Matthew 10:26-33

²⁶“So do not be afraid of them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. ²⁷What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. ²⁸Do 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 hell. ²⁹Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.^[^b^] ³⁰And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. ³¹So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

³²“Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. ³³But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.

Matt 10:26-33

Will Smith tells a story about fear. Imagine you are out with your friends and you all decided to buy a ticket to go sky diving. The moment that your friends leave, you are suddenly struck with fear. You can not sleep, you can not eat, you are a wreck. You don’t want to be the one who drops out so the next day you turn up at the airport, get on the plane, all the while your body is shaking with fear. Finally, you get to the time of the jump and they give you a push in the back to make sure you go and you find yourself falling and screaming. Then the scream turns to a laugh. The laugh is full of joy. You are having the best time of your live.

What did the fear achieve? None of it made any difference until the moment that you step out of the plane. That is the only point that it made sense to be afraid. But we worry all the time about what ifs. What if I get hurt? What if I am rejected? What if I fail? What if people don’t like me? What if it all goes wrong?

The disciples are being sent to share the Gospel and perform miracles and Jesus sees the very real dangers that lie ahead of them. However, he turns their what if’s to even if’s. Even if they reject you, God cares for you. Even if they harm you, they can not harm your soul. Even if it all goes wrong, you are safe.

Jesus leads us into challenging situations. He leads us into storms, he calls us to step out the boat, he sends us to share our faith with others. Faith leads us to live outside our comforts and self-centredness. That’s scary. So, when you feel afraid: