Skip to main content

The God of Sparrows

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? 
Yet not one of them will fall to the ground 
unperceived by your Father. 
And even the hairs of your head are all counted. 
So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.

Fear is a powerful emotion.

Trust me, I know first-hand.

I took a youth group to the observation site on Place' Ville Marie with its awesome view of Montreal. 

The elevator doors opened revealing the observation site as glass from ceiling to floor. 

The youth ran right to its edge and looked out upon this incredible scene.

Terrified, I leaned against the wall as far from the edge as possible.

Now imagine Jesus gathering the disciples around and describing their mission.

Their mission? Proclaim: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, drive out demons'

The disciples, eager to continue Jesus' mission, realize it is dangerous and may cost their lives.

Jesus understands fear as reason for the disciple's failure upon leaving the safety of their homes and families.

Following Jesus and  proclaiming the coming of God’s reign, may cause them to finally succumb to fears' power and want to quit. 

Jesus tells them three different times, "Do not be afraid".

The God of sparrows, Jesus says, God cares for them virtually like two sparrows worth a penny of which you have more value.

The God of sparrows knows your fears and is with you.

Fear is a universal and powerful force motivating our society and our own lives so we are taught to fear the larger world as well those who are closest to us.

So then, where their hope in the face of fear?

Jesus naming out loud the suffering and its causes freed them from the stubborn grip of fear.

As it was with them, so it is with us.

Naming our fears aloud to the God of sparrows frees us from their control.

God knows our life's ups and downs' caring more for us than the sparrows.

Think about it: how can fear be an agent for growth?

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Grantchester's Warning

"But know this: if the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, the owner would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” (from Luke 12:32-40 ) I regularly watch Grantchester; a murder mystery set in 1950s England. The main characters are a local detective and an Anglican priest who, as a team, solve mysteries set in the town. Two aspects of Grantchester impress me. First, the simplicity of the 1950’s police communications done by a landline phone and not cell phone. Second, the simplicity of daily life with little television and fewer possessions allowing the characters to focus on their vocation of detective and priest. This simplicity is more than a nostalgic return to the “good old days”. Instead, it’s a Shaker type of simplicity where austerity allows freedom from distractions to focus on worship and community. Today’s distraction-filled world has seemingly countless activ...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Ruler of All Earthly Kings

Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. (from Rev. 1:4-8 ) About 17 years ago I wrote a letter to the people in the United Church of Underhill. The purpose of the letter was to explain I was retiring at the end of the Conference Year. I felt the time had come for me personally to move on and for the church to grow with a new pastor. I secured a moving company while the church formed a search committee as we both prepared for the inevitable. This is the nature of the book of Revelation, as recorded in 1:4: “John, to the seven churches in the province of Asia.” This is Revelation’s context: it was written for the benefit of particular people at a particular time for their particular situation. John’s letter narrates a drama about God’s imminent invasion of the “kingdom of this world” ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Jesus, Deliverance, and Demons

"Then people came out to see what had happened, and when they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind." (from Luke 8:26-39 ) Astrid is a streaming program I often watch. The plot is a basic cops and robbers action until the criminal is caught. The uniqueness of the program is Astrid, who is on the Autism spectrum, is brilliant at solving puzzles including connecting clues to solve the crime. Watching this program has given me a more profound insight to people living with this condition and their acceptance in society. My first-hand experience with children on the Spectrum was driving a Special Needs school bus for 6 years. With this experience, I can imagine the life the possessed man was experiencing, especially living among the tombs, bound with chains and shackles, having to live in the wilds. It was no wonder he cried for mercy. Jesus, with his power and mercy, cast the demons out and even...
Post a Comment
Read more