A Hymn as Bible lesson
“His eye is on the Sparrow,” a hymn written in 1905 by Civilla Martin,[1] does not provide an explanation of God’s purpose for evil and suffering in the world, or a theodicy; rather it offers a practical non-theodicy to encourage Christians that God’s loving presence and promise is with them even as they encounter hardship, discouragement, and suffering and that they should rejoice in spite of evil and suffering. The focus for believers should be praising God. The hymn has its roots in scripture and even the title references Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 6:26. There are number of allusions to scripture in other lines of the hymn, too.
The hymn names sin, evil, and suffering as discouragement, trouble, and temptation in a way that is designed to encourage the listener that these things happen to all people. But the lyricist quickly follows it up with words that suggest these are feelings we can accept or reject considering Jesus. Mrs. Martin would say we must look past our present trouble and realize Jesus is our constant companion. His promises are more than enough for us in overcoming evil in the world.
This hymn offers hope to the Christian audience. Martin reminds listeners that just as surely as Jesus’ eye is on the sparrow, He is also watching us. When someone is facing difficulty or hardship, these are encouraging words people need to hear.
The hymn, “His eye is on the Sparrow” fits well with a lament or praise themed event. Much like a lament psalm, the situation being addressed could be somber. This hymn might also be used in an encouraging way or a celebration of life. This hymn can reach people in deep mourning and also those seeking a celebration of life. Lament uses include a memorial service, funeral, or other prayerful gathering requiring assurance. Praise services might include some of the same elements offered in a funeral celebration of life or a memorial service where the desired tone is uplifting. Such usage provides those assembled an opportunity to be uplifted because Jesus is watching over them, despite the evil of the world.
Mrs. Civilla Martin was born August 21, 1866, the daughter of James N. and Irene (Harding) Holden. She died in Atlanta, Georgia, March 9, 1948. She married Reverend John F. Geddes, a minister of Coventryville, N.Y. at Jordan Falls Methodist church, Shelbourne Co., Nova Scotia on May 19, 1891. “There is no information about their marriage and its end.”[2] Perhaps this experience deepened her understanding of woe and sorrow and allowed her to better express a practical non-theodicy mindset.
She wrote the words for several gospel songs and her second husband, Walter Stillman Martin, a Baptist minister, composed the music. They were staying in Elmira, New York when she wrote the lyrics to the hymn, “His eye is on the Sparrow” in 1905 after an evangelical trip to Canada.[3] The Martins made friends with the Doolittles, a couple from Elmira. Martin tells of the Doolittles’ physical hardships. Mrs. Doolittle was “bedridden” for twenty years while Mr. Doolittle was constricted to a wheelchair. Yet, Martin notes, they both expressed cheerful attitudes about life bringing “inspiration and comfort to all who knew them.”[4]
During an interview for a 1941 article, Mrs Martin offered this insight; “One day while we were visiting with the Doolittles, my husband commented on their bright hopefulness, and asked them for the secret of it. Mrs. Doolittle’s reply was simple: ‘His eye is on the sparrow and I know He watches me.’ The beauty of this simple and yet all-satisfying expression of boundless faith gripped the hearts and fired the imaginations of Dr. Martin and me. The hymn ‘His Eye Is On The Sparrow’ was the outcome of that experience, singing itself to us that very afternoon in its complete form.”[5]
Obviously, the Doolittle’s witness for Christ was powerful. When the words of explanation were offered in accompaniment to their living witness, the hymn became spirit driven. From this point the hymn took a life of its own.
The Martin’s mailed the lyrics to Charles H. Gabriel, who composed the music and it was then sent to Charles M. Alexander in England where it was sung for the first time in the Royal Hall during the great Torrey-Alexander revival.[6]
It’s not surprising that Mr. and Mrs. Martin wrote such a beautiful hymn so quickly. Both possessed musical talent and strong writing skills. Mrs. Martin was an accomplished schoolteacher and included a musical career on her resume. Mr. Martin was a gifted “musician, composer, writer and teacher,”[7] too. The witness of the Doolittles’ faith was enough to move their spirits to write this hymn.
God’s spirit certainly played a part in the song’s creation. A scripture quote found in the hymn comes from John 14:1. The verse is in Stanza 2:1 and contains the reassuring words of Jesus; “Let not your heart be troubled….” In the original context, these words are meant to comfort the disciples on the night of His betrayal and arrest. He is reassuring them that the evil soon to overcome Him will not be the end. Not only would Jesus be resurrected, but He would then leave them in order to go and prepare a place for them in an eternal home. This is coupled with the third verse of the second stanza, “though by the path he leadeth but one step I may see;” Clearly, Martin sees Jesus’ words regarding His going away as a call to travel the path of faith even when we only see the step before us. She is offering words of encouragement to follow the Lord because just as surely as He watches the sparrow, He is watching us.
