Scripture Text (NRSV)
12:38 As he taught, he said, "Beware of the scribes, who like to walk
around in long robes, and to be greeted with respect in the
marketplaces,
12:39 and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honor
at banquets!
12:40 They devour widows' houses and for the sake of appearance say
long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation."
12:41 He sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the crowd putting
money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums.
12:42 A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are
worth a penny.
12:43 Then he called his disciples and said to them, "Truly I tell
you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are
contributing to the treasury.
12:44 For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she
out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live
on."
Comments:
This is off the subject but I could use some inspiration. I have been
asked, as I assume some of you have to preach the community
thanksgiving service. I like to be creative, but at the moment my
creative well is dry. Any ideas? PH in OH
This speaks of the two mainways that we give of our life and of our
money. It is a matter of heart as to the ways and means. Do we
sarafice? Do we deny ourselve anything in order to meet the needs of
our mission here or do we give leftovers... Nancy-Wi
Thanksgiving community service. YOu might lift up some of the various
things in the community that the religious community supports- like
the food pantry, women's shelter, hospice care. Using last weeks
passage you might tie together how loving thy neighbor has no
denominational grounds. just some thought off the top of my head.
Nancy-Wi
v. 41 is a scandalous verse for many of our churches. Jesus was
WATCHING people put things in the treasury!!! Heck, in most of our
churches, the clergypeople or any other than a select few knowing each
person's giving is practically seen as the unpardonable sin. Much less
a preacher!
The neediest woman in the church I serve is the wealthiest, and the
one who gives very little (she told me this herself). But haven't you
noticed that you can kind of "tell" by intuition who gives and who
doesn't? The givers give across the board and don't try to manipulate.
Non-givers tend to be sulky and help only when they have some time
left over and they're feeling OK and Jupiter is aligned with Mars. And
they expect folks to cater to them. (forgive my attitude)
Sally in GA
It's all in the attitude. Showy or humble, a thankful response or a
duty, reluctant or cheerful, a letting-go or a holding-on. Our reasons
for giving to anything are as varied as we are.
The woman receives no reward for her sacrifice, not even a kind word
from Jesus himself. He speaks about her, not to her. She never knew
her mite had made such an impact on the hearts of the disciples, even
if it had not made an impact on the Temple treasury. Would she give
her last penny again next time? Probably so, even though there would
again be no reward for it. She had the right attitude. Giving from the
heart is greater than giving from the wallet.
KyHoosierCat
Just an observation. The New Math:
God's math is amazing. One penny is worth more than several large
sums. One sheep is worth risking the safety of 99. One day is like a
thousand years. Jesus Christ + nothing = salvation.
John near Pitts.
I suppose that we could say that it was easy for the poor widow to
give her all, because it was not worth much. She needed to depend on
someone else anyway. Maybe that is the message. No matter how much we
have, it is never enough. We can never buy all that we need for life.
We, too, are dependent on God for what really matters. We must commit
all that we have, including our very selves, to God, so that we can
really find life. Those people who "devour widows' houses" think that
they will make a gain for themselves at the espense of others. They
will be found out. Just maybe our country is coming to realize that it
is time to put an end to those huge salaraies given to CEOs at the
expense of their workers. How many millions does one need anyway? True
riches are in life with Jesus. JRW in OH
JRW in OH, your post reminds me of those TV infomercials touting how
you can get wealthy without any out-of-pocket investments: buy houses
that are being foreclosed because the present owners are too poor to
make their payments! Give no thought to their future, just secure your
own!
KyHoosierCat
PH in OH, I've been asked to preach at the community thanksgiving
service here, too -- mostly because I'm the new pastor in town.
Although, I detected a significant reluctance on the part of the other
pastors in the ministerial alliance (all male) to claim the "honor"
for themselves! Since I am the first female pastor the town has had in
any church, I am feeling a bit challenged to really excell at this
service! Anyway, at present I am planning to use Joel 2:21-27 and
Matthew 6:25-33 as my texts and I have tentatively titled the sermon
"Pack Up All Your Cares and Woes." The issue I'm looking at is how our
trust in God informs our thankfulness. Haven't fully developed this,
as yet, since I have 3 weeks to work on it, but it's percolating in m
mind while I work on more immediate needs!
Blessings on your own creative process.
Robbie in KS
KyHoosier Cat,
Your comment about the woman not being aware of the impact of her gift
speaks to me this week. I am, in fact, using this text for the last of
3 monthly sermons on stewardship coming up to our Commitment Sunday.
The idea of even the least gift having an impact gives me food for
thought.
Thanks!
Robbie in KS
Just a thought about small offerings:
The Presbyterian Women take up the "Least Coin Offering" at their
monthly meetings. Each woman is asked to dig into her coin purse and
offer up the smallest-value coin(s) they have with them that day. At
some meetings, the amount is negligible, but when you add all those
coins up over a year, and then add them to the Least Coin Offerings of
all the other PW groups around the world, there is a significant
amount of cash for doing their missions. Of course, these women
sacrifice nothing, but the idea of a small gift being part of the
whole picture seems germane to this text.
For Stewardship Sundays I have often taped a penny, a nickel or a dime
onto the inside of the church bulletins, and during the Children's
Sermon have asked the children to go and collect the coins from the
worshippers, which the children put into the Offering plates. The kids
see that a penny here and a nickel there add up to dollars.
Occasionally, a few people have opened their wallets and given
quarters or folding money as well, but that was not the point of the
exercise.
KHC
This woman of poverty was giving to the Temple treasury because she
felt obligated to do her part to keep the Temple going. Her
relationship with God went back to the Exodus, through covenants made,
through the Exile and the Maccabean revolt and now the time of great
expectation of the Messiah's appearance. She gave because she knew the
Temple was the symbol of God's presence in Israel. It was her duty to
help keep it up, and she obliged the best she could.
As Christians, our relationship with God centers in Jesus Christ. Not
discounting the importance of our pre-Jesus history, our everlasting
covenant was made with the death of our Savior. Our gifts are not
given to support a Church per se, but in humble gratitude for what
Jesus Christ has done. He is the entire reason we do anything we do.
We don't give out of duty, but as a response borne out of love of God
because he first loved us and gave us Life. The Temple/Church isn't
our center, Christ is, through the Holy Spirit. We respond to this by
putting Jesus first, giving back that which we have been so freely
given, not only by loving one another but by offering our very best -
"time, talents, all" - to the God who has saved us.
