The Pastor and the Sparrows


It was a clear crisp morning when the Pastor came walking into church that Easter in the small New England town. It was a good crowd that morning but it usually is on Easter. In his hand he carried a small rusty bent up bird cage that had seen much better days and now it sat empty. The congregation raised their eyebrows as he sat it next to the pulpit as they all began to wonder just what was the old Pastor up to now.

The Pastor welcomed everyone and began this story, "I was taking my usual walk through town yesterday thinking about the sermon I was to give today when I saw a young boy coming towards me carrying this bird cage. As I stopped him to see what he had I noticed there were two little sparrows sitting in the cage shivering with cold and fright so I asked him, "What have you got there son?"

"Just some little birds," was his reply.

"What are you going to do with them?" I asked.

"I'm going to take them home and have some fun with them. Maybe I can pull their wings and make them mean so they will fight; it will be a lot of fun to tease them."

"But won't you get tired of them after a while? What will you do with them then?"

"Oh, I've got a cat who loves to play with and eat birds; I'll give them to my cat. That will be fun to watch."


I had a vision of the boy tormenting the little birds and said to him, "How much would you sell those birds for son?"

"What do you want the birds for mister? They're just plain old field birds. They can't even sing and they're so ugly."

"Just tell me how much money you will take to give me the birds." I asked.

The young boy looked me up and down like he was sizing me up and then said, "I'll take 10 dollars for them and the cage."

So I reached in my pocket and took out a wrinkled ten dollar bill and handed it to the boy.

The boy grabbed the bill with a smile and started laughing as he ran off down the street.

I picked up the bird cage and took it to a nearby park with grass and trees and opened the cage door and gently prodded the birds out of the cage. Realizing they were free they flew up into the trees.


Well, that answered the questions about the empty bird cage but that was just the beginning of his story.

He looked out over the congregation and said, " A very long time ago in the garden of Eden as Jesus was walking as was his desire to look upon the beautiful things He had created He saw Satan coming His way with a smirk on his face. As they stopped to talk, Satan started boasting and gloating. Yes sir, I just caught me two humans, I set me a trap using bait I knew they couldn't resist and got them both."


"What are you going to do with them?" Jesus asked him.

"Oh, I'm going to have some fun with them," he said. "I'm going to teach them how to hate and abuse each other, How to love only them selves and then show them how to make weapons to kill each other. I'm really going to have me some fun with them!"

"And when you're done having fun with them what will you do?" Jesus asked.

"Now, you know Jesus you made them just like the angels, they will live forever and I have just the place for them, you remember that lake of fire? That's where I'll keep them and I can have fun tormenting them forever."

"What would it take for you to give them to me?" Jesus asked.

"Oh, you don't want these people. They aren't any good, they only care about themselves. If you take them they will just hate you. They won't do anything you tell them to do and they've all ready proven they can't be trusted. They sure won't be grateful for all they have been given. You don't want these humans!"

"They are precious to me so how much do you want?"

Satan looked Jesus up and down like he was sizing Him up and said, "Everything including your life!"

"Agreed!" said Jesus.

Of course you know the story doesn't end here. This is really just the beginning because although Jesus kept His part of the bargain God had another plan and when Jesus died on that cross God stretched out His mighty hand and brought Him back to life. You see the sin Jesus died for was not His own but ours. His resurrection opened the doors of heaven for all who trust in Him to spend eternity with Him in heaven instead of the lake of fire with Satan. Will you not trust the one who died for you? Or will you trust your eternal soul to the father of lies who wants to torment you for eternity?


Luke 12: 6-9 KJV 6Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? 7But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows. 8Also I say unto you, whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God: 9But he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God.

This was another one of those great stories that came to me signed by that renowned German writer "Author Unknown." I have rewritten it to incorporate my own style but have endeavored to stay true to the original author's intent.

Bob Goulding © April 2007