few other moments in the New Testament when this phrase – “do not be afraid” – occurs.
These are some of the first words spoken by the Angel Gabriel to Mary when he reveals God’s plan for her. Reading her heart, Gabriel says to Mary, “Do not be afraid. You have found favor with God.”
After accepting God’s plan, Mary is at peace as she becomes the Mother of God.
Or the first time the disciples are without Jesus. A storm breaks out on the Sea of Galilee – a storm so strong that these professional fishermen fear they are drowning! Suddenly, they see Jesus walking on the water towards them, mistaking him for a ghost.
Approaching them on the waves, Jesus says to them, “Do not be afraid.” Then he stills the sea and calms their fears.
And at the Last Supper, the night before Jesus’ death, he tells his disciples, “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” To be “troubled” meant to be overwhelmed by the fear of death. The Lord will no longer be with them physically. Change is coming.
But so is the Holy Spirit.
Do not be afraid.
And, finally, when the tomb was empty that first Easter morning, the angels say to a tearful Mary Magdalene, “Do not be afraid. You are looking for Jesus, but he has been raised from the dead.”
After seeing him, Mary runs off to share the Good News of the resurrection with the other disciples who are still afraid, hiding in Jerusalem.
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In the bible, God is constantly comforting people as they face their fears. So, what am I afraid of?
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It could be something physical like spiders or snakes.
But then there’s a deeper, more subtle type of fear that can influence – even control – our decisions. It could be the fear of rejection; failure; loneliness; loss; or losing control.
When not brought to God in prayer, these fears can stifle us. Think about the disciples in today’s Gospel. Jesus knows they’re afraid. They’re terrified of stepping out into the unknown. How can they journey without him physically by their side?
“Do not be afraid,” he says, “every hair on your head is counted; you are worth more than many sparrows.”
Meaning, God will be watching over them at every little step.
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Just as the phrase, “do not be afraid,” appears more than 100 times in the bible, so does the word, “trust.”
As it’s written in the Book of Proverbs, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. Trust in the Lord and he will act.”
God can – and will – calm our hearts, just as he calmed the waters in Galilee.
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It’s a lesson Mary, the disciples, and every Christian needs to learn. At times we’re all afraid. But God is with us, inviting us to place ourselves in his hands; every hair on our head is counted. We are worth more than many sparrows.
As Jesus says at the end of the Gospels, “Do not be afraid. I have overcome the world.”
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Image credits: (1) GodSongs.net (2) Bishop Steven’s Blog – Anglican.org (3) Jesus.net