If any of us are putting our gifts in the offering plate to "support
the church", we may need to re-think our motives. We are responding to
Jesus.
Anonymous
Giving preachers, best sermon I ever stole for that community day was
based on Luke. Ten Lepors, one returned to give thanks!! Why didn't
the other nine? make up reasons, pessimist, sadist, entheuasist,
conformist, etc and play with that for a while, then come back to the
one who did return and stayed in relationship with the source of
blessing!!! PBOBSC
I laughed when I read about the least coin offering. We do that in the
United Methodist Women Circles. There is always a fight over the
person who give more than the penny, the least coin of the realm,
because they say it violates the concept of how the least can add up.
I might do this for the children's sermon, have the ushers count it
and report back during the reg. sermon. Still mulling the rest. I have
a baptism also, so that needs to be intergrated. Nancy-Wi
I've been able to get so many good ideas from this forum, that I
thought it time to put something back into the idea bank. I am struck
by the phrase, "gaining one's life comes in the letting go instead of
the grasping." I'm going to tell the folks how monkeys are captured in
Southeast Asia. In some areas of that part of the world (mostly in the
rural villages),monkey meat is considered a viable food source. An
easy way to catch a monkey is to tie a jar or vase with a very narrow
neck out where there are monkeys. The mouth of the vessel is just wide
enough for the monkey to squeeze it's paw inside. Peanuts are placed
in the container. The monkey wants the nuts, so it reaches in, grabs a
fistful of peanuts but cannot withdraw its paw because of the fist it
has made. What is obvious is that all the creature has to do is let go
of the fistful of peanuts and it can go free. But their stubborness in
holding on to that fistful of peanuts results in a lot of monkeys
winding up on the dinner table. I wonder what we are holding on to so
tightly in our lives? What do we have clenched in our fists that we
are unwilling to let go? The widow in the story had no problem in
letting go of all she had. By doing so she gained the wealth of
eternal life. Larry in CO
Yes, Larry, I used that illustration (although it's a terrible story)
a few weeks back when I preached on letting go. I read it somewhere -
can't remember where now? But people really remember it. S in Aus.
I don't know that she necessarily achieved eternal life however. In
this reading it doesn't actually say so. I have to admit, objecting to
people thinking that is why we give. We don't give to recieve eternal
life - if that is so, all we do is for ourselves, and we are like
those Scribes. We give in grateful thanks to God, because all we have
is Gods. We give because we want to contribute and give something
back. We don't give to recieve eternal life, and I would be
disappointed in God if it were that easy to manipulate Him/Her. S.
Larry in Co, thank you What a perfect illustration. Pastor Rick in FL
I am struck at the concept of "abundance" is this passage. I
understand the "theology" that when we live our lives in God, we
operate from a place of abundance. When we don't, we operate from a
place of scarcity. In scarcity, our egos look to be proped up from the
good opinion of others, or from having status, or from dishonest,
unjust gain. In abundance we are secure in God - we can give and trust
and neither be victims or villains.
Just this morning I was having feelings of jealousy. I am sure
jealousy comes from an inner place of scarcity. I guess I worry that
there are only so many units of love to go around. I know families
where children don't want a widowed parent to remarry. If their parent
loves another, does it mean they did not love the first?
Abundance and scarcity don't refer to material possessions or
prosperity. They refer, I think, to the state of the soul.
Somehow the widow and the scribes act in reverse to their spiritual
health. The widow is coming from a place of abundance, so she gives
much out of her poverty. The scribes are coming from a place of
scarcity, so they give little out of their wealth.
Brent in Pincher
In the lectionary materials I've been reading ("Preaching Word and
Witness," by Liturgical Publications, Inc.), the idea of the wealthy
"giving from their abundance" is called "donating," as opposed to true
giving. Let's face it: all of us "donate" out of our abundance, rather
than give. After all, the kind of faith it takes to give as the poor
widow did is the same faith that hung on the cross, and that sure is
dangerous giving, as someone posted. There just aren't very many of us
honestly willing to do that, except in a figurative sense. Actually
giving everything is beyond us, except here and there, now and then.
In a society where young people are encouraged to think they have to
have ever bigger and better homes, clothes, cars, and jobs before they
can really get started in life, such giving is pretty hard to preach.
Peace of heart and mind tend to pale in comparison, until people reach
some crisis in their lives.
I really appreciated the idea of "just" giving and "trust" giving, and
thank the poster for it. I think I can preach from that perspective.
CEinCO
In the lectionary materials I've been reading ("Preaching Word and
Witness," by Liturgical Publications, Inc.), the idea of the wealthy
"giving from their abundance" is called "donating," as opposed to true
giving. Let's face it: all of us "donate" out of our abundance, rather
than give. After all, the kind of faith it takes to give as the poor
widow did is the same faith that hung on the cross, and that sure is
dangerous giving, as someone posted. There just aren't very many of us
honestly willing to do that, except in a figurative sense. Actually
giving everything is beyond us, except here and there, now and then.
In a society where young people are encouraged to think they have to
have ever bigger and better homes, clothes, cars, and jobs before they
can really get started in life, such giving is pretty hard to preach.
Peace of heart and mind tend to pale in comparison, until people reach
some crisis in their lives.
I really appreciated the idea of "just" giving and "trust" giving, and
thank the poster for it. I think I can preach from that perspective.
CEinCO
The comment that the widow would not know the impact of her gift got
me to thinking of the countlss "pennies" that have been given over the
centuries because the story of Jesus noting this woman's actions made
it into our scripture! What impact does our giving have? What impact
does our "holding on" have. Like the widow we may never know. I
agree,Him/Her S, we give out of a response to all God has given us,
not to atone or acheive or even to justify or save ourselves. All that
we have is God's. This response is tied to God's love for us. I know
this and I beleive this - why then do I tend to "hold on"? Blessings
to all LGB
Anonymous -
Your post made me think of a kind of funny title for sermon, or even
theme for stewardship drive ...
"Don't Support Your Church"
Sally in GA
Brent in Pincher -
Good post! So true! I think of the "wet blankets" in our congregation.
They're angry that the Conference has begun a new UMC just a few miles
away from us, and another UMC. To quote, "Why do they need to start a
new church? They need to help us little churches out!"
