Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. -Matthew 10:29-31 ESV

Study Notes

10:29 Sparrows were customarily thought of as the smallest of creatures, and the penny was one of the least valuable Roman coins (cf. 5:26). apart from your Father. God is sovereign over even the most insignificant events.

10:30-31 Fear not, therefore. Since the heavenly Father gives constant sovereign supervision even to seemingly insignificant creatures, surely he will also care for his disciples in their mission to proclaim the good news of the kingdom. more value. See note on 6:26.

(The ESV Study Bible. (2008). Published by Crossway. Wheaton, Illinois, USA.)

Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? -Matthew 6:26 ESV

6:26 Human beings are of more value than the animals (cf. 10:31; 12:12) because only humans, out of all God’s creatures, are created “in the image of God” (Gen. 1:27), because God gave the human race dominion over all the earth and all its creatures (Gen. 1:28), and because God loved all human beings so much “that he gave his only Son” to die for our sins (John 3:16).

(The ESV Study Bible. (2008). Published by Crossway. Wheaton, Illinois, USA.)

Personal Reflection

  I think it’s a common feeling that at one time or another we question our worth, our purpose, or our value. We have moments of letting comparison and doubt creep into our minds and we wonder if God even sees us. But these few verses confirm that if God knows the sparrows, the pennies, and even the hairs of our heads, then we can guarantee that He knows our hearts, our hopes, and every detail of our lives. And they have value to Him. We can take comfort in the fact that everything about us is known and valued by our Creator.