Daily Reflections ...

In Matthew’s Gospel, we have been reading about Jesus’ instructions to the disciples about to go out on mission. Firstly, he outlines what they are to do ‘cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons’ (Matthew 10:8). Then he warns them to expect that they will encounter opposition and persecution before today’s passage when he instructs them of whom they should fear.

Humanly, we can be fearful of many things, it is a natural reaction designed to keep us safe. A child can be afraid of the dark, a teenager fearful of what others think of them, an adult fearful of losing their job or an elderly person fearful of death. Many of our fears are borne through the darkness of sin and cloaked in secrecy rather than opening our concerns, pain and hurts to the light of God’s healing grace. Just think how we seek to hide our propensity for greed, domination, insecurity, pornography and dependence on substances while we maintain a façade of respectability.

Our fears can be overcome by placing our trust in a loving God who even counts ‘the hairs of your head’ and who tell us that we ‘are of more value than many sparrows’, whom God also cares for. In this trust, we are called to stand openly and vulnerably in our weakness before God and others. Ultimately, every thing we have ever done, thought or said will be laid bare before the One who loves us. Being honest, humble and willing to acknowledge our sin and weaknesses means that we will have nothing to fear, when it counts most. With such an attitude, we welcome the Light of Jesus Christ that sets us free from our fears.

by Mike Humphrys