MATTHEW 10: 29-33 [THE MESSIAH REVEALED Series]
HIS EYE IS ON THE SPARROW
All efforts aimed at educating, healing, and caring for human beings are based on the assumption that such endeavors are worthwhile. We believe that persons are of value. No one makes much of a stir about the loss of a ring or bracelet purchased for a few cents at a five and dime store. But if a ring or bracelet set with diamonds or precious gems is lost, great concern is expressed and a vigorous search is undertaken. The difference lies not so much in the function but the comparative worth of the objects.
To the stark reality that believers may experience emotional and bodily harm, Jesus changes the focus to the soul of man and the value or the eternal worth of a believer. Jesus assures His follower that there is One always watching over them who places great value upon them. This watcher and Judge of all actions, situations, and people is our Father, who values His children greatly and will always watch out for them.
Our passage encourages us to look at ourselves through the eyes of Jesus. He tells us we are valued and precious in the eyes of our Heavenly Father. He urges us not to underestimate our worth or our work, but to realize we have our origin in God, our destiny with God and our lives constantly under the care of God.
I. VALUABLE WITNESS, 29-31.
II. VALUED CONFESSION, 32-33.
Jesus’ begins His argument for freedom from fear by pointing out the goodness and providence of God in verse 29. Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. "
I love to watch hummingbirds. Those marvels or flying jewels are incredible. It is fascinating to watch their ability and grace as they dart from flower to flower in search of nectar.
Did you know our Father is a bird watcher too? He watches not merely to observe, but to know, feed, care and protect His creatures (Ps. 50: 11, 147:9, Mt. 6:26). He even watches over the sparrows.
Jesus used this truth to reassure His disciples. He had told them they would be belittled, hated, persecuted, and rejected. Then He said not one sparrow falls to the ground apart from the Father's will.
Not only is God more powerful and authoritative than those who can only kill the body, but He cares for those who serve Christ. Little sparrows were of little worth in the marketplace and basically were unnoticed by people busy with daily life. Yet the Father takes note when each one dies.[Two sparrows were sold for a farthing or penny, a copper coin (Gk assarion) worth about one-sixteenth of a Roman denarius, which was a day’s wages(20:2-4), about one cent in our money.]
Knowing a little more about an English SPARROW may help you appreciate God's care and concern. It is the commonest bird in the world, but its life and habits make a more interesting study than those of many rarer birds.
Mated sparrows fly long distances in gathering material to build their nest. The nest of two sparrows, when dissected was found to contain - among other components - over two thousand poultry feathers. The birds could only carry these one at a time - and the nearest chickens were two hundred and twenty-five yards away. Their journey there and back totaled three hundred and six miles.
If all the offspring of one pair of sparrows were to survive for ten years, the number of their descendants would be 275 trillion. But there is no danger of our skies being darkened by vast clouds of sparrows for nine out of ten hatched live less than one year (sparrow have lived for 40). Yet the Father takes note when each sparrow dies. He does not let the physical life of a seemingly insignificant and invaluable sparrow die without His notice.
If God's providence is so involved in the lives of the least of His creatures His care will be much more involved in the most valuable of His creations, a person made in His image, especially one who calls Him Father.
Satan says he will destroy your life if you testify for Jesus. Believe not the Father of lies. Trust in God’s protection. He who cares for the insignificant will not fail to care for you.
God's individual care and attention are further emphasized in verse 30. “But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
Providence is God’s interest and care over the smaller details of our lives. Here we are reminded of God’s gracious extent of providential care over His saints. [It is in direct contrast to the deistic view which holds that God created the world and set it on its course and we should not think that He pays attention to each of us individually.] Jesus said that God cares for each, that we, being so much more valuable than sparrows, should rest in this faith, free from fear.
All [pasai - everyone without exception] the hairs of your head are known to God. This denotes the detailed account God takes and keeps of His people. It is a task that requires constant updating because most of us lose hair everyday. Hair is of little value and can be lost without detriment to life or health. The numbering of hair emphasizes how much the Father values and cares for His children. The providence which embraces everything embraces each thing, particularly His children.
Theologically you may accept the doctrine of God's sovereignty as biblical and true. Yet when your life seems derailed by the loss of a job, your home, or a loved one, do you question God's sovereignty?
Abraham laughed wondering how God could ever fulfill His promise of birthing a nation through his seed (Genesis 17:17). God came through. Moses thought he'd hit a dead end at the Red Sea with more than two million people following his directions (Exodus 14:16). God came through. Joseph was holed up in a prison, rejected by his brothers, and lied about by his employer's wife (Genesis 50:20). God came through.
The One who knows the number of hairs on your head, who hears your cries during the night, who understands your confusion amid heartbreaking loss, is able to use your circumstances to accomplish His ultimate purposes. “Nothing is a surprise to God; nothing is a setback to His plans; nothing can thwart His purposes; and nothing is beyond His control” [Joni Eareckson Tada].
