“Do not be afraid: you are worth more than many sparrows”.
Dear brothers and sisters in the Lord,
Every time we hear the above mentioned words, we tend to feel certain amount of fear and emotion blended together: fear of not being able to understand a God who seems to be lost/hidden behind the smallest creatures/things in the world (the sparrows and the hair of the head) and the emotion of images that speak to us of a God who performs unexpected things, who does for us what no one has done, what no one will ever do. He has engraved us on the palms of His hands and has prepared a nest for us in His hands. We are precious in His eyes. He cares for us. In other words, God is in love with every one of us.
The Gospel says that not even a sparrow will fall to the ground outside our heavenly Father’s care. Yet, “sparrows” continue to fall, innocents die, children are sold for a few dollar s or thrown away as soon as their short flight of life took off.
Therefore one might ask: is it God who makes us fall to the ground? Is it God who breaks the wings of our lives? No. At time people interpret this passage on the echo of certain popular sayings. But the Gospel does not say so, instead it ensures that no one will fall out of the hands of God, far from his presence. God will be there!
Nothing happens without God wanting it, right? However, many things do happen in the world against the will of God. Every hatred, every abuse, every conflict, every violence happens against the will of the Father, and yet nothing happens without God being “involved” in it, in the sense that nobody dies without Jesus not suffering the agony of it. Nobody is rejected without Him being rejected, nobody is crucified without Christ being crucified. Therefore, God is there in every moment of our sufferings and hardships. For that reason and for many more other, we shall announce to the world what we hear/know of God: “God is our loving Father”. “God cares for us His children”. There is nothing authentically human that does not find echo in the heart of God. Let us love our heavenly Father and let us not be scared of Him.
But at the same time, we must rather fear the one who has the ‘power to make the soul perish’. The soul is ‘vulnerable’. It is a flame that can languish, for it can ‘die’ of superficiality, of indifference, of lack of love, of hypocrisy. Soul ‘dies’ when we let ourselves be corrupted, when we disorientate others and take away their courage, when we work to demolish, to slander, to mock ideals, to spread fear.
Dear brethren,
In today’s Gospel passage three times Jesus reassures us saying: “Do not be afraid, you are worth!” How beautiful this expression is! If God cares for the sparrows, surely He will care for us His children. Yes, we are worth because of God. Each one of is worth more, more than many sparrows, more than all the flowers of the field, more than each one dares to hope for. Let us, therefore, thank God our Heavenly Father.
Let me take this chance to wish all Dads a very Happy Father’s Day ! God bless them all!
Fr Saga.
Pastor.
FAQs
Therefore, as human beings, we are worth more than many sparrows in the eyes of God. When Jesus tells us we are worth more than many sparrows, He is pointing out the truth that God places a high worth and value on our lives as well as He is telling us that we don't need to be afraid.
What is the purpose of the story Jesus tells about the sparrows? ›
The point is that if God cares about sparrows, He obviously cares about His own people more. They surely will not fall to the ground without the Father knowing and caring. This does not mean God will always prevent harm from coming to His children (Matthew 5:3–12).
What was the value of the two sparrows in Jesus Day? ›
Notice the passage from Matthew again: two sparrows were sold for a penny. Luke records that five sparrows were sold for two pennies (Luke 12:6). This meant the buyer received the fifth sparrow for free because one sparrow had no value.
How much more valuable are you than the sparrows? ›
Matthew 10:29-31 New International Version (NIV)
Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father's care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
What does a sparrow represent in the Bible? ›
In the Bible, sparrows are mentioned several times, and they often symbolize a variety of things, including God's care and provision for his creation, the importance of humility, and the idea that even seemingly insignificant creatures are known and loved by God.
What does the sparrow symbolize in life? ›
With their natural beauty and lively presence, sparrows carry profound symbolism that resonates with our lives in countless ways. They symbolize resilience, adaptability, joy, community, freedom, protection, and hope.
What can we learn from sparrows? ›
The sparrow is a symbol of hard work and cooperation. Most of us don't particularly stand out in our communities. We tend to blend in with fellow coworkers and our neighborhoods. We accept that we must go to work.
What did Jesus tell his disciples that they were worth more than? ›
Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. "I tell you, whoever acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge him before the angels of God.
Which bird does Jesus say we have more value than? ›
Jesus said “What is the price of five sparrows—two copper coins? Yet God does not forget a single one of them. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows...
What bird represents Jesus? ›
Like the cross that Christ wears around his neck, therefore, the goldfinch might be read as a prefiguration of his Passion. More specifically, and relevant to Luca di Tommè's times, the goldfinch was seen as a protector against the plague.
Jesus transformed water, meant for ritual cleansing, into wine, representing blood. In a symbolic way, this mirrors how Jesus' sacrifice transformed the rituals of the law into the gospel of grace. According to John 2:11, this was the first miracle Jesus had ever performed.
Why we do not see many sparrows in and around your house nowadays? ›
They lost their shelters due to human activities such as deforestation, hunting and poaching.
What does it mean to be worth more than sparrows? ›
In other words, God is in love with every one of us. The Gospel says that not even a sparrow will fall to the ground outside our heavenly Father's care. Yet, “sparrows” continue to fall, innocents die, children are sold for a few dollar s or thrown away as soon as their short flight of life took off.
Where in the Bible does it say worth more than birds? ›
Matthew 6:26-27 New Century Version (NCV)
Look at the birds in the air. They don't plant or harvest or store food in barns, but your heavenly Father feeds them. And you know that you are worth much more than the birds. You cannot add any time to your life by worrying about it.
How important are sparrows? ›
Feeding on seeds, grains, and larvae, the bird has proven to be an effective pest control agent. Pollination, a process crucial for plants to flourish, is also performed by sparrows as they spend time visiting flowers and transferring pollen.
Why do I have so many sparrows? ›
House sparrows thrive on the food and shelter we provide. They prefer to live anywhere there are people. Like other common urban wild neighbors, we create perfect habitat for house sparrows. House sparrows eat grains and seeds, our discarded food, and insects.
What verse talks about being more valuable than birds? ›
Matthew 6:26-27 New Century Version (NCV)
Look at the birds in the air. They don't plant or harvest or store food in barns, but your heavenly Father feeds them. And you know that you are worth much more than the birds. You cannot add any time to your life by worrying about it.
What is the meaning of Matthew 10 verse 29? ›
This affirms that God is not asking the disciples to foolishly throw your life away without good cause. He is asking you to lay your life down for Him. God will honor your valuable sacrifice of laying down your life for His sake. You do not need to fear that your life or death is meaningless in your Father's eyes.
What does Matthew chapter 10 verse 32 mean? ›
Now He makes the point with clarity: Jesus will acknowledge to God everyone who acknowledges Christ to other people in this life. The disciples will acknowledge Jesus in the sense that they will affirm Him as the Messiah, the Christ, the Son of God.
