THERE he sits upon a crag of rock with his mate, black and glossy like himself. A fine, handsome bird he is.
We do not see the raven at home in many parts of England, for he is wise, and loves to nest far away from human habitation, which, at least in this country―where so much waste of bird life is made―offers his home little security. In Palestine the raven is common enough. The hills and waste places round Jerusalem afford him good feeding grounds, and do also the habits of the East in respect to dead animals, such being often left in the open space, as if purposely to supply unclean birds like the raven with food.
When the sun goes down, and the birds come home to roost in safe places in Jerusalem, after the flocks of rooks and crows, the ravens wend their way high up in the sky; and when the early morning witnesses the exit of the crowds of birds from the temple area, the ravens are to be seen flying far away from Jerusalem in quest of food. As this bird keeps punctual hours, he was watched by the Jews as a sure indicator of the end of the day. The raven haunted the temple area centuries ago, ancient writers describing the means which were adopted to keep off his unclean presence from the roof of the holy building.
When our Lord said to His disciples, “Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls?” He spoke of a bird, the habits of which were familiar to His hearers. He was journeying towards Jerusalem when He uttered these words, and He used illustrations from the countryside to teach His disciples of the Father’s care for His children.
Consider the ravens! We may do so best as we know them in England, where carrion is scarce, and the raven is a lonely bird. Wary he is, whether in Palestine or with us; he distrusts man, but “God feedeth” him. He cannot look to his neighbors for help, he must rely upon his own keen eye and strong wing; but “God feedeth” him. The “ravens” for there are the young in the nest, and there are many mouths to fill! But with the call for extra food comes the extra additional supply: “God feedeth them.”
Consider the ravens! See how hard they work, and note the number of miles they fly, for amongst all the busy creatures God has made, birds seem the busiest. To rely on our Father’s care does not mean idleness, and no one in England now will obtain his daily bread unless he work. But work and trust. Pray and work, and if you are downcast, remember how much you are better than the fowls.
It would seem that the Lord having directed the gaze of His disciples to the sky through which the birds were flying, pointed to the ground on which he stood. “Consider the lilies how they grow; they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.” The land of Palestine, like our own, is carpeted in early summer with countless flowers.
Very many of these were called “Shusan,” and are still named “Susan” by the Arabs, and these words are translated in our Bibles―lilies. Perhaps our Lord referred to the bright anemone, white, red, scarlet, and lilac, or, maybe, to the red Turk’s cap lily, which grows in parts of Palestine, as it does on the Swiss mountains. But the lesson from the beautiful hillside, shining with thousands of blossoms, was our Father’s care for us.
God has made all things beautiful, and He has clothed the wildflower with perfect robes.
Have you ever sat down and examined the petal of a lily? Have you looked closely for five minutes on the wonderful shining white of our white lily? Why is it so exquisite? Why is it that the bright yellow, the pale green, and the shining white all combine in perfect beauty? Because God loved to make it glorious, because He loved to mark it with His handiwork!
The lily no more clothed itself by chance, than did King Solomon. His royal robes all meant something, and none the less does the petal of the lily convey instruction as to the intention of Him who designed it. Yet the “lily” is but the flower of the field which fadeth away, and no one will miss it or regret it when it is gone―today it is in the field, tomorrow it is cast into the oven! But you are the beloved children of the Father; “how much more will He clothe you, O ye of little faith?”
“The life is more than meat, and the body than raiment.” The birds of the earth shall teach us to trust; the flowers of spring shall teach us to trust. Every moment of our little lives we are watched over by our Father in heaven. The young ravens may cry, as it were, to their Creator. “Who provideth for the raven his food? when his young ones cry unto God, they wander for lack of meat” You are privileged to speak to your Father in heaven. Tell Him all your cares. There is no happier way of going through the day, than that of speaking during it very often to God. At play, at school, wherever you may be, you can speak to Him in your heart, just when your heart wants something. And let the birds of the air and the flowers of the field remind you of His care. Be sure of this, that the happy way to live is to speak very often to our Father which is in heaven. And you cannot tell Him of things which are too little for His care. Everything that concerns you is worthy of His care, just because it concerns you. It is a mistake to think that we should only speak to God of what we call great things. The little lily blossom, the humble wants of the bird of the air, teach us to believe that our Father in heaven cares for things which we call little; but nothing is too little for love to care for.