Not One of Them Falls
“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.”
— Matthew 10:29-31 (NIV)
Jesus says this to disciples He is sending out. In the same speech He tells them they will be handed over and killed. A sparrow was the cheapest thing at the market, two for a small coin. Numbered hairs are a picture of attention that goes further than anyone needs. Why the sparrow falls at all, Jesus does not explain here. He does not pretend to explain it either. Two sentences earlier He says: do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. He never promises that nothing bad will happen to them. He tells them they are valuable, and nobody has promised them they will survive.
Today is the anniversary of the day the Second World War began. In many homes it is also the first day of school. Some dates have to hold grief and a beginning at the same time. Jesus spoke about the sparrow to people walking toward something bad. He did not promise them it would not come. He told them they mattered to the Father more than they could believe.
Count Someone Nobody Counts
- 1Ask one person starting something new today how they actually feel about it, and listen to the end.
- 2Pray tonight for one person by name that others rarely think about.
God, today is heavy and I do not know how to carry all of it. You see every sparrow, so I know You see me. Please be close to the people who are starting something new today and are afraid. Take the fear off me and let me know that You have counted me too.
I am seen, even when nobody is looking.
Why does Jesus use sparrows?
They were the cheapest food at the market, two for a small coin. He picks the least valuable thing anyone could name.
Is this a promise that nothing bad will happen?
No. Two verses earlier He says do not fear those who kill the body. He is speaking to people He has just told will be killed, so He is not promising that nothing will happen.
If the Father knows, why does the sparrow fall at all?
Jesus does not explain that here and does not pretend to. He says it to people He has just told will be killed, so it is not a promise of rescue.
What does it mean that hairs are numbered?
It is a picture of attention so complete that it covers what nobody would ever bother to count.