Luke 12:4-7--Have No Fear

Luke 12:4-7
English Standard Version

Have No Fear
4 “I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. 5 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! 6 Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. 7 Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.

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This is related to the last passage where the people would be scared of confronting the Pharisees (and the Sanhedrin in general).  They were the ruling council and had the right under the Law to execute Law breakers (usually by stoning).  At this time, the Romans didn't want the Sanhedrin executing people (though they still did it sometimes) and so this may also be telling the people not to fear their Roman occupiers or it just may be a prohibition of living in fear of any man or even the powers of darkness--they cannot even kill a man though without the permission of God to do so.

So then, the person we should fear who really controls not only life and death in this reality but eternal life and eternal damnation is God.  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.  We would do well to fear Him and keep His commandments, for those who fear Him obey Him.

Then Jesus points the people to the animal kingdom to ask if the tiny sparrows worry about things like food or shelter or clothing?  Sparrows are not very valuable to people because their price at that time was set at two sparrows for a penny (this was the offering that the poorest of the poor could bring to the Temple), but God doesn't forget about them and makes sure that all of their needs are met, and not one of the dies without His knowledge and permission

Jesus continues to say that not one of the hairs of a person's head falls out or changes color without God knowing about it.  God is a God of all the small details.  Nothing is outside His knowledge or control, so we have nothing to worry about.  Nothing will take Him by surprise and it will all go according to His plans in His time.