In Chapter 10 of Matthew, Jesus not only commissions his hand-picked 12 disciples, but also shares what is in store for them as they go out and proclaim the Good News: “What you speak in the light and what you proclaim from the rooftop will lead to your persecution.”

After revealing to the disciples what lies ahead, he addresses what he knows must be on their minds: fear of the unknown!

To illustrate his point and allay the disciples’ fears, Jesus tells them the parable of the sparrow that falls to earth. Jesus wanted the disciples, and now us, to know that whatever challenges we are facing, God is there for us, ready to listen to our prayers of hope and forgiveness. Our God knows everything there is about us, even the number of hairs on our heads. And a God who knows this much about us is one who we can trust with our deepest fears and concerns, a God we can turn to when our lives are painful and unsettling.

The words Jesus spoke to the disciples were much needed because after love, fear is the next strongest human emotion. Fear often prevents us from taking actions which we think may cause us bodily harm, from skydiving to spelunking, from speaking the truth to admitting our errors. And fear can prevent us from taking actions which we think may damage our reputation or our self-image, like standing up for the unborn or a wrongly accused person.

So, before we set off on our all too busy days, share all the fears, concerns, and pains you hold in your heart with Jesus. We need to share with Jesus what we feel is overwhelming our lives, confident that he is listening to each and every word, whether we say it from the rooftop or in the darkness. He is there listening to us and there to help us lead the lives we aspire to lead in love and service to him and others.