Homily on Matthew 10:24–33 : Do Not Be Afraid

In a village surrounded by hills, there lived an old potter. Every morning, he sat on the ground with his wheel, shaping clay into pots. A young boy often sat nearby, watching him work. The potter never rushed. His fingers moved slowly, carefully. Sometimes, the clay collapsed. The boy would cry out, “It’s broken! All your work is wasted.” But the potter would smile gently and say, “It’s still in my hands. I can begin again.”

Those words, It’s still in my hands,  stayed in the boy’s heart for many years. When he grew older and faced troubles, loss, and moments of fear, those words gave him peace. He remembered that as long as he was in God’s hands, nothing was truly lost.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus says, “Do not be afraid.” Three times He repeats it. He knows our hearts. He knows we are often afraid — afraid of failure, afraid of sickness, afraid of being alone, afraid of being rejected. Sometimes we are afraid to stand for the truth, afraid of what others will say or do.

When we feel like our lives are collapsing, like that pot on the wheel, we often think everything is finished. But Jesus is saying, “You are still in the Father’s hands.” That is why you must not be afraid.

Jesus doesn’t promise that trouble will not come. In fact, He says clearly that His followers will face difficulty. But in the middle of all that, He says something deeply comforting: “Even the hairs on your head are counted.” This is not just a poetic line. It means that nothing about us is hidden from the Father. He sees, He knows, and He holds.

Fear can paralyse us. It can make us silent when we should speak. It can make us hide when we should stand up. It can make us stop trusting. But faith is not the absence of fear. Faith is walking forward even when fear is present, because we trust the hands that hold us.

Think of Mary, the mother of Jesus. When the angel told her she would bear a child by the Holy Spirit, she was deeply troubled. She did not understand. But she did not run away. She said, “Let it be done to me.” That is courage, not loud, not dramatic, just a quiet yes in the middle of fear.

You too may be facing something today that scares you. Maybe it is a sickness, or a difficult person, or an uncertain future. Maybe you are trying to live honestly when the world around you is not. Maybe you feel small and helpless. But Jesus tells you, do not be afraid. You are not forgotten. You are not alone. You are still in the potter’s hands.

So, when fear comes knocking, don’t listen to it. Remember the potter. Remember his quiet smile. Remember the hands that never let go.

Lord, when fear rises in my heart, remind me that I am still in your hands. Amen.

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God Bless…