“Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God.” — Luke 12:6
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A sparrow was a small bird sometimes used as a sacrificial offering (Leviticus 14:1-9). They were also a common and inexpensive meal. The Bible mentioned that for one penny you got two sparrows (Matthew 10:29), but for two pennies you’d get five sparrows (Luke 12:6). The fifth sparrow was essentially a “throw-in.” A “penny” in those days was 1/16 of a full day’s wage. So if you worked an eight-hour day and were paid an hourly rate, you could buy two sparrows for what you earned per half hour, or five sparrows for what you were paid per hour.
Beginning in 1976, the final pick in the NFL Draft has been given the moniker “Mr. Irrelevant.” There is even a weeklong “celebration” in Newport Beach, California, and includes a trip to Disneyland, a golf tournament, a regatta, and a trophy called the “Lowsman,” in contrast to the Heisman, the most prestigious individual award in college football.
Have you ever felt like a “throw-in,” or even worse, a “throw-away”? These designations do not exist with God. You are highly valued and sought after by Him. In fact, Jesus intentionally sought out and spent time with the seemingly insignificant of that day and age.
You matter, much more than the sparrows, and “not one of them is forgotten by God” (Luke 12:6). Matthew 10:29 and 31 reiterate this: “Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. … So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”
No one is irrelevant to God.
— Jeff Totten, Detroit Tigers chaplain
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