Mrs. Martin included other allusions to scripture in the lyrics for “His Eye is on the Sparrow.” The title and the hymn itself appear to be inspired by Matthew 6:26: “Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” The birds don’t work preparing their food. It is provided by God. People are more valuable than birds so God will surely care for His human children more than the birds of the air. Jesus begins this lesson in the previous verse teaching that we should not worry.
Matthew 6:25 states; “Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is life not more than food, and the body more than clothing?” This scripture text corresponds with Stanza 2: 2, which says “resting on His goodness, I lose my doubts and fears” and Stanza 3: 2-3, “when song gives place to sighing, when hope within me dies, I draw closer to Him; from care He sets me free.” When we remind ourselves that Jesus is our watchful provider, our doubts and fears and worries subside, and we rebound with hope (Stanza 2:2). The evil is overcome even as we continue to feel the pain.
The sparrow theme in Matthew 6 is also reminiscent of Matthew 10:29-31 (see also Luke 12:6-7). In this passage of scripture, Jesus says, “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. And even the hairs of your head are counted. So, don’t be afraid, you are of more value than many sparrows.” This idea is woven through all three levels of the scripture that Martin uses in her lyrics; the direct quote of John 14:1, the heavily suggestive words from Matthew 6:25-26, and the suggestive words of Matthew 10:26-31 and Luke 12:6-7.
Jesus uses the sparrows to emphasize the disparity between people and birds as God’s creation, yet God watches over even the lowly sparrow. In the reading from Matthew 10:29 and Luke 12:6 we learn sparrows were sold two for a penny or five for two pennies. They were offered as sacrifices by the poor. Today, there are places where the poor eat the sparrows, such as India, because they are an inexpensive food source.[8] Either past or present the sparrow represents a much lesser creature than human beings. Yet, Jesus assures us, He is caring for the sparrow and will certainly care for us.
The words “have no fear” in Matthew 10: 26, “do not fear” in v. 28, and “do not be afraid” in v. 31 underscore the theme that believers should not allow people or situations to cause them fear. Just as we are not to worry, Jesus says we are also not to be afraid. Fear would indicate a lack of faith in God’s desire and His promise to care for us. The lyrics of Stanza 3: 2-3, “when song gives place to sighing, when hope within me dies, I draw closer to Him; from care He sets me free.” Mrs. Martin’s lyrics support these gospel words and ideals.
Sin, evil, and suffering are named in various ways throughout the hymn. In the opening lines of the first stanza, Martin asks “why should I feel discouraged? Why should the shadows come? Why should my heart be lonely and long for heaven and home…?” (Stanza 1:1-2). Discouragement is the feeling that we cannot achieve something sought after. Dr. Charles Stanley, of InTouch Ministry, has “Disappointments are Inevitable; Discouragement is a Choice” as the twentieth Life Principle in his Life Principles Daily Bible. The evil in discouragement is that God has promised to take care of us and the doubt inherent in discouragement is a sin. We are called upon to trust in the Lord. He will not leave us or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:8 and Hebrews 13:5). Similarly, the shadows coming, (stanza 1:1) represents the doom and gloom of despair and depression. Again, we are to cling to the promises of God and His constant presence. Finally, “why should my heart be lonely and long for heaven and home,” (Stanza1:1) would appear to indicate hopelessness to the point of suicide or euthanasia or other deep despair because heaven must be better than this world of suffering. Yet, Jesus reminds us we are the light of the world (Matt 5:14-16). We have a purpose here, so we must persevere.
When others look at our lives with a critical eye will they see light? Will we be living happy lives, as the hymn’s refrain mentions, because we know Jesus? Like the Doolittles in the account of this hymn’s creation, will people see the power of Christ in our resilience or will they see a hole in our witness for Jesus for lack of such resilience. The decision rests in our response to evil. Martin writes that we are to be happy if “Jesus is my portion” (Stanza 1:3).