Well, behind the scenes in the little churches -- are some pretty
racist values in a neighborhood that's changed. Also behind the scenes
is an attitude of "scarcity." This church hasn't ever seen fit in its
40 years to hook up hot water or even provide but the minimum
electrical voltage. Within our congregation is a woman with a
6-bedroom house who "can't afford" to give to the church (and yet
tries to manipulate the goings-on -- this is a woman who bragged to me
that she kicked and broke her n-- nurse's nose when she was in the
hospital). Behind the scenes in these churches that need so much
"help" is an attitude that they're the customers who are there to be
catered to. Such an attitude of scarcity.
What I can't seem to get them to articulate is just what kind of help
they want - the conference sent me here! (Gee, that sounds
egotistical, but it's because I've had some modest success in church
turn-around).
OK - I'm needing some more time off, I can tell.
Sally in GA
Oh, one more thing ... the least coin offering -- we do something like
that with the children. They take buckets (these are emptied peanut
butter buckets - you know the kind we folks with kids buy) and pass
them around while the offering plates are also being passed. It's
called "noisy" offering and people are given the task of putting their
coins in (a la Oprah's angel Network) - and it makes a cool noise.
Some folks will really get into it and really put some "Emeril-style"
"Bam!" into it.
Sally in GA
Oops, I lied ... one MORE last thing...
Don't we all have just a little bit of Scribe in us? I'm still not
comfortable with having a "title," but I'm pretty sure that my
discomfort is because there's a part of me that likes it. There's a
difference between being titled and being entitled.
Sally
In the Greek (ok, I take the short cut and use my dad's old
interlinear) verse 41 includes the word "pos", "how". He watched HOW
the people put money in the treasury. Was he checking facial
expressions? If people gave arrogantly or discreetly? In the little
book "Creating Congregations of Generous People" author Michael Durall
quotes fund-raising consultant Ashley Hale who refers to a "happiness
scale." "Some money is sad money, some is happy money. Sad money is
paid as a duty or a penalty. Taxes, debt-payments, fine--these are
paid with sad money. Unfortunately many church members respond to
stewardship appeals with sad money." For me, there are really very few
things that I attribute as sad money. We just had to buy a new washing
machine--that's a bit of a bite, yet the new model WILL be more
efficient in water and electrical use. Even our high city tax rate,
well, we're getting good schools and services in my town. I discovered
I don't have much "sad" money--because I'm glad I have it to give
away. But some is happier than others, the money we spent recently on
an adoption, the charitable giving my family does, whether through our
congregation, other organizations or anonymous gifts to individuals
(those are some of the most fun... even w/o the charitable deduction
for tax purposes). Can't be sure about the expressions of the rich
folk or poor widow, but there's something to the idea of happy money.
Something like a heart overflowing with generosity and gratitude.
Peter in WI
A true story. One day our church secretary was in the office by
herself. She could see a "bag-lady" walking up the sidewalk to the
front door of the church. She didn't want to deal with her as she was
all alone, so she tried to get up quickly and lock the door. Just
before she reached the lock, the lady opened the door, so our
secretary welcomed her in. The lady sat down in the secretary's office
and carried on a conversation. All the while the secretary was hoping
she would just come to the question of asking for money so she could
respond "no" and end the time together. In conversation, the
"bag-lady" said she was a member of the church, but hadn't been out
for years and thought it was time she came in and made a donation. She
reached in her "bag" and pulled out a check-book and wrote a check for
$5,000.00. Make's me smile every time I think of it.
Brent in Pincher
Peter in WI mentions giving non-tax-deductible gifts and enjoys giving
them. I have found I get more pleasure out of my church gifts and
tithes if I don't claim them as tax deductions. If it's a gift, I'm
not sure there should be any benefit in it for me except the joy of
giving. If I do it to get something in return, my gift becomes tainted
and my thinking skewed.
I'm only speaking for myself. Please don't read this as a sermon or a
challenge to anyone. I'm merely concurring with Peter in WI's comment
about the joy we get when we give for giving's sake.
Anonymous
All this talk reminds me of the old gentleman in my former church who
was a wealthy, wealthy man. At the end of each tax year, after his
accountant had done a rough draft of his taxes, he would ask "How much
do I need to give away in order to pay no taxes?" The accountant would
tell him, and this old gentleman would write a check to the church for
half that amount, and divvy up the rest to other favorite charities.
It was a dislike of government that prodded this man's "generosity",
not a thankful spirit. But, the church didn't care. We took the money
anyway. We never thought about motives for giving, we just wanted the
cash. While this gentleman may have not had the "right" attitude about
giving, we did not have the "right" attitude about receiving, either.
KHC
Anybody know what a penny could buy at that time?
DGinNYC
Like so many gospel stories, I want to know, what happened next.
What happened to this lady, after she had given everything she had to
live on?
Did she die? Did God bless her with riches? Did she make it through
another week?
She who becomes an example for us, as to how we are to live under the
grace of God, receives no other mention in the gospel.
And so often that is exactly the way of the righteous. Obscure,
ordinary people live out their life without the fanfare and facade of
the publicly obvious, and yet it is the ordinary persons contribution
that is crucial.
I am reminded of the song in Les Miserables, about little people, and
one of the lyrics says,
"A flea can bite the bottom of the Pope in Rome."
How much attention do we really take of what is important, and
ultimately necessary?
This is a very disturbing gospel. What is going on in our society,
that we no longer notice or appreciate the un-spectacular, the
un-garish ordinary. That we are so intensely focussed on those we
believe to be important to the future viability of our church/temple,
that we overlook the small contributions that some people make.
I see this gospel as revealing so vividly how, distorted our view of
life and each other really are. I don't know that I have adequately
stated the feeling I get from reading this gospel in a contemplative
manner.
Jesus, was truly amazing the view he took to life.
Regards to all for a truly amazing week. Watch for the little things
occurring right beside us.
KGB in Aussie
How right you are, our friend from Australia! One church member had
little monetary gift to offer, but this was the guy who went over to
the church every Saturday night in the freezing cold and layers of
snow to turn on the boiler so all the rest of us could be comfortable
in Church on Sunday morning. He sometimes would sleep on a folding
chair with his head on a table to "babysit" the furnace in case
something didn't work right. He never told anyone he did this. That
gift of his meant more than any $1,000 in the offering plate, I can
assure you.
