Little Creatures Mean a Lot to God. How Much Do They Mean to Us?

My wife shared with me, “Little creatures mean a lot to God.” The Bible confirms her intuition. Here’s what Psalm 84:3 says: “Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, at your altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God” (ESV).

My wife was referring to animals. She could easily have been referring to people.[1] Scripture refers to people as sheep for whom God’s Suffering Servant gives his life (Isaiah 53:5-6). Jesus refers to his followers as sheep. They are like a little flock and like little children (See Luke 12 and 10 respectively below). Little creatures—sparrows and sheep and common people, too—matter a great deal to God. Here’s what the Lord Jesus himself says:

I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him! Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows (Luke 12:4-7; ESV).

Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also (Luke 12:32-34; ESV).

In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him” (Luke 10:21-22; ESV).

Jesus’ followers are often people of humble circumstances. Consider Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 1:

For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:26-31; ESV).

Jesus himself comes from humble beginnings, as his Mother Mary’s words convey in her praise to God for choosing her as the mother of the Messiah:

And Mary said,

“My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
And his mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
and exalted those of humble estate;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
as he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his offspring forever” (Luke 1:46-55; ESV).

How we treat little creatures, little people and little children matter a great deal to God as well:

At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea” (Matthew 18:1-6; ESV).

God cares how we treat those entrusted to our care. Consider also God’s response through Nathan to David over his murder of Uriah the Hittite and taking of his wife Bathsheba to be his own. Nathan compares David to a rich man with a great many flocks and herds and Uriah to a poor man with but one little ewe lamb whom the rich man greedily seizes for his own selfish ends (2 Samuel 12). God is greatly displeased (2 Samuel 11:27). Consider also God’s response to Ahab through Elijah for Ahab’s and Jezebel’s murder and seizure of Naboth’s vineyard. They will come to a terrible end (1 Kings 21).

We might not be kings like David and Ahab, or queens like Jezebel. But nearly all of us are responsible for the care of others. Certainly, by our standards, Uriah (a mighty warrior) and Naboth (the owner of a vineyard), were not weak or poor. But they were weak and poor in comparison to their rulers who were responsible for their care. It is all a matter of degree.

How we treat the little creatures, the vulnerable and poor in our midst—those of lower estate than we—matters a great deal to the Lord (Matthew 25:31-46; James 1-2). Since little creatures mean a lot to God, they had better mean a lot to us.

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[1]When humans treat animals in a cruel manner, it degrades our humanity as well as the animals themselves. It also dishonors God who created them and us. A society that cherishes life as sacred will treat animals respectfully. Could it be that how a society treat animals is an indication of how it treats the most vulnerable human communities and individuals? Both animals and the poor, disabled and elderly are dependent on the good will of the affluent and able bodied among us. How we treat the one often bears upon how we will treat the other. For all their differences as human and non-human, they are both at-risk populations. A humane society will treat both in a respectful and dignified manner. An ‘advanced’ society that does not cherish these at-risk communities is advanced in technology and material capital only. I have written elsewhere on the humane treatment of animals and the whole creation. See for example “Holiness Involves the Humane Treatment of Animals,” “Tree Huggers and Puppy Kickers,” “Food Fight—A Civil Dialogue over Our Daily Bread,” “If We Were Hobbits, What Kind of Hobbits Might We Be?” and “Jesus Loves a Good Food Fight.”