Have you been feeling that God's plans for you are thwarted by misfortune? Not so! Rejoice that a loving God holds you in His grip
Verse 31 clarifies Jesus’ point that the Father knows of their suffering and allows it. They must not fear because He is in control. “So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows.
Do not be afraid of misinvesting your life by giving it to God and using it to testify for Him. Do not fear slander because God knows and will one day bring the truth to light. Do not fear bodily harm because it is not permanent and insignificant in comparison to the value of an eternal soul. Do not fear men for they can not even harm a hair of our head without the Lord’s consent and if God consents, there is good reason. In fact we should fear nothing because our heavenly Father places such high value on us.
Men will say that no doubt God controls great matters but they question that His care extends to such little things as the concerns of individual man. Jesus says God takes care of the smallest and most trifling things and therefore we may be sure He cares for His born again children who are so much more important. There is no comparison between your worth and the sparrows God meticulously cares for (Luke 12:6-7, Mt. 6:26), so be assured that God cares for you.
God is aware of everything that happens even to sparrows and you are far more valuable to Him than they are. You are so valuable to God that He sent His only Sen to die for you (John 3 :16). Because God places such value on you, you need not fear personal threats or difficult trials. These can't shake God's love or dislodge His Spirit from within you.
But this doesn't mean that God will take away all your troubles (Mt. 10:16). The real test of value is how well something holds up under the wear tear and use of everyday life. Those who stand up for Christ in spite of their troubles have eternal value and will receive great rewards (Mt. 5:11, 12)." [Life Application Study Bible. NIV 1988. Zondervan. Grand Rapids, Mich. p. 1670.]
One of our older Christian hymns assures us:
Why should I feel discouraged,
Why should the shadows come,
Why should my heart be lonely
And long for Heaven and home,
When Jesus is my portion?
My constant Friend is He;
His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know He watches me. Cililla D. Martin
Reflection should lead Jesus’ disciples to conclude that we need not fear life or persecutors. Disciples may not know fully why God permits such things as persecution, but we can be sure that He knows our difficulties and in His time will deal justly with our situation and our persecutors (10:26, 28, 33).
II. VALVED CONFESSION, 32-33.
[The confession which is rewarded by Christ, like the denial which prompts His denial is, of course, not merely a simple utterance of the lip. You might look at Judas Iscariot hanging out with Christ & His crowd, & Peter’s emphatic public denial of Jesus & think Peter didn’t go to heaven, but Judas was ok. But the confession in view is the habitual acknowledgment by lip and life that remains unwithdrawn to the end of life (Ezek 33:10-29).]
It is our duty as verse 32 states not only to believe in Christ, but to profess that faith. “Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven.”
“Everyone” indicating that this statement is applicable to one and all, not just the apostles [Jesus was presently teaching]. “Therefore” attaches the promise which follows to the
immediately preceding thoughts of watchful, fatherly care, extending like a great invisible hand over the true disciple. Since God is totally aware and can completely protect, there is no excuse for shrinking from duty through fear of men.
Jesus followers are to faithfully confess [homologēei, lit. “same word” indicating be in accord”] Him before men. The words “confesses Me” are literally “confess in Me” carrying the idea of confessing Christ out of a oneness with Him. It implies an identification and union of the confessor with the one confessed. To confess in Christ you must be in Christ or already a believer. The confession before men means more than talking out loud to people about Jesus. It is also a statement made with the life. The walk and talk go together in order to make the good confession.
This confession of Jesus is absolutely necessary. For the only ones Jesus confesses before the Father are those that testify of Him before men. The only thing worthy of fear is the fear of not confessing or testifing for the Christ before men. Jesus says that confession is part of a cause and effect relationship. Christ will confess only to those who openly confess Him, who go forward with Him, undeterred by the fear of men. The result of openly acknowledging before men that they belong to Jesus, even before persecutors (10:22), Jesus will confess that person before His Father on judgment day (Mt. 7:21,1 Samuel 2:30). Though they may be robbed of life, they will not be robbed of their reward.
At the close of an evangelistic meeting held by D. L. Moody, a NORWEGIAN YOUTH stood up to testify of his faith in the Lord. He wanted the people to know that he had been saved, but he had difficulty speaking English. Haltingly he managed to say, "I'm up here because Jesus Wants me to be a witness. He promised that if I tell the world about Him, He'll tell the Father about me!"
Moody later remarked, "That boy's testimony went straight to the heart of everyone present. 'If I tell the world' yes, that's exactly what the Bible means when it says we must confess Christ!"
Our Lord does not want us to be silent disciples. He encourages us to witness boldly to others about His grace. Scripture provides eloquent proof that we are to be vocal about our standing in Christ. Romans 10:9 states, "Confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus." And verse 14 asks, "How shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard?"
If you love the Lord, it's your duty to witness to others. Maybe all you need to say to someone is: "Jesus means so much to me. I wish you knew Him too!" You will be surprised what such a simple, straightforward testimony can accomplish. Determine today to "tell the world."