To those who are preparing for Thanksgiving services: It might be
helpful to remember the origins of this holiday. The truth is, we are
STILL pilgrims, seeking out ways to live in a world that is
continually changing - with global conflicts, medical and scientific
dilemmas to consider, issues of childcare for those who want to work
but can't "afford" to, increasing, tragic deaths of children by family
members. Like those first Pilgrims, we must again rely on God's grace
and the leading of the Holy Spirit AND recognize those that he places
in our path to provide assistance and encouragement. Thank God, in our
pilgrimage, we are not alone! "CoolTex"
Greetings to "anonymous" re keeping track of--and
itemizing--charitable contributions. First of all, don't mind a
challenge at all and appreciate the Spirit's softening of my
conscience. You can make a good case for giving all gifts w/o seeking
credit by way of tax deductibility. Or, you can make the case (as I
have for myself!) that under the current system, I'll have MORE money
to give away if I take tax credits to the fullest extent of the law.
But the fact remains, the non-deductible gift "feels" more like a
gift... the others have a certain contingency. Gifts to some
organizations (e.g. Bread for the World, Sierra Club) are often NOT
deductable because of lobbying efforts. Thanks. Peter in WI
Just came across this. Author unknown.
"A basketball in my hands is worth about $20. A basketball in Michael
Jordan's hands is worth about $33 million.
A baseball in my hands is worth about $6. A baseball in Barry Bond's
hands is worth $19 million.
A tennis racket in my hands is useless. A tennis racket in Pete
Sampras' hands is is Wimbledon championship.
A rod in my hand will keep a wild animal at bay. A rod in Moses' hand
will part the mighty sea.
Two fish and five loaves of bread in my hands is a couple of fish
sandwiches. Two fish and five loaves of bread in Jesus' hands will
feed thousands.
It all depends on whose hand it's in."
-- submitted by KHC (I'm guessing somebody can carry this theme out to
support a Stewardship theme....)
There is something in this text that bugs me. In the begining of it,
Jesus condemns the temple system and the temple leaders for ripping
people off. In next week's gospel, Jesus even tells the disciples that
the temple will be destroyed. But Jesus still speaks highly for the
woman for giving all she has to it. That penny will no doubt
contribute to the further dilenquency of the scribes that Jesus just
condemned. What's up with this? jw in tx
The Kerr Resources bulletin cover for this week has a picture of 2
American pennies. The words "In God We Trust" on the coins struck me
as a particular irony when I saw them, enlarged for the picture.
There's a part of me that reacts and first asks, "Oh, REALLY?" Then, I
think of the witness that giving 2 pennies with sincere devotion
really means - giving them away because "In God We Trust." Interesting
that many of us would probably be upset if someone proposed taking
those words off the coins, and then turn around and "can't afford" to
give it to God.
I'm feeling like a big, ol' hypocrite - I had a traffic accident and
will have to pay a fine (I'm pretty sure - my court date is Friday). I
had to pay a $500 deductible to get my car fixed. My daughter needs
medicine that the insurance doesn't cover, and they both need to have
their teeth seen after. My own giving has gone down in the last
several weeks - how can I preach "tithing" when I'm not? The rest of
the year, I was tithing. I could have preached this pericope with a
clear conscience. Now, I'm having a moral struggle.
OK - the angle I'm taking is the "it takes one to know one" from BBT.
Jesus appears to know the heart of a woman who would give EVERYthing
because he, too, has the heart that gives everything. Not exactly
rocket science, but then I want to explore giving as a means of grace.
So often we view the church as serving its members rather than the
members of the church serving God.
Sally in GA
KGB in Aussie -
Your words "it's the little things" that reminds me of a book by Lena
___ (Johnson??) called "It's the Little Things," a dialogue towards
racial understanding. It's amazing how many "little things" bug us to
the point of not being able to relate to each other.
Also, isn't there a country song that has a line in it, "It's the
little things, the little, itty, bitty things ..." It's talking about
those little thorns in the side, the little things your spouse does
that drive you crazy.
Well, if little things have the power to do negative things, they also
have the power to do positive things.
I'm going to borrow someone's idea and tape 2 pennies to each of the
bulletins. I'll send around the "Noisy Offering" bucket for them to
put it in.
Sally in GA
Does anyone have access to or know the story of the bishop whose
mother was dying and whispered the letters "WS" trying to communicate
that she wanted her pledge for World Service to be paid?
PKFlyer in TX
Sally in Ga: I hear you! And I resonate with what you say. Those that
do don't have to shout it; those that don't do not let a day pass
without letting you know what they do. I struggle with that and talk
around it. Don't want to offend, you know. Still working on this
one... pbetty
Dear jw in tx,
I wonder if Jesus is expressing outrage at the woman putting her
fortune into the treasury, rather than flat out praise.
He's just scolded the temple folk. Accusing the scribes of devouring
widow's houses. I wonder if Jesus, felt compassion for the poor widow
and exclaimed, "Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than
all those who are contributing to the treasury. For all of them have
contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put
in everything she had, all she had to live on."
As if to say, "Look at what's going on here!!! You guys have made such
a big deal out of your giving (which is meager compared with what you
could give) that you've set up a culture that would make a widow think
that she has to give her whole livelyhood to the temple!!!
(I have no research to back this up, it's just a theory.)
But of course, with Jesus, there is always a deeper meaning. He
probably felt a connection with the poor woman who was giving
everything she had. He could relate to her, as he was preparing to
give his own life. CSB in NY
I may go with "Next to nothing" with the irony that what is so close
to nothing is really remarkable in this woman's faith. Another matter
has come up in conjunction w/ the Hebrews text. In that book's
"Hebrew" approach (including sacrificial system) the point is made
that since Christ, no more sacrifices are required. None are
REQUIRED... yet aren't they still requested? As a response to the fact
that no matter how little or much we do, that's not what gives us
standing in God's eyes? Part of my struggle with even reading texts
like these is that I present the challenge too severely to those with
legitimate hardship and "poverty" and fail to sufficiently challenge
the wealthier worshippers. I can see it's not the quantity of the
gift, but the proportion or level of giving that brings it to the
realm of sacrifice or surplus. Peter in WI
A man began to date a woman who had a cat. He loved her but hated the
cat. One day he killed the cat, but in consoling her, he said he would
put an add in the paper offering a $10,000 reward for the cat. A
friend told him he was being very generous. He said: "When you know
what I know you can afford to be generous."
