26 “So have no fear of them; for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. 27 What I tell you in the dark, utter in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim upon the housetops. 28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.[a] 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father’s will. 30 But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. Matthew 10:26-31
I think most, if not all, of us have a fear of something. A simple search on Google can result in the fear of open, crowded spaces or a fear of confined elevators. Some can have a fear of dogs, snakes, the dark, or even needles. I cannot count the number of types of fears listed on Google or in a Psychiatric Journal. But, I can conclude that we all have a fear of something.
When Jesus was preparing his disciples to be sent out in the Gospel of Matthew, he wanted them to have no fear of them. The “them” are those in the Synagogues that would expel or do worse to them or those kings among the Gentiles that would not tolerate them. These are the ones Jesus wants the disciples to not be afraid of. Who is our “them”? Do we have religious leaders in our city that we are afraid of, like some are afraid of heights? Do we have government leaders in our city that we are anxious about, like some are anxious about clowns? What if we have a simple fear of our neighbors? Are they drug dealers, are they gang members, are they Democrats or Republicans? Perhaps this fear is what keeps us from going out at all, fear that “they” will harm us and so we choose safety over obedience.
However, Jesus wants the disciples, which includes us, to proclaim what he says in public: the light and the rooftops. The whole point of sending out the disciples was the mission to complete: the sick, the poor, the oppressed. How could they complete that mission, if in fear, they stay home? How can we continue Jesus’ work if we are afraid of the neighborhood and the strangers, not neighbors in them? The sick will never find health, the poor will never find satisfaction, the oppressed will never find freedom, if we are afraid of someone or something in the neighborhood.
The simple but impossible task is that we are afraid of being harmed by the neighbors we are trying to help instead of being afraid of disobedience to God; do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. We are simply afraid that the neighbor will hurt me, in all the many various ways our imaginations imagine that can happen instead of being afraid that we might disappoint Christ. Fear of dentists keeps us away from the dentist office, fear of neighbors keeps us away from neighbors and we have disobeyed a direct command from Christ. We fear the neighbor more than we fear or adore or respect Christ.
Yet, Christ reminds the disciples that God cares and protects for all of Creation: the sparrows are protected and our hairs are counted. If God can micro-manage the least of creation and the number of our hairs, how much more will God micro-manage the big things like our bodies and souls when we go out? We should trust our ears that remind us of our God’s Providential care for us instead of trusting our suspicious eyes that maybe, just maybe if I go out “they” might get me.
Perhaps the greatest assurance Jesus gives to the disciples is the reminder that in the eyes and estimation of God, we are worth more than sparrows. Not only should this calm our fears but also inspire our mission. God cares for “me” but also for “them”. My friends we exist solely to continue the work Jesus saw as his mission, to heal, to baptize, to teach. That can only happen in Ashtabula, if we go, instead of hiding because we are afraid of Ashtabula and the strangers therein. Who is one neighbor you could reach to? Who is one neighbor that you could connect with? What is one step that stretches your soul to be faithful? Reach, connect and step despite the fear, and that just might be courage. Amen.