Matthew 10:29-31
Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.
These are wonderful verses to help us deal with fear. But why was Jesus calming the disciples’ fears? It was because He had just commissioned them to go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel and preach the gospel to them. He instructed them to go without purse or scrip—that is, without money—and not to take extra clothes. As they stepped into their commissioning, they had to trust that God would providentially provide for all their needs. Jesus also warned them that many would reject their message, despise them for it, and even deliver them to the authorities. Yet He told them not to carefully construct their defense but to trust God to give them the words to speak in that hour. He was calming their fears because He had just called them to a life of Christian service.
So it is with you, dear Christian. Jesus has called you to take up your cross and follow Him. Follow Him with no promise of wealth, no guarantee of earthly success, and only a call to trust Him at every turn. If we’re honest, this is a fearful life. Yet for the Christian, the only thing more fearful is living a life absent from His blessing, and the only thing worse than the Christian's cross would be the world's crowns. Don’t be surprised if you feel fear gripping you as you face this life—that is precisely why Jesus gave the verses above: to address the human reality of fear.
When Jesus wanted to calm our fears, He chose the least significant, most common bird—a sparrow. Sparrows were so common that a penny in today’s money could buy you two of them. His choice of these birds served as a constant reminder. Every time the disciples saw sparrows, they could remember: if God sees even the smallest, most insignificant creatures that people often overlook, then how much more does He see them? Jesus reminded them that God cares so deeply that not even a sparrow falls to the ground without His knowledge. This reference also ties to what the Jews called the "least of the commands" in Deuteronomy 22:6-7, which instructs not to separate a mother bird from her eggs. Jesus gave both a practical and biblical reminder that God is intimately concerned with every detail of His creation—not just the grand workings of the universe but also the smallest affairs of the tiniest creatures.
So it is with you, dear Christian. Being made in His image and redeemed by His blood, you are of far greater value than a sparrow. While the worth of a sparrow is so small as to be almost incalculable, the worth of a human soul cannot be estimated by anything in this world. “What shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul?” (Mark 8:36). One soul is worth more than the whole world. Heaven and hell are engaged in a war over the fate of souls. God Himself came down to this earth, robed Himself in our cares, and died on our behalf. If God concerns Himself with the affairs of birds, how much more does He care about the affairs of men—especially those He has purchased with His own blood? Your hairs are numbered! Your steps are ordered! You have the Holy Spirit as your guide, Jesus Christ as your head, and God as your Father. To fear what man can do to you in the service of God is truly an unfounded fear.
Jesus points to your value to Him as the primary reason to live a fearless life of service: “Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.” The next time fear grips you in the service of your King, consider the great price He paid for you. He left Heaven to be born in a manger. He lived a life of poverty and temptation for 33 years. He was ridiculed, spat upon, beaten, crucified, and passed through hours of horrific darkness. He died for you. He has invested more in you than in all of creation. Do you think He could forget such an investment?
“Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me” (Isaiah 49:15-16).
Perhaps the trial you are facing feels so insignificant compared to what others have endured that you hesitate to bring it to Him. If He is concerned with the number of hairs on your head, then even the small things matter to Him. Or perhaps you are facing the difficulty of a lifetime—still, fear not! He is the Almighty God who created Heaven and Earth, and He loves you.
The next time fear grips you in service to the King, look to the price He paid for you and remember His words: “Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.”
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