I think it was in 1999 when Ted Turner gave a billion dollars to the
United Nations. He said it wasn't such a big deal because it only
amounted to his 9 months salary.
I'm still working on this passage being about an attitude of
abundance, which comes from living in grace. The ego mind of scarcity
makes the leaders very needy and unjust. I have a sense that this
woman gave with some joy and freedom. Her life was "grace-based" and
so she gave from her abundance. But the widow could have given for the
wrong reasons too. I have a book on religion as an addiction. People
give unhealthily, for the wrong reasons, to causes that don't deserve
their trust.
My wife tells me that her grandfather gave the last two dollars in his
possession to the church he attended many years ago. At the end of the
service someone came up to him and gave him money for a pig he had
sold him days before. It is hard to believe that people did live with
that kind of trust.
"What Mite You Give." "Alms from the Poor."
Brent in Pincher
Thanksgiving- it always amazes me that the first thaknsgiving was in
the time just before they would face an uncertain winter- last winter
proved deadly and this one most probably would as well- and yet they
were thankful. so two points- were they thankful in advance for
surviving the winter yet to come,or thankful because they knew God was
with them in good and bad times?
Thanks, KHC, for the thing-in-my-hand vs. thing-in-someone-else's-hand
list ... I think I will be using that. And thanks to Larry for the
reminder about the catching-monkeys technique.
Here's another illustration about turning loose of that which we most
treasure:
An old man on the isle of Crete lay dying. He loved his homeland so
much that he couldn't bear to part with it, even in death. In his
death throes he reached down and grabbed a handful of the earth of
Crete. When he arrived at the gates of Heaven, he was holding that
handful of dirt. St. Peter told him he was welcome to enter, but he'd
have to leave the dirt behind. He couldn't bring himself to do that,
so he sat down just outside the gate.
Many years later, the old man's wife died and she, too, showed up at
the gate to Heaven where she found her husband sitting there with a
handful of dirt. St. Peter explained to her what was going on.
Together, they worked on the old man and finally convinced him to turn
loose of the handful of dirt from Crete.
Together, the old man and his wife walked through the gates of Heaven.
Much to his surprise, when he went through the gate, the old man found
the entire island of Crete made glorious, even more wonderful that it
had been in his life or in his memory! And he remembered the words of
Christ: "Everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father
or mother or children or fields, for my name's sake, will receive a
hundredfold, and will inherit eternal life."
Blessings, Eric in OH
Sally, and anyone else who wants to listen in, I don't think that
giving to God is expected to be a burden. I'm not at all sure God
wants us fulfilling our Church pledges in lieu of feeding our kids or
getting them the meds or dental care they need or fulfilling our civic
duties (paying those fines). I think we need to put it into
perspective and understand that circumstances may change and our
giving may go up or down accordingly, no matter what amount we have
pledged. I think we make this tithing/giving thing all too rigid.
Please give yourself a break. You have been faithful to your promise
to God in the past; God knows what's going on in your life. Your
giving is between you and God, not you and the congregation. If you
wanted to, you could tell the congregation that you understand
first-hand how life gets in the way of promises. At least it would
relieve you of the feelings of hypocrisy to tell them that you are
struggling to do it all.
Now, take care of these earthly expenses you have coming up and figure
out some other way you can serve God in lieu of the cash for awhile.
If you want to, you can "make it up" at another time, when things calm
down. I repeat, despite this week's text, God does NOT intend our
giving to be a burden. He could not receive it joyfully if it is
killing you.
Peace, my friend.
KHC, the giver of unrequested advice. It's a bad habit I have.
to the one who feels better not claiming a gift as a tax deduction- I
used to agree, but now I claim the deduction, figure out how much I
received in return on my taxes and donate that amount back to the
church- Pb
Wow Sally- your piece about "In God We Trust" really struck a chord. I
know one bible study group that has decided to campaign @ removing
"under God" from the pledge... You hit it right when you said how some
folks get so upset about the words being there and yet live a life
that under the gaze of God might be criticized much like Jesus
comments about the scribes. We want our nation "under God" but refuse
to submit our lives to God... We want our money to say "In God we
Trust" but how much do we really trust what we have to God. You got me
going with that one! Thanks Sally! -Amma in FLA
If the woman had been within reach, would Jesus have stopped her from
offering her last coins?
Since reading this pericope this time and seeing this speaking of
Jesus as a whole, it has taken new meaning for me. I hear Jesus using
the giving by the widow an example regarding temple giving and the
Scribes actions. I find I dont need more information concerning her, I
just need to know what constitutes my actions when I am giving. Are my
actions contributing to a system that is not God ordained? That
becomes more my interest, rather than what others are doing. Sometimes
during my pastoral ministry I feel I gave to be sure the church would
stay high in their giving. Although I felt good about it (I think that
was rewarding to me)I do sometimes it could block persons who God is
speaking to concerning their giving. God supplies all of my needs, and
expects me to be learn how to be prudent. God has given me that
ability also.
Shalom bammamma
I see this story as a modern allegory for the "church" is now the poor
widow unable to defend itself against the arrogant wealthy that "rob"
the church of its treasure by hoarding it all for themselves. These
arrogant are ourselves who love to pray in public places, sit in the
best seats (unless you humble yourself like an Episcopalian and sit
near the back).
The "me", selfish, generation doesn't care whether or not the poor
widow is turned out on the street all they care about is their
comfort. They want the church to do it all for them, to represent them
in sacred actions while at the same time avoiding any commitment.
The fight against stewardship because it is not in the nature of the
scribe, the regular communicant, to give of themselves. They would
rather watch the little old lady represent them in the temple while
they count their cash.
tom in ga
Dear Sisters and Brothers:
I haven't been here in a while, but really felt the need to come, and
I'm really glad I did!
This is not "stewardship Sunday" at my church, given that my current
church's tradition is to have commitment Sunday in January. Still, it
fits for me, since like probably most of you I believe stewardship is
a daily thing. We passed our budget at Charge Conference more than a
month ago -- a budget that is far more than the church is taking in
right now. The people are challenged to give, know they are called to
give, and we will probably take up commitment cards in January that
may or may not reflect how the budget is met; in fact, it probably
won't. I just pray that we all grow in the process, and believe that
we will receive the funds necessary to grow in ministry.
