You Are of More Value than Many Sparrows
Fine art reproduction note card with Bible text calligraphy
Depicts two sparrows perched on a branch, their feathers drawn in fine detail, You Are of More Value Than Many Sparrows is an 11" X 14" pen & ink drawing, accented with the Bible text of Matthew 10:29, 31 ("Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them is forgotten before God. … You are of more value than many sparrows").
These words of Jesus, spoken to the apostles as they were being sent out to preach, are reassuring and comforting to those who are in Christ; but they are also a serious call to faithfulness.
Reassurance and responsibility in the face of coming persecution
Matthew 10 tells us how Jesus gathered His twelve disciples, gave them authority to cast out demons and heal the sick, and sent them out to preach. But, before they went on their way, the Lord gave them detailed instruction, not only of what they were to do, but the suffering they were about to face.
"Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; therefore, be shrewd as serpents, and innocent as doves.
"But, beware of men; for they will deliver you up to the courts, and scourge you in their synagogues; and you shall even be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. But, when they deliver you up, do not become anxious about how or what you will speak; for it shall be given you in that hour what you are to speak. For it is not you who speak, but it is the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you. …
"And you will be hated by all on account of My name; but, it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.
" … A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master. It is enough for the disciple that he become as his teacher, and the slave as his master. If they have called the head of the house Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household!
"Therefore, do not fear them, … do not fear those who kill the body, but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Therefore, do not fear; you are of more value than many sparrows.
"Everyone, therefore, who shall confess Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. But, whoever shall deny Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.
"Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I came to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man's enemies will be the members of his household.
"He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and, he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And, he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who has found his life shall lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake shall find it" (Matthew 10:16-39).
As Paul, the apostle, wrote to his co-worker and son in the faith, Timothy, "Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted" (2 Timothy 3:12). And, he exhorted him, "You, therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. … And suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus" (2 Timothy 2:1, 3). He could say this because of this conviction:
"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? … But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:35-39).
But, not only this, Paul goes on to state that,
"We know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For, whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren; and whom He predestined, these He also called; and whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified" (Romans 8:28-30).
And so, even in the face of persecution, we must remember that, whatever might happen, we are not forgotten before God. If we confess Him before men, He will confess us before the Father. And so, we are not to fear men who, once they have killed the body, can do no more. We should rather fear the One who can kill the body, and cast the soul into hell.
You Are of More Value than Many Sparrows note card details
The You Are of More Value Than Many Sparrows note card is a reproduction of the original pen & ink drawing by the award-winning Christian artist, Tom Anson. (It was a very small award.) Printed on high quality parchment paper in a limited-run, it measures 6.25" x 4.5", with a side fold. The inside is blank for your personal message. (This notecard runs through most printers very well.)
Suitable for matting and framing (at approximately 8" x 10"), as is, it is available individually, hand-colored by the artist. So, whether you use the You Are of More Value Than Many Sparrows note card for your personal greetings or to add a nice accent to your room, it is almost certain to be received well. It makes a great gift, too.
Pack of six note cards, with matching envelopes.
You may contact the artist about the availability of the original drawing, as well as reproductions of this drawing in the original 11" X 14" format.
