About Jesus   Steve Sweetman

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The Food Of Falcons

 

Sammy had never experienced fear, anguish, hatred, anger, sickness, or death, but in the span of one split second, that all changed.  Clouded in confusion, he shakes his head to clear his mind.  But it's not in his mind.  It's all around him.  He's in the midst of it.    

 

"He did it", shouts Saralie the sparrow, Sammy's sister. 

 

Scared out of his beak, Sammy asks.  "Who did what"? 

 

"Adam did it.  He ate the whole thing.  We're doomed Sammy", cries Saralie in horrified anguish. 

 

"You're kidding?  The guy is nuts.  We're gonna die". 

 

Saralie sobs bitterly.  "But Sammy, it's already happened.  In one sudden second, part of us just died.  I feel completely different.  Don't you?"

 

Sammy screams. "Watch out Saralie!  Watch out"!

 

Sickening terror strikes Sammy.  With pains of panic, he vomits up his lunch.  Tears gush from his eyes.  Fred the falcon just swept down, snatched up Saralie, and in two quick gulps, swallowed her alive.   

 

Uncontrollable anger explodes from deep within.  "W…why did you kill her?  Sammy was dumbfounded.  He had never heard the word kill before, and now he had just spoken it in a fit of rage.  What's gotten into us"?   

 

"It's death", snickers the snake.  "Saralie just became the food of falcons, and guess what Sammy.  You're next on the menu".                

 

The scene shifts to a provincial park.  My wife Dianne and I saw a flock of these little birds swarming around a tree.  We stopped to investigate.  Dianne reached out her hand, and amazingly, one after another, cute little birds landed in her hand in the hopes of finding food.  I took a picture and then stretched out my hand.  It was an incredible moment.  These so-called wild little guys were nibbling away on a few crumbs in my hand.     

 

       IMG_4476 Nuthatch

 

Dianne likes photographing birds, so she placed some bird feeders in our backyard.  Birds of all kinds now grace us with their presence and with their songs.  And yes, they do visit the hood of our van after their lunch.  You can view some of Dianne's photos on her blog at; 

http://diannesphotographsandthoughts.blogspot.ca/

 

Our new found friends flutter from feeding stations, to tree branches, and to the bird bath.  It's an enjoyable sight, that is, until the neighbourhood bully circles overhead.  Like a jet fighter patrolling the sky, a falcon is in search of lunch.  I find it quite disheartening to think that one bird would devour another bird for lunch.   

 

Cynical Sid, a distant descendent of Sammy the sparrow, overhears Jesus one day saying, "… do not worry about your life … look at the birds of the air … your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not much more valuable than they"? (Matthew 6:25-26)  Sid twitches his head in disgust.  He mutters.  "Jesus isn't telling the whole story.   He fails to mention that the same birds whom the heavenly Father feeds becomes food for falcons.  Don't those disciples get that"?    

 

Sid's mother interrupts.  "Jesus is trying to encourage His disciples, who like us Sid, maneuver their way through a world of uncertainty.  Remember?  After God created everything, including us, He gave Adam the pleasure of caring for us". (Genesis 1:28 and 2:20) 

 

Sid sighs.  "Yes mother.  You've told me the story countless times before".  Sid knew Adam forfeited his job as keeper of the kingdom, and what God said would happen, did happen.  Death invaded every cell and every molecule that forms life as we know it.  In one micro moment, all creation plunged into a life of death.  As beautiful as creation is, it's a dim shadow of what it once was.  

 

Sid also knew that death cane into the world because Adam submitted to satan, a known murderer. (John 8:44)  God then cursed His creation. (Genesis 3)  If satan was going to be prince of the planet, then this planet would no longer be a place for such a prince.  Creation would now wait for a better day to come. (Romans 8:19)

  

Sid now overhears Jesus again saying, "… 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 … so don't be afraid, you are worth more than many sparrows". (Matthew 10:29-31)    

 

As Sid eyes the sky for falcons, he mutters.  "Come on Jesus.  How can the death of a sparrow be God's will? And, don't the disciples realize Jesus isn't just talking about our death, but their death too"?       

 

Sid's mother interjects again.  "Sid, Jesus is comparing His disciples to us.  We fall to the ground and die, and so will they.  We become food for falcons.  They'll become lunch for lions in Roman arenas.  As our untimely death is 'not apart from the will of God', neither is their untimely death.  Their heavenly Father will be with them in death as He is with them in life".

 

"Here are the hard facts Sid.  Adam quit on us.  Satan became prince of this planet.  Death entered creation that God then cursed.  Sparrows became food for falcons and disciples became lunch for lions".

 

"How delightful", answers Sid with a hint of cynicism.  

 

"There's more Sid.  The death of man or animal is not apart from God's will.  It's not the end of the matter.  Death can't separate any of us from God. (Romans 8:38)  That's encouraging.  If God is with a sparrow in death, that means He is actively involved in every last little detail of His creation.  That makes me of great value to God". 

 

"But I thought Jesus said that man is more valuable than us sparrows", replies Sid.

 

"Sid, disciples are more valuable, but more value doesn't mean we're unvalued.  If God values us, then those disciples have nothing to worry about".    

 

"That sounds a bit better", replies Sid, "but I'm still not excited about this death stuff".      

 

"There's more Sid.  Life leads to death, but for us and believers, death leads to abundant life. (John 10:10) Many Christians who sit under this shade tree think they'll spend eternity in heaven, but they won't. We'll all co-exist in harmony, both man and animal, on a newly created earth. (Revelation 21-22)  Lions will like lambs. Sparrows will fly freely without fear of falcons". (Isaiah 11:6, 65:25)    

 

As I sit on my deck and listen to the song birds, I'm reminded of my friend, Joe from Montana .  I've never met Joe in person, but we've made plans to meet up with each other under a shade tree on the newly created earth.  We'll play our guitars.  Birds will sing overhead.  We, and the birds, will snack on the once forbidden fruit, and because nothing is wasted on the new earth, nothing will fall on our heads from the birds above. 

 

 

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