Outside my dining room window, a rowdy flock of sparrows gathers on our bird feeder. They fight for a feast of sunflower seeds while I sit eating my own lunch, enjoying their flurry of activity. My husband and I set out food year round intending to attract songbirds to our feeder. However, in reality, these indistinct, sometimes annoying little birds, devour most of it. We’re providing sustenance for the sparrows, whether we like it or not.
Birdfeeders don’t discriminate. Every bird is welcome though some tend to dominate. If a male cardinal is nearby, he’ll scatter the sparrows, not allowing them to feed. He’s a showy bully to the rest of the birds, strutting his crimson colors, pushing them away. Nevertheless, the sparrows patiently persist. They proliferate despite the odds against them.
We all experience sparrows in our lives if we’re willing to admit it. They’re the people we don’t notice, the ones who blend into the background of our existence. Perhaps they’re the homeless woman in the intersection, the prisoner picking up trash along the road or the young man with schizophrenia bagging groceries. They’re easy to pass by without a thought if we’re not paying attention.
But Jesus never passed them by. He noticed everyone. The lepers, the lame, the tax collectors and the prostitutes were some of the sparrows of His day. Even though others rejected them, He did not see them as outcasts but beloved children of God. Jesus gives sustenance to the sparrows and says ‘Follow Me.’ Do we have the courage to follow His example today?
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.
Luke 12:6-7
In the new television series, The Chosen, this undeniable quality of Jesus is revealed. I love the scene in season one when He calls Matthew, the tax collector, to become one of His disciples. Peter argues with Jesus that He must be making a mistake. Surely He knows what Matthew has done to the Jewish people?
But Jesus responds, “You didn’t get it when I chose you either.”
“But this is different,” Peter said, “I’m not a tax collector.”
Jesus answers. “Get used to different.”
Jesus chooses sparrows. Maybe you’re one of them. The Kingdom of God, like my birdfeeder, doesn’t discriminate. All are welcome. If we want to be a part of it, we must get used to different. Jesus offers sustenance to the sparrows. He calls us to do the same.
But God chose the foolish things of this world to put the wise to shame. He chose the weak things of the world to put the powerful to shame. What the world thinks is worthless, useless, and nothing at all is what God has used to destroy what the world considers important.
1 Corinthians 1:27-28 CEV
