Luke 12:6-7
If someone asked me, “What are you worth?” I would probably be a little irritated. I would assume that the person meant to ask about my net worth, about how much debt I have versus how much I own in savings or material goods. In Luke 12, Jesus knows how we think and offers us a comparison to the monetary value of sparrows.
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 (NIV)
This example seems a little humorous since most of us don’t compare ourselves to birds, but it raises the important question of how we think about our worth in the eyes of God. Is our value financial? Is it in how we treat our friends and family members? Is it related to the extent of an education or how hard we work at a job? Is it about status or power or physical appearance? Certainly all of those contribute to how we see ourselves, but the verses are principally concerned with how God sees us, and that assessment is comforting, even overwhelming. We are priceless. Period.
But like so many of Jesus’ statements, the simple becomes complex the more we think about it. Right when I start feeling pretty good about being so highly valued by God, I realize that everyone else is valued at the same extraordinary rate. My next-door neighbor and the migrant, the rich and the destitute, the faithful and the non-believer, those in our circle and those we fear because they seem so different: all are watched over and beloved.
Jesus wants us to be comforted and empowered by the value God bestows on us, but, as so often happens, Jesus leads us outward, away from the concern about our own prosperity and worth, to recognize the value in everyone and all of creation. The comfort of being loved and valued invites us to see through the eyes of God and apply God’s boundless love to those around us.
Questions for Reflection:
- How do you define your worth? What categories do you use to define your significance?
- Is there an individual or group of people you have struggled to value? Why? What steps could you take to change that perspective?
Prayer
Lord, please remind us every day of our value in your eyes and help us to see how expansive and inclusive your love for all people is. Let that insight spur our compassion and prompt us to serve others. Amen.
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