[Reflection] Matthew 10:31
So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
As I write this reflection, the world is caught in the grip of suspense and fear over the possible outbreak of war. Worries over biological warfare, the influence of hostile forces, the moral issues involved in pursuing armed conflict — such is the climate that breeds fear over what the future holds. Courage in the face of the unknown is a difficult commodity to come by these days.
It’s easy to feel like a nameless, faceless entity in the face of global crises — that anything we do is just a drop in the bucket. But that’s if you go by the world’s vision of things. We don’t have to fear being swept up by the fears of the crowd — because our Father in heaven knows us, right down to the number of hairs on our heads.
After listening to Jesus’ words in today’s Gospel, one can only imagine the thoughts running through the disciples’ heads. These twelve men were simple people, chosen out of the crowds to carry on a mission that already had them pushed to the fringes of the “polite society” of their day — with the promise of more persecution in their as yet unknown future.
Talk about needing courage under fire. How will they do it? Jesus gives them the powerful reassurance of what they are worth in the Father’s eyes; if the least of God’s creatures is worthy of His attention, what more His children, cast in his image and likeness?
