Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows

And as He said these things to them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to assail Him vehemently, and to cross-examine Him about many things, lying in wait for Him, and seeking to catch Him in something He might say, that they might accuse Him.

In the meantime, when an innumerable multitude of people had gathered together, so that they trampled one another, He began to say to His disciples first of all, "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.

"And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him! Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

"Also I say to you, whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God. But he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God. And anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but to him who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven. Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say. For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say."

- Luke 11:53 - 12:12

In yesterday's reading, Jesus spoke of the "Woes" that belong to religious hypocrites. He was dining at the home of a Pharisee, who found it remarkable that Jesus did not perform the ritual cleansing. Jesus then remarked on the hypocrisy that attends the emphasis on external form alone - that is, when it is without the necessary internal reality of love and mercy in the presence of the kingdom. This is especially true for the religious leadership, for the reasons Jesus elaborates. See Woe to you!

And as He said these things to them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to assail Him vehemently, and to cross-examine Him about many things, lying in wait for Him, and seeking to catch Him in something He might say, that they might accuse Him. After Jesus' denunciations of the practices of the Pharisees, scribes and lawyers, they decide they need to catch Him and find an accusation against Him.

In the meantime, when an innumerable multitude of people had gathered together, so that they trampled one another, He began to say to His disciples first of all, "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops." My study bible notes: "Jesus warns against hypocrisy (v. 1). All pretense and hidden evils will be exposed by God's light." There are a couple of significant little "notes" in this paragraph. First of all, we're told there are so many people - such a multitude - that they are trampling on one another. And it's here that Jesus decides to openly criticize the Pharisees and warn against them and their hypocrisy. So this is, in effect, an open declaration against the practices of the leadership. And that is also reflective in some sense of Jesus' words, that whatever is spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, everything is to be revealed - that what is spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops. Effectively, we can't hide from the knowledge of God. Nothing about us is unknown. At the same time, Jesus' words are for the world to hear - in effect, revealing what He understands about the workings of the internal life, especially the reality of the spiritual standing of those whom He criticizes.

"And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him! Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows." A note in my study bible reads, "In the face of persecution and dangers the disciples are to fear only God, in whose power and providential care lies each person's ultimate destiny." This is another fascinating passage, because of the hints here in the words used, and the language Jesus employs. We are not to fear the world and its persecutions, in this faith He preaches. But, Jesus teaches, we are to fear Him who has power to cast into hell. And this is emphatically stated. It seems contradictory to us, that we are to fear the one who is Love. And in the next statements, we find how valuable and of how much worth we are to that same One. Even the sparrows God knows and loves. Even the hairs on our head are numbered. This is not so much about awareness or some form of accounting of all things, creatures and beings, but a sign of love: how much we mean to God that God's awareness of the slightest things about us is always there, always full and complete. And then, "Do not fear!" We are in fact precious to God - far more than the value of many sparrows (and even the sparrows God knows and loves). What we are to fear then is the loss of our true worth, our value - the spiritual reality and relationship that connects us to God and God's kingdom, through which we seek our own identity, reality, relationship. We wish to remain in that love, and once again, our own choices are crucial to this relationship. We are not powerless, but rather powerful. We bear the responsibility to return that love and relationship, or not. Just as Jesus has taught us to be "light bearers" in the previous readings, so this light is dependent on our choice for this single most important relationship in our lives.

"Also I say to you, whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God. But he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God." A note reads, "True discipleship means public confession of Jesus as the Son of Man (Dan. 7:13), who is the Messiah and the eternal Son of God." The Son of Man is an apocalyptic title from the book of Daniel (see reference in the note). So, this is in fact a further elaboration on the theme of judgment. What do we confess? What is it that will be known in public as it is in private? Or do we deny our faith before men? I personally think that confession takes many forms, and that it must be sincere. Truly we are to take just as seriously Jesus' criticism regarding outward form alone (pertaining to the Pharisees, scribes and lawyers), as when we make our own public confessions of faith. But I think the great emphasis here is on those who stand with Him in his humility and persecution. Can we openly be who we need to be in real faith in what He teaches, or do we wear a more acceptable public mask, that confers a better social standing?

"And anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but to him who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven. Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say. For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say." A note here reads: "To say a word against the Son of Man is to reject His messianic claims. To many people, before their conversion, Jesus seems a mere man. Later, they are enlightened, repent and are forgiven." Whenever the subject of judgment comes up, we must always recall that this is an eternal kingdom full of mercy. We always have time to reconsider - but this does not take away the responsibility for the choices we make when the kingdom "breaks through" somehow into our lives. Faulty choices just mean perhaps a deeper "undoing" in the future to learn our way forward along a good road. The teachings about the Holy Spirit run more deeply and powerfully beneath everything that is pertinent to our lives and our choices, and touch upon the same theme of responsibility. In another note, my study bible says that, "Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is blasphemy against the divine activity of the Spirit" (as, for example, in the accusation that Jesus healed or performed exorcisms by demonic power). But this isn't only about the miracles of Jesus. It is also about the active life of the Spirit when it touches our own lives, and as it works within us. Indeed, so active is this spiritual reality within us, so present is the Spirit to us, that Jesus says that "in that very hour" of persecution the Holy Spirit will teach His disciples what to say. This is an ever-presence, a reality that is always with us, and we are to pay attention to it, to heed its actions in our lives, and how its help can direct us.

How do we understand the work of the Holy Spirit? When we pray, we pray to know and to understand it, to be made aware of it, and to better communication within this membership of the Kingdom. We wish to know God's will, and to carry it out. For that enlightenment that my study bible speaks of (referring to confession, above), we pray to understand better and to grow in spiritual value and awareness. This is the power of the Holy Spirit in our own lives, and the responsibility we take on when we take Christ's words seriously about what we are to fear. We fear losing that connection and understanding, and the worth that it conveys to us, the values it gives us. How will you act to create this more powerful life, to carry this life in abundance within you that the Spirit confers? It's all about our choices, your choice. Of what do you wish to be aware? The sparrows are worth so much and are precious to God. So much is riding on each of us, even the very hairs of our heads are numbered and known. Reciprocate that love and grow in it; this is what He asks of us today. Can we hear what the Holy Spirit has to teach us in that moment we confess?