Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. (Matthew 10:31)
The Brits have a saying, “Save a penny, save a pound.” Another way of making the same point might be to say, “someone who counts pennies probably pays attention to 100-dollar bills.” Caring about the little things often indicates attention to the large things of life.
Sparrows were not important. It took a gaggle of sparrows to make a sparrow sandwich. And each tiny bite was not particularly tasty.
Many Hebrews believed that God created the universe moving from the least to the most. The Fifth Day was the first day of ‘life,’ and therefor the least important. And the tiny, simple birds were probably made first, followed by the fancy, complicated birds. Sparrows were early on that day.
When listing acceptable offerings, sparrows are listed as candidates for the poor and recently unemployed (Leviticus 14:4) because they were plentiful and cheap.
Today we have a saying that indicates common and unimportant. We say, “those are a dime a dozen.” It means the thing being considered is negligible, perhaps often slipping behind the notice of everyone.
And yet, Jesus says, those dime a dozen sparrows are under the care of God. He notices, counts, and is interested in each and every single tiny sparrow. Not just because God is one of those detail people. He cares about sparrows from egg to end.
And if He cares about lowly sparrows, surely He cares about His Individual People. Jesus says, with remarkable understatement, that His people are more valuable than sparrows. And since God cares about sparrows we can KNOW that God cares about us.
Jesus tells the disciples about sparrows as they go out to do His dangerous work. They are, perhaps, leaving the peaceful countryside and going into the tumultuous cities. They are, perhaps, leaving the peaceful live-style of sitting at Jesus’ feet and going into tumultuous debates. They are, perhaps, leaving their time of rest and going into a time of tumultuous work.
And they probably felt suddenly small and insignificant.
Sometimes we are afraid that we don’t really matter. That when big events flurry in fury, we might get left in the dust. We might worry that when big troubles threaten, we might not get included in safety. That when society topples, we might be a part of the rubble.
But we have nothing to fear. Because you are important. Not only because God made you thoughtfully, artfully, and carefully… but He also keeps looking at you, noticing you, and being satisfied with you. Not in some loosey-goosey, “God loves everyone” sort of bland blanket-care. But He is personal and particular in His attention to you.
It is shown through the cross. It is shown though His sacrifice for you. It is shown through His breaking the laws of the universe for you. It is shown through the place He’s gone to prepare for you.
Fear not, you’re more than a sparrow.