In this Scripture passage Jesus is sending out His disciples to evangelize the Israelites. He warns them that He is sending them out as “sheep among wolves” (v.16) and that they will be persecuted. However, in addition to the warning of persecution, Jesus comforts His friends.


His words of comfort are not what we would expect. He compares the disciples to sparrows whose worth is only half a penny each. Yet not one sparrow will fall to the ground apart from God’s care. He then says something profound: the hairs on the disciples’ heads are numbered by God. Have you ever stopped to think about that? Every hair is individually numbered. It isn’t just that God knows the quantity; He knows which hair is number 5,321! This requires intimate knowledge and care; consequently, the disciples ought not to be afraid. By numbering the very hairs on our heads, God has told us that we are more valued than we ever dared imagine and that He will take us through the dark valleys of life. What a comfort this is!