“Do not be afraid, fear no one, do not be frightened.” Jesus opposes fear three times this Sunday, but instead of proposing courage, he signals faith, as when the Master shocked his frail disciples one stormy night: “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” (Mk. 4:40). We believe faith is the antidote to fear.
Jesus is sharing some beautiful words of faith. He reminds us that the Father is aware of every sparrow that falls to the ground and that nobody, regardless of their status as a saint or sinner, can be outside of the Father’s embrace.
We know that good comforting news feels great when announced from the rooftops: do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows; you have your nest in God’s hands. You are of worth: how beautiful is this phrase! For God, I am worth it. I am worth more than many sparrows, more than all the flowers in the field, more than I dared to hope. Gone is the fear of not counting, of always having to prove something.
To the one who loves nothing about the beloved is insignificant; no detail is without emotion. You are worth it even if your life were as light as a sparrow’s, as fragile as a hair. Because you live, you smile, you love, you create. We are created in his image yet not yet living to full expectations, but because you exist, you are loved in gratuitousness like sparrows and fragility like hair.
From God’s hands, every day, we take flight; Do not be afraid.