Fear is an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat. Different people have got different sorts of fear. Some are fearful of the dark, some are fearful of the unknown, some are fearful of strangers, while others are fearful of change. As Christians, what should we be fearful of?
In today’s Gospel, Jesus warns us: “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. I will tell you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has the power to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.” What Jesus is warning us is that we should not fear man and the things around us, because man can only destroy the body but not the soul. No matter what happens, God would be there to care for us. However, we should fear God, not in a paranoid or erratic way, but with reverence and trust, since God could destroy both body and soul. But is God going to destroy us completely as He pleases? No. Jesus in the Gospel assures us: “Can you not buy five sparrows for two pennies? And yet not one is forgotten in God’s sight. Why, every hair on your head has been counted. There is no need to be afraid: you are worth more than hundreds of sparrows.” God has no intention of destroying us totally, so there is no reason to fear, since He is giving us plenty of opportunities to grow closer to Him. It is a question of whether we want to remain in His care and love, or to be away from Him. Ultimately, the choice is up to us.