Dr. Ray Pritchard, of Keep Believing Ministries, wrote a sermon on the hymn, “His Eye is on the Sparrow.” Pritchard highlights three scriptural reasons we should not be afraid as found in the hymn. First, God cares about the things we don’t even notice. He asks, have you ever noticed a sparrow falling? God does and He allowed it to happen. Trouble will come and we will fall, Pritchard writes, but God rules the universe and He is watching. Second, God cares about the tiniest details. Jesus reminds us that even our hairs are numbered. Pritchard points out that the average person has 100,000 hairs on their head. God knows them and He has them numbered. Nothing is out of His will. Third, God cares about us even when trouble comes. Knowing that He is watching us should provide the believer with “boldness in times of trouble,” “confidence in moments of confusion,” and “hope in the time of sorrow.”[9]
Pritchard’s analysis of the situation leads to the conclusion that God cares. The sparrow, or the least of these, is cared for by God. He cares in their living by providing food and shelter and everything necessary. He also cares when the sparrow falls. Are people, the crown of His creation, not more significant than the sparrow? The Bible says human beings are more significant because we are blessed, according to Genesis 1:26; “Then God said let us make human kind in our image, according to our likeness;” then “God said, ‘See I have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food’” (Genesis 1: 29). From the beginning, God had established the plan to care for people specifically. Jesus’ words in Matthew 6:26 are a reminder of that promise.
“His Eye is on the Sparrow” takes up the promise God has made to care for us and puts it to music in a practical non-theodicy. When we “rest on His goodness,” she writes, “I lose my doubts and fears;” (stanza 2:2). She adds, “when song gives way to sighing, when hope within me dies, I draw closer to Him; from care He sets me free;” (stanza 3:2-3). Again, the evidence in her hymn supports the promises of God. He will provide for our every need. “His eye is on the sparrow and I know He watches me.”
The hymn embodies a back and forth of emotions in a sad, happy, sad, happy pattern. The listener will hear the somber tones during the verse and then it changes to a more upbeat note and tempo during the chorus. It seems to be creating a pattern; things of life are often evil represented with somber tones, then happy words are used with an increased tempo, and back and forth. This is an embodiment of life’s ups and downs. We have Jesus watching us and we must believe that this care is enough to see us through our dark times.
The promise of God’s provision in Jesus that Martin writes about is very applicable to church settings. For a funeral the hymn might comfort mourners that just as surely as God watches sparrows, He is watching them in their season of loss. If the use is questioned, the explanation of God watching over, and caring for sparrows, even fallen sparrows (Matthew 10:29) serves as evidence of His constant care.
Martin’s use of the word “happy” in the refrain might be something a mourner would question. It would be advisable to return the person to the lyrics and follow as the reason for happiness in sorrow is because we are free. Jesus has won the victory and the grave holds us no longer than He permits. We are free in our salvation. Free of death and the grave. Free of hopelessness. The mourner, of course, must be attended to with caring and loving words.
This hymn could be an introduced to a congregation prompting them to think through the power of God. By using the teachings of Jesus referenced in the lyrics a pastor could share how great a Savior we have. Suffering and evil can never take Him or His love and promised care away from us. This old hymn is timeless because of the numerous links it has to Christ. Being based upon scripture we can hear the truth of God’s word being sung. Formulating these ideas into a sermon would allow congregants to learn of the connections. Even if the hymn was not part of their tradition, it could be sermonized to share the gospel message.
Believers might make these connections themselves, but taking a cue from Pritchard, we might even devote a sermon to expound upon the practical non-theodicy found in the title and analyze the powerful promise we have in Jesus. This would also allow the story of the hymn’s origin to be shared. When people are in a season of uncertainty or suffering or sorrow, such inspirational stories lift them. These stories display the gospel truth of Jesus and by examining the Doolittles’ suffering it offers the satisfaction of modern worldly evidence. This sort of combination fills the heart with hope. Martin has done that for us.
The act of singing God’s praises amid the heartache and pain of a difficult situation provides the believer with something others don’t have. Hope. A vibrant hope. Practical non-theodicy permits the listener to hear how Jesus is ours, in season and out of season. A constant friend is He. We sing this song because we are happy that Jesus has set us free. We focus our attention on the Lord and our hearts will follow. Following Jesus requires the pursuit on both sunny days and stormy days. This is the kind of thing James K.A. Smith would suggest because we are what we love.
Smith would suggest, in his book, You are what you love, that the words we sing orient us toward our desires. We are on the move toward something by nature, so we had better be cognizant of our focus. Whatever we sing or say will eventually orient us in that direction. Smith would say, if we orient ourselves toward Jesus through word and song, ultimately, we will find Him. This world is designed that way. We can be oriented toward anything. Such as consumer goods, sex, power, money, etc. but the person must guide themselves wisely with the hope found only in Christ. This activity should be done with precision or the church can become tainted by the world. The emphasis must be on Jesus Christ, first and foremost, then everything else will fall into place. Jesus said, “But strive first for the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33 NRSV).
