every hair of your head has been counted. Do not be afraid: you are worth more than many sparrows!Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will acknowledge before my Father in heaven. Whoever rejects me before others, I will reject before my Father in heaven.
Reflections
“No sparrow fall to the ground without God’s notice.”Jesus continues to instruct the disciples to overcome their fear of foreseen suffering, per- secution and strife. Using the imagery of God taking notice of the sparrow’s fall on the ground, Jesus reassures the disciples of God’s provident care. Jesus’ usage of this imagery is worth considering. Here and in other instances in the gospels, particu- larly in the parables about na- ture, Jesus shows His profound understanding of the natural world as being loved by God, as a place of God, and as revela- tory of God. Jesus finds God in the natural world as well as the world of human affairs (Denis Edwards). Both enjoy God’s lo- ving embrace. If such is the case, the disciples need not worry, need not fear. Jesus’ statement “[Y]ou are worth more than many sparrows!” might be inter- preted as humans being more important and enjoying privi- leged status before God. Rather, it is to be taken simply to stress the point that the disciples need not worry and need not fear.
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