At the moment, whenever we turn on our television, our radio, or open our newspaper there seems to be a new thing to be afraid of. As well as disease, war, extreme weather, economic turmoil, and environmental destruction, we now have Artificial Intelligence (AI) to worry about. People living two thousand years ago must have had equivalent worries because Our Lord’s most repeated command is, ‘Paid ag ofni’ ‘Do not be afraid’. At its heart, Christianity is a religion which seeks to release people from fear. Fear can easily control us and how we think and act. Jesus’ proclamation of the Kingdom seeks to free people from fear, enabling faith in God. More than anything else in the Bible, God tells His people not to be afraid. This is because fear is such a common and powerful human emotion. If left unchecked it can quickly turn into paralysing anxiety. Fear can stop us doing things. The fact that God calls us not to be afraid is rooted in the idea that we can trust Him, and know that whatever happens, our hope and our identity is found in God.

Despite the threat of imminent persecution, the prophet Jeremiah remains unwavering in his faith in God:

‘For he has delivered the life of the needy from the hand of evildoers.’ (Jer 20:13)

Jeremiah puts his trust in a God who will both vindicate him against his many enemies, and also keep him safe. This will be demonstrated most fully on the Cross on Good Friday and the empty tomb on Easter Sunday. It is this realisation which also underlies St Paul’s confidence in this morning’s epistle. 

The Gospel for today is a speech of encouragement given by Jesus to the Twelve before they are sent out on mission. Somewhat surprisingly, rather than offering encouragement for the present, it looks towards the future, to a time when the Church will face persecution.

Our Lord speaks of the future because God knows everything. Nothing is hidden from Him, and He, not humanity is the ultimate judge. Christians are called to be open, to tell the truth with boldness, and without fear of consequence. We have a duty to say to the world, ‘You’re going the wrong way’ ‘Repent, turn around, and follow God’. Rather than being afraid of the consequences of following Christ, what matters is our ultimate destination. Do we want to be for and with Jesus, or against Him? It is a simple, stark choice. 

Our Lord then stresses humanity’s value in the eyes of God:

‘Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.’ (Mt 10: 29-31)

We are valued because each and every one of us is made in the image and likeness of God. Also, God loves us and wants to see us flourish in this life, and enjoy being close to Him in the next. We can trust Our Heavenly Father in the knowledge that the promises of this world are fleeting and of no real value. What Christ promises us is of God and will last forever. It is a glory which can never fade.

Jesus can make such promises because He is God, and because in His Passion He will face torture and death for love of us. Christ refers to God as ‘Our Father’ ‘Ein Tad’, which reminds us of the Lord’s Prayer and that Prayer is our greatest weapon against fear. Prayer deepens our relationship with God, and gives us the strength to live out our faith in our lives.

At the end of toady’s Gospel passage, Jesus makes a promise:

‘So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.’ (Mt 10:32-33)

We acknowledge Christ in our baptism, and should continue to do so throughout our lives. To follow Jesus we need to die to sin, we need to turn away from all the selfishness which separates us from God, and from each other. Instead we are called to live out the radical love of the Kingdom: a love which forgives, a love which thinks of others before ourselves. This love is not something we should understand simply in individual terms; it affects us as a society. Each and every one of us needs to live lives that are not enslaved to sin, but instead we should live as slaves for Christ. His service is perfect freedom: freedom from the ways of the world, and freedom to live the new life of the Kingdom of God, here and now. 

We are called, as a Christian community, to live out our faith together. We are charged to pray for each other, and support one another. We can rely upon God’s grace, that free gift, which we do not deserve, but which has the power to transform us, and conform us to the image of His Son.

For two thousand years the Church has been changing the world, one soul at a time, so that God’s will may be done, and His Kingdom may be formed here on earth, as in Heaven. Christians are radicals, and revolutionaries who believe that the Love of God can transform our Human nature. We believe that water, bread, and wine are the most powerful things we have. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, they wash us clean, and feed us by becoming the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

We must, therefore, not allow fear to take over our lives. Instead, we put our trust in the God who loves us, the God who saves us. Freed from fear, and rejoicing in the new life of the Kingdom, we proclaim His truth. We invite others to know Him, so that we all may sing the praises of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. To whom be ascribed all, glory, dominion, and power, now and forever. Amen.