I'm taking a Lumicon suggestion with the title "All That I Have." Do
we live lives that reflect the understand that all that we have
belongs to God? Each Sunday, I call for the offering with the
statement, "Now is the time when we give back to God His tithes and
our offerings." When we prayerfully give, do we do so with that
understanding, or are we merely giving out of our abundance what we
feel we can give this week ... in time, in gifts of time and talent,
in money?
So much has been said here that I will use to craft this Sunday's
message. I've had a tough week time wise -- answering a subpoena at
the newspaper where I work, traveling with my wife to sit by her
stepdad's side while her mother underwent surgical amputation of a leg
succombing to diabetes, working nights, again -- so, I'm a little late
getting started. But I trust in the power of the Holy Spirit to speak
through brothers and sisters, and His Word.
Blessings to you all, PastorBuzz in TN
Oh, incidentally: Check out the graphic I built using a photo of some
of the 58 "Jesus coins" in the Hebrew museum. According to the
information I found with the photo, the coins have a portrait of Jesus
on one side and a Greek inscription praising him on the opposite.
Perhaps it says, "In Christ We Trust." PastorBuzz in TN
I love the way Eugene Peterson ends this passage: " All the others
gave what they would never miss; she gave extravagantly what she
couldn't afford - She gave her all."
I love that!
Susan in Wa.
Sally,
I hear your struggle too. Yesterday in my spiritual formation group,
we used this passage for our lectio divina, and I was feeling great
ambivalence, because I am often not able to give as much as I would
like. As a single mom, the funds are often tight, and yet, I know I
give in lots of other ways. But I am still challenged that I need to
really examine my priorities. But I agree with KHC, that if at one
time you can't give because of circumstances in your life, you can
either find other ways of giving, or "make up for it later," when you
are more able. Guilt doesn't do anything for anyone though. Part of
being a good steward is taking care of our families and our
responsibilities.
Susan in Wa.
Is it possible that the widow gave everything she had to the Temple
treasury because that's the way she lived her whole life--giving all
she had to her late husband, to her children, to her community, to her
God?
I've been rereading William James' Varieties of Religious Experience.
In two lectures he discusses conversion, and then he looks at what he
calls "saintliness," which state one cannot attain without
experiencing conversion. James defines conversion this way: "To be
converted, to be regenerated, to receive grace, to experience
religion, to gain an assurance, are so many phrases which denote the
process, gradual or sudden, by which a self hitherto divided [he uses
Rom. 7 as an example of what he means by the divided self--not doing
what one knows to be right], and consciously wrong, inferior and
unhappy, becomes unified and consciously right, superior and happy, in
consequence of its firmer hold upon religious realities." In light of
this, it might be said that the scribes had not yet been converted,
while the widow had been.
This conversion, then, led to what James calls saintliness, which he
describes as "the ripe fruits of religion in a character." He then
lists the features of the saintly character: "a feeling of being in a
wider life than that of this world's selfish little interests; and a
conviction, not merely intellectual, but as it were sensible, of the
existence of an Ideal Power;...a sense of the friendly conntinuity of
the ideal power with our own life, and a willing self-surrender to its
control;...an immense elation and freedom, as the outlines of the
confining selfhood melt down;...[and] a shifting of the emotional
centre towards loving and harmonious affections, towards 'yes, yes,'
and away from 'no,' where the claims of the non-ego [i.e. God and
neighbor] are concerned." The practices that are part of this
saintliness include asceticism, strength of soul [i.e. the ability to
extend oneself for others untiringly], purity, and charity.
I know James is very technical in his terminology and lacking the
Christian theological language, but in the light of this passage I
believe he offers us a way to understand the magnanimity of the widow
as being a sign of one who was fully-attuned to God's work in the
world--as Jesus was, and as Jesus' mother Mary was ("let it be with my
according to thy word"). What our people may need to hear is the call
to conversion rather than the call to giving their all--or maybe
through such a call to giving. Doug in IL
Doug in IL, I agree with you and Mr. James re: the non-conversion of
the Scribes. They were notorious for KNOWING the Law, but not LIVING
the SPIRIT of that Law. The ordinary person on the street with little
religious education lived (and probably still lives today) a more
God-centered life than any of the Scribes and Pharisees. If you'll
excuse my crassness, they were quite anal about the Law. Most of your
regular folk are not, and can just go about their lives with some
sense of freedom. Call it conversion, call it free in grace, whatever,
it certainly allows our eyes to be opened more widely to our place as
God's children.
So while there were Laws about supporting the Temple and paying Temple
taxes, etc., this widow may have been doing it for reasons far more
enlightened than simple obedience - although for the Scribes,
obedience would have been enough.
Thank you for sharing that, Doug. It shines a new light on it for me.
KHC
DG in NYC
I have an old note (undocumented) that the lepton coin mentioned here
is 1/64th of a denarius, so her 2 coins would be 1/32nd, and a
denarius is usually considered a daily wage.
Anyone know the old joke about the chicken and the pig who saw the
church sign saying "help feed the hungry". The chicken said "that's a
good idea. Let's help. Let's give ham and eggs." The pig said "that's
easy for you to say, but for me it is a total commitment." Isn't Jesus
asking for total commitment from us every day?
JRW in OH
Sally in GA,
I'm going to suggest that the circumstances in your life may be
pointing out to you that you were becoming too self-satisfied with the
fact that you were tithing, and maybe too judgemental against those
who were not.
What if all of us were to purchase only the bare minimum of what we
needed, including dental, medical, (modest) car, housing, rather than
the luxuries we so enjoy? What if we were to look at all (the money)
that we still had, that we had "saved," and give it all to the work of
God's Kingdom? It might not add up to ten percent, it might add up to
thirty, or even 90 percent if we are very wealthy. My point is that
sometimes, all that we can is worth more than ten percent, even if it
is not ten percent.
Certainly we could end up on a slippery slope, buying until nothing
goes to God at all, but sometimes when we give first fruits, we tend
to think that all the rest belongs to us, and then that ten percent
becomes very little: the large offerings of the scribes.
You can probably preach this text with a clearer conscience than ever
before, for now YOU must rely on the grace of God, and not on your own
tithe.
