"So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows."

The words of Jesus can be enormously comforting. And they can be quite disturbing, as well. 

"So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows."

In this passage in Matthew 10 (verses 24-31), Jesus admonishes His listeners not to be fearful. In some ways, it's not really very comforting, really, because there are a lot of sparrows, and they are truly not all that valuable if you think about it. But the point He was making is that God the Father cares for each one of them, and even knows when any one of them falls from the sky. 

Elsewhere in the same passage of Scripture, Jesus is sending out His disciples to share with others what He has shared with them. He is revealing to them the heart of His Father, whom He knew so well. 

“Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows.”

“Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”

Jesus' main followers, His disciples, lived close by Him, their adopted Master, for several years. Through His teachings and His life, death, and resurrection, they learned what He was talking about. They learned to trust God with the smallest details of their lives, because they “are more valuable than many sparrows.”

In the book of Acts, the story of the early Church began and spread as Jesus' disciples shared the Truth with anyone who would listen. It is said they turned the world upside-down, challenging the current human thinking that persists even today. People were, and are, selfish, greedy, anxious, angry, jealous, envious, and just plain filthy-minded! It causes all sorts of contention among people right up to the destruction of wars. 

The Truth that the disciples wanted to share was simply love and faith in the One true God. But the rulers of that day would not have it! They feared the spreading of the Truth of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection, and they commanded the disciples to stop speaking of it. From the book of Acts, chapter 5:

29 But Peter and the apostles answered, "We must obey God rather than men.
30 "The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had put to death by hanging Him on a cross.
31 "He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.
32 "And we are witnesses of these things; and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him."
Gamaliel's Counsel 
33 But when they (the Jewish leaders) heard this, they were cut to the quick and intended to kill them (the disciples)."

I am reminded of the boldness of recently martyred Charlie Kirk, who quite boldly went into venues where there were many who despised him, often without really knowing what he actually taught or believed in. The love of God in Charlie, just as in the early disciples, stirred people up in their hearts, and they responded either with love and appreciation, or with a venomous hatred that they could not even understand in themselves. 

One of Jesus' disciples was John, who wrote one of “gospels” that tell of Jesus' life and teachings. He also wrote three small letters that share some of the most beautiful and comforting passages concerning God's love. In 1 John chapter 4, John shared:

7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

Later in the same passage, he shares:

15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.
16 We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.
17 By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world.
18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.
19 We love, because He first loved us.

In my life, if I find myself experiencing a fear of some sort, I usually quickly think of this little verse as a reminder that I need more love, and as we read above, “God is love.” In fact, God is perfect love, so I need more of God. 

Feel free to keep this one with you, for the times that you find fear creeping in. So much better to have perfect love there to comfort you, than for fear to disable you in any way.

God Bless You!