A POOR WIDOW: SELF-GIVING FAITH
Jesus said: “The poor you will always have with you . . .” (Mark 14:7). Was this saying of His a pronouncement or an observation?
If meant as a pronouncement, wouldn’t such be out of character for One who came to free us from the burden of sin, and thereby give us life “more abundantly”?
On the other hand, if meant as an observation, wouldn’t such historically be in line with actual experience? No matter how you grew up . . . what your financial circumstances were . . . how “well off” or “barely making it” might be your current situation – there always has been, is now, will be someone poorer - and, as a matter of fact, someone richer!
Any way we look at where we individually might be placed on an economic scale - one that compares monetary and material wealth of any given segment of the population, it’s all relative . . . Some have more, some less. The question is: Do I have what I need?
In His teachings about money and possessions, Jesus sought to make this point: Abundant life (John 10:10) never correlates with abundance of possessions --- a point at sharp odds with that old bugaboo “obsession with possessions” which has infected society from the beginning, rendering some folks addicted to greed, others addicted to envy (covetousness).
Jesus warned against greed – and covetousness! Our Lord left no doubt about what He meant by greed – insatiable craving for more and more which eventually becomes one’s all-consuming passion and focus in life. With that definition in mind:
Our Lord seized the opportunity, when a public appeal was made to him by a self-centered fella whose self-centeredness and covetousness Jesus was aware of before the guy ever opened his mouth and stuck his foot in it – Luke 12:13-15 . . .
Folks: If you don’t have a will on file in a secure place, available to a trusted family member or friend, please get it done – sooner rather than later . . . There’s no time like the death of a loved one to bring out the “bad” in folks prone to act that way. Therefore, advised our Wonderful Counselor, “Watch out and be on guard!”
As much as we would like to think that every one of our relatives and friends is right with the Lord and right with each other, and that no one would ever seek to disrupt relationships for the sake of money, think again:
“In his arrogance, the wicked man boasts of the cravings in his heart and he blesses the greedy, but reviles the LORD . . . In his heart there is no room for God.” (Psalm 10:3-4). “A greedy man or woman stirs up dissension, but he or she who trusts in the LORD will prosper.” (Proverbs 28: 25).
Since greed comes in various forms – not just a craving for money - perhaps you have seen firsthand what it can do to relationships . . . and, let’s face it, no one is likely to go through life without at least once entertaining the notion, “It sure would be nice to have enough of whatever - to do this, that or the other.”
Even Mother Teresa wished she had the wherewithal to pay for all she saw that needed to be done - to lift up the fallen, care for the dying! What a legacy she left - as she spent her last years on earth influencing philanthropists to honor the Lord by financially supporting caregivers whose job it is to make dying patients comfortable – a concept that ushered in Hospice Care
How grateful we are for compassionate people of faith who give to worthy causes . . . invest in God-honoring, kingdom-building enterprises . . . serve others!
Ministry-minded folks are indeed the richest on earth - “rich toward God” - a concept taught by Jesus in The Parable of the Rich Fool - Luke 12:16-21 . . .
Some folks I know spend time in Amish country just to be among folks who are among the truly “wealthiest people on earth” -- with their wealth of goodwill . . . caring . . . tending to the needs of their community.
Yes, the Amish have barns (silos) filled to the brim with grain . . . livestock of many varieties . . . acres of fertile soil. But --- no one builds bigger barns! Instead, they build new barns for newly-weds or newcomers to their self-denial way of life - and they sell their surplus goods to make a profit to give to benevolent causes.
While the lifestyles of those of us who live outside communal societies are quite different . . . there is also within us a yearning - to “lay not up for yourselves treasures on earth but to lay up treasures in heaven”.
It’s okay to: want to live worry-free financially, without feeling burdened by the need to provide essentials such as food, clothing, shelter and medical care . . . save for “a rainy day” . . . spend some money for fun . . . plan for, and enjoy, these latter years of our sojourn on earth.
In and through it all though, our Lord would have us to forget not His benefits, to be thankful, to reap the blessings of sharing with others --- whoever they may be, and wherever there may be opportunity to do so.
Ordinarily we don’t know the who or what related to our giving, but, Jesus made us aware of the how and why. On Tuesday before His crucifixion on Friday, while He was on His way to give His all at Calvary, Jesus did some last-minute teaching in the temple complex where folks tossed coins into offering receptacles – Luke 21:1-4 . . .
In keeping with our current theme - Living by Faith: Women Who Trusted God - the widow’s gift was referenced by Jesus to illustrate what genuine faith in God looks like as people of faith engage routinely in customary religious practices . . .
The mere act of giving an offering - by dropping coins into any one of numerous receptacles placed throughout the temple complex - was not in and of itself so important. A common practice by temple goers any time the temple gates were opened for any occasion.
Q: What determines the true value of a gift to God? Earlier, Jesus had taken issue with the notion that: God our Maker has any interest in who wins or loses in civil arbitration cases involving family disputes . . . the abundant life, which He said He came that we might have, has anything to do with amassing a fortune . . . the Lord our God is impressed by anyone’s abundance of material possessions.
And now . . . it’s as if our Lord - in His final appeal to disciples who would continue His ministries - wanted to make sure they (we) understand what it is about “giving” that pleases God the Father. Two things are suggested here:
(1) There is the spirit with which a gift is presented to God. “Man looks on the outward appearance but God looks on the heart”!
The person with a right spirit is one who sings “O How I Love Jesus” but also gives from a loving heart - willingly not grudgingly. To do this just comes naturally to mature believers - because mature giving reflects a deep-seeded love for God plus a heartfelt appreciation for God’s blessings.
(2) There is the element of sacrifice which a love gift represents. Sacrificial giving hurts -in the sense that the giver has to “do without something” or “go the extra mile” to earn something in order to give.
None of that pharisaical method of calculating the minimal amount . . . the type of coins to throw into the money chest in order to make a show of one’s giving --- grudgingly with no joy in one’s heart! “God loves a cheerful giver”!
Out of the goodness and gladness of her heart, a widow who was “poor” in things of the world yet “rich” in her possession of spiritual things --- gently, lovingly put into the offering chest all that she had (two mites - earned that day, or, had period).
Point is: She (the “poor” widow) - making no show of her generosity - quietly thanked God for life and all of life’s blessings by giving her all. Though she was Jewish, this woman of self-giving faith typified the intent of that great Christian hymn:
“Were the whole realm of nature mine, that were a present far too small,
Love so amazing, so divine - demands my soul, my life, my all!”
Amen!