I'll tell the world that I'm a Christian
I’m not ashamed His name to bear;
I’ll tell the world that I'm a Christian
I’ll take Him with me anywhere. - Fox
If your faith is worth having, it is worth sharing. If your don’t share it, it is an indication before Jesus that you do not have saving faith in Jesus as Lord which transforms the life and makes us His servants or disciples.
The stark antithesis or corollary truth to the good confession is found in verse 33. “But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.”
Denial is rejecting or disowning Jesus (Luke 12:8–9; 2 Tim 2:12). There will always be the temptation to deny Jesus and the Kingdom in order to avoid criticism and much more so to avoid persecution. If a person denies Jesus, that person will be denied by Jesus.
This language seems to imply a setting on judgment day in which a person’s public recognition or denial of Jesus in this life anticipates Jesus’ recognition or denial of that person at the judgment. Loyalty to Jesus may result in persecution in this life, but it results in the loyalty of Jesus on judgment day.
Failure to openly confess Jesus would result in His denial of them. Most think it means not saved or eternally lost. Of the original 12 Apostles, only one, Judas Iscariot, fell into that category. [Walvoord, John & Zuck, Roy. The Bible Knowledge Commentary. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1983, S. 43.]
[Some understand that what you lose by failing to confess Jesus before men is the intercessory ministry of Jesus. For Jesus is Judge at the Judgement Seat of Christ (Jn 5:22, 9:39, 2 Cor.5:10). Here the Father is Judge [like at the Great White Throne]. If they would not confess Jesus and His message of the Kingdom (1 0: 7 27), then He would not pray for them or bring their prayers to the Father. Failure to fulfill Christ's Great Commission results in the Lord's unwillingness to intercede for His servants still today.
Saying no to Christ & to His mission is a serious breach of covenant relationship. Only as we are about the work of Christ do we have the involvement of Christ.]
Ashamed of Jesus!
Ashamed of Jesus! How could it ever be?
A mortal man ashamed of Thee?
Ashamed of Thee, whom angels praise,
Whose glories shine through endless days?
Ashamed of Jesus! Sooner far
Let evening blush to own a star:
He sheds the beams of light divine
0' er this benighted soul of mine.
Ashamed of Jesus! that dear Friend
On whom my hopes of heaven depend!
No; when I blush, be this my shame,
That I no more revere His name.
Ashamed of Jesus! yes, I may,
When I've no guilt to wash away;
No tear to wipe, no good to crave,
No fears to quell, no soul to save.
Till then, my confession is not vain,
Till then I boast a Savior slain;
And O, may this my glory be,
That Christ is not ashamed of me!
-Joseph Grigg
To be sure, if we have denied Jesus before the world we can be forgiven. Peter denied Him three times; was restored; and then led the church in proclaiming Jesus as the Christ.
IN CLOSING
Christ will not accept any excuse for not going forward for Him.
1st - He said we would be no more maltreated & slandered than He was (vv 24- 25).
2nd - That the truths He gives us in secret are to be made known no matter the opposition (26 & 27).
3rd - God's wrath is to be more dreaded than man's (v 28).
4th - He who cares for the trifling things will certainly care for us (vv 29-31).
Last - that if we do not confess Christ before men He will not confess us before His Father in Heaven.
It is our duty, not only to believe in Christ, but to profess that faith even if it brings suffering for Him. That denial of Christ meant here is only the persisted denial, and that confession which brings His blessed recompense is the real and constant profession of faith and love.
Do You live a brave life? Brave, not because you ignore the reality of what Jesus taught, but because you by the grace and power of God have faced the enemy & shared the gospel & have experienced the divine care of God that gives life value & meaning.
"As the people turned away from Him, Jesus focused on whether we are willing to associate with Him under the public scrutiny of other people. We might say that Jesus was asking, "Will you really be my friends & loyal followers, no matter what other people think, say; or do to you?" If we will, We will find in Him an even more faithful friend, brother & rewarder.
Every act of our lives will be under scrutiny at the Judgment Seat of Christ (2 Cor. 5:10). If we should refuse to speak up for Christ because of fear or intimidation, we will suffer” minimally the loss of reward from Him (2 Tim 2: 12) and quite possibly never grasp hold of the eternal Salvation He offers [Weber, Stuart. Holman NT Commentary. 2000. Broadman & Holman. Nashville, TN. p. 148.]
One's involvement in spreading the message of the Kingdom has eternal consequences.
Dear reader, if you do not have a personal relationship with God; this prayer is for you:
Dear Lord Jesus, I acknowledge that I am a sinner in need of forgiveness. I believe that You died on the cross to take the punishment that I deserve for my sins and that You were raised from the dead. Please forgive me of my sins and come into my heart and life as my Savior and Lord. From this day forward, please be glorified in and through me. Thank You for Your amazing grace. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
