In chapter 10, Jesus is trying to teach us the value of our life. The worth of a person, an individual. To try and explain this to us, He uses a sparrow. In biblical times, the sparrow was the smallest of birds in the largest quantity - it is the most insignificant bird you could think of. A sparrow was a poor man’s chicken. In the bible, the lowest sacrifice that you could bring to the temple if you had no money was a small bird. Here in Matthew 10, two sparrows sold for one penny. The most insignificant of all birds, sold two for just one penny. But Jesus said here in Matthew, if one of those insignificant birds falls to the ground, a bulletin is sent to heaven and we get a report of all of those that fall. Be of good cheer, you are more valuable than that. In Luke, He says it just a little differently. Jesus says “Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”
I have been to Israel twice now and I can tell you that shopkeepers are wheelers and dealers. I don't like that - it makes me nervous! You sit down and you are negotiating, just tell me - put a tag on it and tell me how much it is. I don't want to peddle! I watched a shopkeeper say “get out, I have a family to feed!” Then he pulled him back into the shop to close the sale. In the supermarket, they have those BOGO deals. Now imagine you're a little old widow woman at the marketplace and you're trying to get just enough food to keep your family going. Two sparrows, one penny. Well what can I get for two coins? The fifth bird was thrown in to seal the deal. The merchant finds the runt of the litter and throws it in to make the sale. It is the throw away. The most insignificant of animals, purchased at an insignificant price, thrown-in because it is worthless. And yet, Jesus says, there is not one of those little birds that God does not care about. Be of good comfort, because you are more valuable than that little bird. That's Jesus 2,000 years ago. Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. The Bible that was written millions of years ago is still true today. God still cares for the fifth sparrow - the outcast, the throw-away. In the eyes of society, the worthless, those of no value. They have great value to the Lord, God still cares about that fifth sparrow.
So today, who is the fifth sparrow?
Little children are the fifth sparrow. Little children are significant to the Lord. You remember the disciples, they were trying to get the children away from the Lord, but the Lord said no, if you want to get to heaven, you have to have become like one of those little children. The way we treat young people matters. There is power in encouraging our youth. There was a preacher and his wife in our community - she sang in the church when I was little, and I asked her to sing the song “In The Great Beyond.” She not only sang it but she said “ that little boy asked me to sing this song. We ought to be very careful how we treat the little children.” I have never forgotten that 40 years later.
Sometimes the fifth sparrow is the elderly. There is a youth movement in this country - our country is obsessed with trying to stay young. We spend billions trying to stay young. We don't value aging. I love new songs, but there is a place in every church for the old songs. Music is a trigger. Music takes you to a place - new songs are good - but old hymns, they transform.
I went out to eat with another pastor and his wife. I thought to myself, this lady is the most unfriendly lady, she didn't talk at all. I later found out she was struggling with dementia. She didn't talk to anyone. She didn't know a lot of anything. I’ll never forget, the next time I went to see them, I was sitting in the front row as we were singing, “The Old Account Was Settled Long Ago” and I saw this same woman, singing every word. She didn't know her husband’s name, she didn't remember anyone else, but she remembered that song. There is a special place for the elderly. They have an important place in our church and they are to be loved and honored and listened to.
Sometimes the fifth sparrow can be troubled people. It can be somebody that gets on your last nerve. If you can't think of somebody, you might be it! Troubled people need Jesus too. Our kids, they have a lot of issues. I love them. I stand up for them and defend them. Last year, we started a basketball team. What could go wrong with that, a bunch of kids with anger management playing basketball. Apparently there is even a league with three other Methodist homes. The kids said “you're coming to our practices and games right? You better pray good cause we want to win.” Really what I prayed was for was the kids to control themselves, and nobody to get hurt. But I also prayed, “Lord, can you let them win just one game? They've been through so much. Just let them win one game.” The kids played good, but lost every game. At the playoff, the other team forfeited, so we moved on to the championship. It's the Baptist against the Methodist - they never lost, we never won! Let me tell you what God did! The Lord sent us a ball player! He dropped 30 points on them - and we beat the Methodist, in Jesus name. That boy was later baptized... Their chant was all through the year “1,2,3, family!” That team was the best family those boys had so far in their life.
Sometimes the fifth sparrow are those with special needs. Those with handicaps. We need to be very careful how we treat them. In my early pastoral days, I visited a lady by the name of Grace. I was sitting in her apartment, marched up to me in my space, and said “my name is Ellen, who are you?” They had been kicked out of their own church because Ellen was mentally challenged and was sometimes disruptive. The pastor told them they had to go somewhere else because Ellen was “a distraction.” His loss was our gain. Ellen was my greatest support, and she loved me. Ellen loved the preacher, she would always circle the conversation back to me. She laughed at all of my jokes. One Sunday we were taking up the offering and I could hear that she was upset. I went back to her to see what the problem was. Ellen was upset that her offering money was in her coat in the foyer. How many of us would get that upset that we didn't have our offering money with us?
The hardest thing I had to do was tell Ellen I was leaving the church, but I stayed in touch with her until the end. It was found out that Ellen had cancer and didn't have much longer left. I traveled to see her because I cared for those who God cared about. A church member said “ did you happen to be in the area? You're 8 hours from home?” I said “no, I came to be here for Ellen.” I later preached at her funeral Hebrews 13 “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers, for some have entertained angels, unaware.” Thank you Ellen for always loving me and being an encouragement to me. In all of her disabilities, in my ministry, God cares about the fifth sparrow.
Maybe you don't know Jesus, you feel like you're lost and forgotten, remember that Jesus loves you. You're the fifth sparrow. God cares about you. It doesn't matter where you've been or what you've done, the ground at calvary is level. If you're here and you're hurting, you're the fifth sparrow. God died for the whole world, but He died for you. He cares for you, individually. If He had a refrigerator, your picture would be hanging on the front. Everybody has a past, everybody has a history. All of us are unworthy. If it was based on our worth, none of us would make it. But by the grace of God, He cares for us. His mercy and grace follow us. If God cares for the outcast, so should His children. We are all broken, and we all need someone to believe in us, and love us, and to care for us.
Comments