You Are Worth More Than Many Sparrows, Luke 12: 7

Dan Doyle

There is a T-shirt being advertised on social media currently that bears the words, “ You are enough” on the front, and on the back it has this message: “Dear person behind me, the world is a better place with you in it. Love the person in front of you.” This message is being promoted as an effort to address the issues of self-worth, mental health awareness, and suicide prevention that seem to be so prevalent in our society today. It is actually a very good message and one that is much needed in this ironically self-obsessed era dominated by relativist and subjectivist attitudes.

The message is a worthy one, but its roots go far deeper than an advertising idea with a noble purpose. In the 12th chapter of Luke’s Gospel, Jesus gives us the reason why we can and should have such a transcendent and respectful attitude toward all of our fellow human beings. In his wisdom, Jesus deftly places the reason after he tells us about the problems of hypocrisy; about how lies and other things said and done in darkness cause so much harm personally and socially, and will ultimately be “heard in the light”. He tells us not to be afraid of those in the world who would threaten us, even with our lives, but to be afraid, rather, of the One who has the power to judge us at the Final Judgement. Then he gives us the ‘why’ with these beautiful words: “Are not five sparrows sold for two small coins? Yet not one of them has escaped the notice of God. Even the hairs of your head have all been counted. Do not be afraid. You are worth more than many sparrows” (Lk. 12: 1-7).

There is such an intimacy of care in these words. Jesus tells us here that while a single sparrow awing in a clear blue sky might momentarily catch our eye, that same sparrow “never escapes God’s notice”. Is this not assuring? If that sparrow is always ‘noticed’ by God, are we not ‘noticed’, cared for, and loved even more intently and intimately every moment of our lives? Indeed, Jesus gives us another metaphor that almost seems frivolous: “Even the hairs of your head have all been counted.” He is not saying that God does such a thing as count every hair on our heads; he is saying that that is how deeply and intimately aware God is of us in every moment, and of everything we think, say, and do…even “in the dark.”

If I am “noticed” this intently, this intimately, this lovingly by God every moment of my life, is this not also true for every other human being I have ever known or ever will know? This truth has real implications for us in our daily lives. It implies that I, too, as a believer in Jesus Christ, called to love all others as he loves me, should think of others intentionally in order to say: “Dear person behind me, the world is a better place with you in it.” Better yet, ought I not consciously, actively, and intentionally endeavor to actually treat every person in my personal life and all those I encounter throughout my day, with a similar kind of intimacy, care, and love. It is clear that many among us need to feel and know that they are “enough”. Indeed, that their worth is more than a metaphor easily read on the back of a T-shirt. They should be able to experience that they are enough through my active attention, care, and love for them.

A very holy woman in the 14th Century, Catherine of Siena, understood this idea and put it in very simple and humble words of her own. “We cannot offer God any service of equal value to God’s grace, but we can serve our neighbor with the very love we have received from him. Where there is no mercy or justice, love for God cannot abide.” God knows that we are imperfect, yet he calls us to do great things. All he asks of us is our genuine yearning to know him and his way, his truth and his life, and to try to imitate it more and more intimately and actively every day of our lives. He offers us his attentive, intentional love at all times, and his grace is infinite. If we truly desire to love others as he loves us and endeavor, however haltingly, to share that love with all of our neighbors every day, he will offer us infinite amounts of forgiveness when we fall short, and infinite amounts of his grace to enable us in our efforts to pick ourselves back up and to carry on in his name.

Let us pray: wherever we encounter hate, or see its effects on others, that we may be given the insight and courage to respond to it with the challenge of real love and real forgiveness. Wherever we find others caught up in darkness, or being hurt by those who are, let us be given the grace to be bold enough to be living examples of the Light of Christ for them, not just in our words but in our deeds. Wherever or whenever we see sadness in others, let us be a source of joy for them in the ways that we “notice” them and care for them. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.