It's all about grace!

Paul Reynolds writes:

"Buy four and get one free!" has a very contemporary ring to it with the incessant clamour of the latest marketing campaigns ringing in our ears, yet bargains such as these were equally common in the market place of New Testament times. There’s not much meat on a sparrow, and as inexpensive as they were to buy, you could always shop around in order to seek out a lower price. In this vein, the gospel writer Matthew tells us "Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father". However, Luke (who knows a bargain when he sees one) reliably informs us "Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies?". Either way, you finish up with one sparrow for free - whatever the currency.

Jesus uses the image of the sparrow to talk about people, and his message is plain. Even individuals who appear to us as insignificant as a ‘two-a-penny’ sparrow are valuable to God ... "Not one of them will fall to the ground without the Father knowing". Those who are ‘one among many’ are truly special in God's eyes, and matter to him accordingly. And yet it’s even better than that, for when he says "Not one of them ..." he really means it. Even the one that the crooked merchant throws in for free matters!

As a direct consequence of this, other people should matter a great deal to us, for our relationship with God and our relationships with each other, are often the prime way in which we are judged by those outside of the Church as they view a group of diverse people, from all kinds of backgrounds, working and worshipping together, having fun together, and showing obvious concern and love for each other. When that truly occurs, it is a powerful witness to the truth of the Christian gospel. But if, on the other hand, all that people see are a group of individuals who cannot, or refuse to, live and work together, despite their differences, and whose relationships are characterised by a distinct lack of love, then perhaps it’s not altogether surprising that they might be rather circumspect in their attitude to joining the Church.

With this in mind, might I suggest that we all make a real effort to invite our friends, family and neighbours along to church from time to time ... or perhaps even to come ourselves on a more regular basis. After all, if we are loved by God in the way that I’ve indicated, we surely have much to celebrate, and we may even enjoy it. In fact, why not be bold and invite four or five! Unlike the occasional sparrow, God’s love for us is always free! Put simply, it's all about grace!

With my prayers and very best wishes

Paul