The Doolittles knew this truth well. They were bedridden and wheelchair bound yet living life joyfully. This caused Dr. Reverend Walter Stillman Martin to ask the source of their cheerful attitude amid such difficulties. Civilla Martin recorded the answer; “His eye is on the Sparrow and I know He watches me.” From that point the Martins wrote a hymn she says sung itself to them that afternoon. The hymn is a practical non-theodicy because it does not provide an explanation of God’s purpose for evil and suffering in the world, but it does encourage the Christian that God’s loving presence in Jesus is always with them even when they encounter hardship, discouragement, and suffering. The believer should rejoice that God is with them no matter the season of life they find themselves in.
It is clear that God’s Spirit was active in the writing of the hymn, “His Eye Is On the Sparrow,” both in placing the Martins in the Doolittles home to hear and see their testimony and to provide the words or allusions to the words of scripture. John 14:1 is directly quoted in Stanza 2:1 while Matthew 6:26 is suggestive of both the hymn title and the refrain. The notion of the sparrow is further to be found in Matthew 10:26-31 and Luke 12:6-7 where Jesus explains the inexpensive cost of the sparrow. It is a hymn of encouragement when times are evil or filled with suffering.
In doing the research for this theodicy/non-theodicy paper I made some interesting discoveries. The African American Christian community took the hymn, His Eye is on the Sparrow as a source of comfort during the civil rights movement.[10] There are a number of African American gospel writers who are said to have been influenced by this hymn. Ethel Waters, a famous Jazz singer wrote her biography, titled His Eye is on the Sparrow (1951). It was a bestseller.[11] Additionally, an article published in Christianity.com tells of the impact this hymn has had on prisoners held in our corrections institutions.[12] I would like to know the impact this hymn has had on the African American community from the civil rights movement to date. How has that impact grown since the song was sung by Whitney Houston, Marvin Gaye, Mahalia Jackson, and many more? What impact has it had on social media and the world since sung by Anja Nissen, on The Voice, Australia, 2014? Such powerful lyrics might encourage people to speak of their faith or show an interest in learning about Jesus after such a performance shown worldwide.
Bibliography
Britannica.com. “Ethel Waters,” Britannica.com. Home page online. Available from
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ethel-Waters ; Internet, accessed 7 October 2019.
Christianity.com. “His Eye is on the Sparrow,” Christianity.com. Homepage on-line. Available from https://www.christianity.com/bible/his-eye-is-on-the-sparrow-1156364.html; Internet, accessed 17 September 2019.
Hymnary.org. “His Eye Is on the Sparrow,” Hymnary.org. Homepage on-line. Available from https://hymnary.org/text/why_should_i_feel_discouraged; Internet, accessed 14 September 2019.
KeepBelieving.com. “His Eye Is On The Sparrow.” Keep believing.com. Homepage on-line. https://www.keepbelieving.com/sermon/his-eye-is-on-the-sparrow/ ; Internet, accessed 17 October 2019.
Kerr, Phil. “Famous Living Hymn-Writers,” Defender, November 1941, 24.
[1] Phil Kerr, “Famous Living Hymn-Writers,” The Defender, November 1941, 24.
[2] Hymmnary.org. “His Eye is on the Sparrow,” Hymnary.org. [home page on-line]; available from https://hymnary.org/text/why_should_i_feel_discouraged: Internet accessed 14 September 2019.
[3] Kerr, p. 24.
[4] Ibid.
[5] Ibid.
[6] Ibid.
[7] Ibid.
[8] KeepBelieving.com. “His Eye Is On The Sparrow” January 16, 2016 sermon, Keep believing.com. Homepage on-line. Available from https://www.keepbelieving.com/sermon/his-eye-is-on-the-sparrow/ ; Accessed 17 October 2019.
[9] KeepBelieving.com. “His Eye is on the Sparrow.”
[10] UMCdiscipleship.org. “History of Hymns: His Eye Is on the Sparrow,” Umcdiscipleship.org. [homepage on-line]; Available from https//www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/history-of-hymns-his-eye-is-on-the-sparrow; Internet; accessed 24 September 2019.
[11] Britannica.com, “Ethel Waters,” Britannica.com [homepage on-line]; available from https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ethel-Waters ; Internet; accessed 7 October 2019.
[12] Christianity.com. “His Eye is on the Sparrow,” Christianity.com. [homepage on-line]; Available from https://www.christianity.com/bible/his-eye-is-on-the-sparrow-1156364.html; Internet; accessed 17 September 2019.
