Gospel in Art: Not one sparrow is forgotten before God

A Millefleurs Tapestry with Birds and Animals, Flemish, wool and silk weave, 1530-1545 © The Minneapolis Institute of Art, USA

Source: Christian Art

Gospel of 16 October 2026
Luke 12:1-7

At that time: When so many thousands of the people had gathered together that they were trampling one another, Jesus began to say to his disciples first, 'Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known.

'Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops.

'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.'

Reflection on the Millefleurs Tapestry

Whilst today's Gospel reading is somewhat sobering and again addresses the hypocrisy that Jesus condemns so harshly, there is also great beauty in it. Jesus is telling each one of us how deeply significant and important we are to God. If each small sparrow is important in the eyes of God, then we are certainly important and significant to him.

God doesn't need us. He doesn't need anything or anyone. God is entirely self-sufficient. But therein lies the deepest value of his love for us: he created us out of pure love, not out of need. That does not mean he created men and women because he was lonely up there in Heaven and wanted some companionship. No. But, we do need him, and we are dependent on him. And how do we ultimately know that he loves us in the first place? Because he sent his Son, who gave his very life for us… That is the essence of our faith captured in today's reading.

Why God created each single one of us, we don't know. All we know is that we are each single threads woven together in a tapestry God has created. Only he can see the full picture. Hence today's object is a 16th-century Flemish tapestry, with sparrows, birds, animals, flowers, each and every thread playing its role to create the overall picture.

Millefleur (French mille-fleurs, literally means "thousand flowers") tapestries refer to tapestries which depict many different small flowers and plants, usually shown on a green ground. These tapestries were typically made during the late Middle Ages and early Renaissance, from about 1400 to 1550. In our tapestry we see common animals such as deer and rabbits, as well as exotic creatures like the lion, leopard, and unicorn. They are symbolic as well as decorative. The unicorn, for example, represents the Virgin Mary (symbol of purity and grace, which could be captured only by a virgin). The three clumps of rose bushes forming a triangle, alluding to the Trinity, while the barking hound (lower left) and wild falcon (top right) stand for the Devil trying to cause havoc.

LINKS

Christian Art: www.christian.art
Today's Reading: https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/luke-12-1-7-2026/