I hesitate to put my name to this, because someone will think I am
being too harsh. Please do not take this as a judgement, merely an
attempt to help to put words to a difficult teaching.
Trying to be an agape friend
To the Agape Friend of Sally's,
In a perfect world, perhaps, people would live minimally - row houses,
grow their own food, ride bikes more than drive cars, take public
transportation, etc. And, with less spent on self, more could go to
God. In a perfect world, that money would go into MISSION, to make
sure the rest of the world HAD row houses, seeds in decent soil and
water, transportation, etc.
But in fact, I'm not sure the Church is any more perfect than we are.
I envision a church with money coming in by the crate-load, spending
the larger portion of it on interior decorating, new toys in the
nursery, a better organ, etc. Too often the Church has not embraced
sacrifical giving, either. We give more to support what WE do in the
church, and less to offer comfort to those in poverty somewhere. Maybe
the Church needs to lead the way: no church buildings larger than the
congregation truly requires, one bathroom, bring your own Hymnbook,
etc. Then we would have more to give away to those who truly have
nothing.
My apologies to the churches that DO have a solid and sacrificial
mission going on. You are to be commended. I wish it for all of our
churches.
KyHoosierCat
Grace and Peace to you all!
It seems to me (I have to backtrack and verify my memory) that the
woman gives what she has knowing that the church will provide for her.
I believe she would receive, as a widow, a portion of food from the
priests.
Again, let me check on that.
Even if this is the case, it sets up a wonderful precedent about the
church's response to those in need, I think. And she still does give
her all -trusting that her needs will be provided for.
My sermon title is "The Widow's Might" - and it is for we
Presbyterians Stewardship Sunday. *smile*
Thanks for ALL the worthy discussion! Much to think upon...
Pastor Pam in PA
Is not Jesus describing a system that is off balance? I want to take
this a step further, because I see something wrong with the haves
speaking for the have-nots. When the haves either use their position
of having to “look good by giving to the have-nots, I am reflecting on
what Jesus said Concerning the woman with the alabaster box, "The poor
we will have with us always.(Mark 14:7)" She was giving out of joy.
Here again Jesus is speaking to a woman with not much means, in
response to giving. I’m not sure why the woman in the temple was
giving, whether joy or obligation. What then is the message for those
without? What does it mean? “Blessed are the poor, for there in lies
the kingdom of God? Could it be that those of us who at one point had,
and find ourselves in a different position need to reflect on what it
means now for us, rather than what it means for others, who are now
the haves?
shalom, bammamma
Whew! Just got through reading all your inspiring posts and want to
respond. If I forget who wrote what, I apologize in advance.
1st - to my agape friend. It's the slippery slope you describe that is
the base of the entire thing. If I "excuse" myself in this need, what
other things will be classified as "needs" that really aren't? I mean
to say that our standards for what a "need" is tend to get lower and
lower.
Next - JRW in OH - can I borrow that chicken/pig illustration and ask
my husband to draw it into a cartoon?
Last (i think) - tom in ga - it's not just the humble Episcopalians.
We UM's hide out plenty, too. But you make a profound observation -
the allegory of the modern church. So true! We have home-bound members
who give a great deal and our "squeaky wheels" dictate its use.
Usually not to minister to the home-bound.
Sally in GA
I'm calling mine "In God We Trust" and using it as a message of, well,
trusting in God. Duuuuhhhh! Think I can keep that up for 20 minutes?
hahaha
Anyways, that's what BBT refers to in it taking one to know one -
Jesus knows the type of self-sacrificial love that we RETURN to God.
If we think we have it to GIVE to God, then it's not a
self-sacrificial love.
One Church I serve has Quartet coming to sing, so dont have to preach
there. But the little church, early church... Using Mark and Hebrews ,
A tale of two Widows... Comparing the two, contrasting the two.
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. And it's a far
far better thing I do now than I have ever done before....
Tying those quotes in- Sacrifice-Obedience-Submission (SOS) LOL
Clerically Blonde in West Ohio
oops soory - hit the button too early
Anyways, it's this self-sacrificial love that is bristling with me in
my own personal dilemma. I don't want to lightly back off my giving to
God. I pray not to take a cavalier attitude about this. I still can't
help but feel like a hypocrite.
Now, the major theme is established. The points to explore aren't
quite "there" yet. Of course, the "what's little and what's a lot"
theme - that it really is moral relativism. But not in the way we
think - those who trust get to know God's trustworthiness the most.
Even or especially if they have no choice but to trust in God, such as
this widow woman. Then, there's the application to us: how interesting
that so many of us would be upset to have "In God We Trust' taken from
our money. Yet, trusting in God - especially in a land of plenty - is
not something that comes all that naturally to us. Choosing to trust
in God gets relegated to the sidelines. Last, as one post-er said,
"the woman who is our example of how to live under the grace of God
receives no other mention" -- I'll put my own words to that "the woman
is our example of how to trust in God -- and receives no other
mention." Does it matter? Or does her small, simple gesture tell us
all we need to know?
Sally in GA
to give context -- "Clerically Blonde" must have hit her post in
between my two. So, the post before "Blondie's" is mine
Sally
The entire Ruth story is set during the time of Shavuot, the festival
of harvest where they brought their firstfruits to God. The I Kings
text is about a prophet instructing a woman to give him the first
portion of her last bit of meal and oil, but not the whole thing.
Interesting how in the Gospel account the woman is lauded for giving
her last cent - not her first cent - to the Temple.
Still mulling this all over and finding new things in it all the time.
KHC
Later, Jesus also notes the example of a widow and contrasts her with
church leaders whose superficial piety does not disguise their quest
for power and acclaim at the expense of the poor: "Beware of the
scribes, who like to walk around in long robes...and to have...places
of honor at the banquets! They devour widow's houses and for the sake
of appearances say long prayers" (Mark 12:38-40). In comparison, "this
poor widow" gives not of her excess but "out of her poverty" (Mark
12:43-44). As we approach the end of the liturgical year and prepare
for the birth of God among us, we are reminded that what we give, of
ourselves and our possessions, is of little importance; instead, how
we give to others is what will show the world that "Yahweh is my God."
from Sojourners, via Textweek.com
Sally
Lots of stuff about the female journey in our Scriptures (Ruth, widows
mite etc), How are pastors these days responding (or dealing with) the
Da Vinci Code? with it being the subject of many talk shows, morning
shows etc, and on the best sellers list. I would expect it would be
important for pastors to know what they are thinking.
