“Fear no one.” “Be not afraid.” Jesus said these words to the apostles 2000 years ago, and so he says to each of us today. The message is as timely now as it ever was. It is still resounding and relevantly speaks to us today. Jesus has recognized how much we need to hear these words since fear permeates our age. For one and another reason, we experience different kinds of fear, physically and spiritually.

Against all these fears, Jesus tells us again today, “Be not afraid!” And Jesus does not do so naively. Having taken the flesh of the Virgin Mary and become fully man, he knows everything human beings experience except sin. He knows what fear is. He knows what pain is and experienced it himself. He knows what death is and entered into it fully. He knows it all. So, today, he calls us to look at our fears and then to look at Him and our faith in Him, so we will allow him to take away our fears and begin to live fully as his disciples.

To allow God to eliminate our fears, we first must look at where fear comes from. When we come right down to it, fear ultimately comes from a lack of trust and faith in God. It doesn’t matter what type of fear we’re talking about.

But what do we do against our fears? Does Jesus want us just to pretend that they’re not there? No. Jesus does not simply tell us not to be afraid but shows and gives us a way to overcome our fears. We overcome them through genuine faith and trust in God, our Father, who loves us and will care for us. Listen carefully to what Jesus says to each of us during today’s Gospel: “Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin? Yet none of them will fall to the ground without your Father’s knowledge. Even all the hairs of your head are counted. So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”

Today we have a choice to make. A choice to live in fear or a choice to live in faith. There is no third option. Let us trust God and choose to live in faith. Fear NOT.