The LORD's Day, June 28, 2009

The Worth of a Person, A Living Soul, in God’s Eyes

Matthew 12.1-13

Jesus spoke about the value of a human being in this passage.

He states, "How much more valuable is a man than a sheep." He was speaking as we just read to the Pharisees about the Sabbath Day and told them that if one of their sheep fell into a pit on the Sabbath then they would go and get it. They were challenging Jesus on whether it was right to heal on the Sabbath. They actually had come with all kinds of laws that made the Sabbath so restrictive no one could enjoy it! They had said concerning injury that you could sustain life but not do more than that or it was work! Stop the bleeding but not dress the wound until the sun went down and the Sabbath was over.

Jesus pointed them back to God’s original intention for the Sabbath.

As with all of the Bible there is the main point and then there are nuggets of truth along the way. We see one here.

Jesus makes this strong statement about the value of a person, a living soul.
*Valuable= importance, excel, surpass, make a difference.

There is a plant kingdom, an animal kingdom and then there is the human race. With no apologies to the scientific community, we are not part of the animal kingdom. We did not evolve. We are created in the image of God. We were formed out of the dust of the ground by the LORD God. He breathed the breath of life into our nostrils and man became a living soul. Genesis 2.6-7
This is not the first time the value of a human being , a living soul has been spoken of in Matthew. Here Jesus is comparing it to a sheep. In Matthew 6, He contrasts it with

1. The Birds of the Air Matthew 6.26

Look at the birds of the air; they do sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

It is sad that it is a federal offense for you to steal an eagle’s egg from its nest but that it is perfectly legal in our nation to rip a unborn baby from its mother’s womb and kill it. This has had an effect on the conscience of our nation. It has affected our thinking about the value of human souls! Yet God in His grace forgives and heals those whonhave sinned if they call upon Him.

We are much more valuable than the birds because they have no eternal spirit within them. God has set eternity in the hearts of men. Ecclesiastes 3.11 We live on forever.

We are much more valuable than the birds as beautiful and lovely as they are. Do you see how God is distinguishing us from the animal life? He created us in His image. He breathed into our nostrils. He died on the cross for us.

Yet the LORD loves the birds. He feeds them!

Psalm 145.15-16 The eyes of all look to You, and You give them their food at the proper time. You open Your Hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.

The LORD loves us in a different way. He does the same for us as the birds but so much more. He gives us both food but for us He died! He loves all His creation. He saw that is was good - very good.

We are much more valuable then the birds!
importance, excel, surpass, make a difference

A bird has never built a hospital or taught children to read.

A bird does not have the ability to make a difference like man does. Through His people God works wonders. He displays His love. Dr Aileen Coleman, missionary medical doctor to the Bedouins in Jordan... quite a story!

Jesus spoke of the value of the soul over the plant life. In Luke 12.27-31. The phrase How much more is there again. We are more valuable than

2. The Lilies of the Field. Luke 12.27-31

You guys know I love the birds in my yard as well as the lilies that have begun to bloom. God created them and He loves them too. I enjoy them.

But these flowers are literally here today and gone tomorrow. We have eternity in our beings. God will take care of us.

The lilies are beautiful but they are not worth comparing with the value of a human being, a soul.
God does clothe them but how much more He will see that you are clothed! We hear a lot about Global Warming today. I am all in favor of taking care of the planet. Paul said he thanked God he spoke in tongues more than all the Corinthians. I thank God I am greener in my life than most Americans. I have been composting for over 23 years, no leaves or grass clippings leave this property (Bob Pawson can vouch for that). Yet how I wish we would hear more much more about the value of the soul God has created. Heaven and earth will pass away and souls will go into eternity!

Finally we end where we began... How much more valuable are we than
3. The Sheep of the Pasture. Matthew 12.12

Why rescue a sheep and reject a man who needs to be healed?
Again nothing wrong with rescuing a sheep that falls into a pit (yes even on the Sabbath Day!) But the man is much more valuable than the animal.

How much more valuable is a man than a sheep!
C.S. Lewis Mere Christianity
Man 70 years
The combined Dynasties of China 5,000 years the conclusion is that the combined dynasties of China are far greater than a single human being.
Suppose that man is an eternal soul. You would have conclude that he is infinitely more important than all the combined dynasties of China and every other government which ever existed on the earth!

4. We are the Sheep of His Pasture Psalm 95.6-11

Bow down in worship
Kneel before the LORD our Maker

Offer yourself vs.6-7
He has made us- give yourself back to Him, fully.

Every soul on earth this morning has within it a longing for God. True satisfaction, lasting peace only comes when that soul is brought into fellowship with its Maker, the LORD.
God is calling vs.8-11

Today, He is calling people, let’s be looking for those He is speaking to so that we can join Him as He deploys us. One of daughter’s brother-in-laws is heading back to the Middle East. They haven’t told him if it will be Iraq or Afghanistan only that he is going. They are going to see him next month before he goes.

We as believers are to be like him, ready to be sent or nudged by the LORD to speak to a soul that is hearing God’s voice to return to their God. This is all important. This is an excellent work. This is eternal.

How much more valuable is a man than a sheep, the birds or the lilies of the field!