The farmer wanted to become like the sparrow so he could lead him into the barn to get him to shelter b/c opening the barn doors, putting a trail of crackers and trying to "shoo" them into the barn didn't work. He felt if he could become like the sparrow then the sparrow would trust him more and not be so scared of the man. The man realized that this is the same reason Jesus was human, so we could relate to Him better and we would follow him.
2007-02-19 16:24:33 · 5 answers · asked by wonder68 2 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Books & Authors
A Christmas Parable: Why did Jesus come?
Posted by Darren under Faith , Christians , Apologetics , Superstition , God , Philosophy , Jesus
One raw winter night a farmer heard an irregular thumping sound against his kitchen storm door. He went to a window and watched as tiny, shivering sparrows, attracted to the evident warmth inside, beat in vain against the glass.
Touched, the farmer bundled up and trudged through fresh snow to open the barn door for the struggling birds. He turned on the lights and tossed some hay in the corner. But the sparrows, which had scattered in all directions when he emerged from the house, hid in the darkness, afraid.
The man tried various tactics to get them into the barn. He laid down a trail of Saltine cracker crumbs to direct them. He tried circling behind the birds to drive them to the barn. Nothing worked. He, a huge, alien creature, had terrified them; the birds couldn’t comprehend that he actually desired to help. The farmer withdrew to his house and watched the doomed sparrows through a window. As he stared, a thought hit him like lightning from a clear blue sky: If only I could become a bird - one of them - just for a moment. Then I wouldn’t frighten them so. I could show them the way to warmth and safety.
At the same moment, another thought dawned on him. He grasped the reason Jesus was born. (As told by Paul Harvey)
As a parable (a simple story told to communicate a larger idea) this story isn’t perfect; any parable breaks down if you analyze it to death. But the message behind this parable is very powerful. Could God come near? There’s no reason why, if God is love, that He could not. Did He? If the Christmas claims are real, then yes, God did, and there is indeed a reasonable basis to have hope!
2007-02-19 16:37:39 · answer #1 · answered by Kit 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Paul Harvey Christmas Story Birds
2016-12-26 11:57:14 · answer #2 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Sparrows Barn
2016-10-06 23:49:11 · answer #3 · answered by porcelli 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes. Cool story; however, I heard it told by Chuck Smith, Pastor at Calvary Chapel (who attributed it to Harvey). It is a heart-warming analogy.
2007-02-19 16:35:37 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Great story. Paul Harvey was a spellbinder, eh. Jesus was no slouch , either.
Ashen Devlesa
(May God Stay with You)
2007-02-19 16:32:11 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