Shalom, bammammam(retired)
This Sunday, we are recognizing and honoring the veterans in our
congregation. We are also winding up our stewardship campaign. The
theme of sacrificial giving seems to tie these two together...but I am
struck by the idea one of the posters had that Jesus is pointing out
the corrupt temple system that would take advantage of the widow's
mite without providing for the needs of the widows and other poor. I
would like to gowith the second theme, but can't quite figure out how
to tie it in with honoring the sacrifices of our veterans. Can anyone
help me with this? Susan in GA
Can you imagine what it would be like when offering time came in the
temple worship services in Jesus’s day. Didn’t pass plate to you. No
paper money going into velvet lined container.
It was All coins.... bigger coins worth more Smaller coins were worth
less.
You walked past this big metal trumpet shaped receptacle, and you
dropped your coins in.... right there in front of everybody.
Big coins would clank the side of the box as you dropped them in. If
you dropped in a bunch, it would sound like a bell ringing.... Clang,
clang, clang, clang. People would notice. You made enough noise,
they’d look at you like.... WOW, DID YOU SELL A KIDNEY OR SOMETHING?
But if you just dropped in a couple of little “tinkers” - those little
bitty coins that just kinda “Tinked” the metal as they fell in....
Everybody would notice that too.
It would be hard not to let that affect you, wouldn’t it.
It would be hard not to worry about what people think....Just like
it's hard not to worry about what people think about my "performance"
when I deliver a sermon.
GC in IL
Susan, I'm not sure we do all that much for our veterans besides
providing hospital care for them - it's free in VA Hosptials if their
hospitalization is somehow related to their time in the service.
Beyond that, what do we do for these women and men? They risked life
and limb in their duty, and then they are forgotten. I did some
student field work (Social Work) at a VA hospital, and I heard horror
stories of how the government did little to help these American
service people once they returned home. Agent Orange illnesses and the
Gulf War Syndrome have not had enough done in the way of compensation,
in my humble opinion. And the widows and children of vets often don't
get much better treatment. My Grandfather died of mustard gas
poisining in WWI, and nobody did one thing for my Grandmother (that
was in Canada, but the premise is the same here). There was a big
bruhaha around here recently when a local soldier was killed in Iraq
and the Red Cross balked at paying for his widow and his children to
fly to his funeral AND the memorial service, held at 2 different times
in 2 different places.
I can really see a connection between the abuse of poor-but-giving
widows in Israel and the ignoring brave-but-needy veterans in
20th-21st century America.
KHC
The Masons have a home for retired persons in a community nearby.
Ditto the Quakers. Both are wonderful, homey places. No question
there. In order to be granted an apartment, an applicant must reveal
the value of ALL possessions, whether tangible or intangible assets.
The value of the total estate determines admission or denial. You turn
everything - and I mean everything - over to the retirement community,
and they take care of you in grand style for the rest of your life.
You want for nothing. This works very well for those who are willing
to let loose of ownership of their possessions. Oh, by the way, once a
resident dies, the family still inherits whatever was not used up by
taking care of the resident. They can come claim the furniture back,
too, if they want it. It is not a scam.
This just came to mind when we are talking about giving up everything
and being taken care of....
KHC
Pigs give bacon. Chickens give eggs. Whose more committed? Seems the
widow gave bacon and it greatly effected her life. Most of use give
eggs - nice and safe, perhaps even empressive, but not very costly. RK
I once had a Roman Catholic priest from India tell me that we in
America do not know the meaning of "sacrifice". To really know Jesus
Christ we all need to know the meaning of "sacrifice." Sadly, most of
us do not. We live in a privileged country. Even the poor and homeless
we have in our country are much richer materially than most of the
poor in the rest of Third World. This priest from India told me that
we in America will never know true poverty until someone experiences
being born, living, and dying on the streets. So, to preach a sermon
on "sacrifice" most of our folks other than those who grew up during
the Great Depression of the 1930's and the days of World War II have
never really had to go hungry, or without clothes, or a drink. The
funeral director in our town also told me that she thinks we are a
nation of "spoiled brats." We are spoiled "boomers," "Gen X-ers" and
Millenials. How many of our young people today really know what it
means to "sweat" and really put in a hard day's work, from before
sunrise until long after sunset? Unless one has been a blue-collar
laborer on a farm, a factory, a mine, a mechanic or a fishing boat,
carpenters or any who work outdoors, some of us cannot relate to hard
work. Sadly, some of the folks in our churches especially our young
people cannot relate to it. The only sweating they seem to want to do
now a days is at the gym. I wonder how many young people would work if
they had to on a Depression wage scale today? My dad, uncle and
grandfather worked in a gravel pit on their farm for 75-cents a day
for a man with a pick and shovel and a dollar-50 a day if you had a
wagon and team of horses to haul the gravel. Those were WPA wages
during the Depression. So, please enlighten me and tell me -- how do I
-- how do we, preach a sermon on this Mark text when a lot of our
folks really don't know the meaning of "hard work," "poverty," or
"sacrifice?" Truly, how can they know Jesus Christ? As Mother Theresa
once obseved on a visit to America, our poverty lies in our people
being Spiritually malnourished. We have a glut of food, designer
clothing, vehicles, and other material goods that Madison Avenue wants
us to buy as consumers, yet how much of the Bible and Jesus' teachings
do we and our congregations understand? Ah, then, if we are a country
of Spiritually poor, yet morbidly obese consumers, not in just food
alone, we must then reach those who think money and materialism will
solve their problems and needs, and seek to convince, cajole, and
persuade them to truly trust in God by living a truly simple existence
as did Jesus Christ, and others. Who will hear and take to heart the
seed that God is calling us to plant? Because of our consumeristic
philosophy of supply and demand in the good old USA, how many ears
will be deaf to the words God is calling us to preach on this text?
How many will just stick their heads in the sand, go to Florida,
Texas, or Arizona to escape the "cold weather" and snow in the
Northern states and believe that this text doesn't apply to them? Rick
in ND
This woman is a widow. We don't know if she is a person of faith or
not. We really don't know anything about her except that she gives two
coins, worth less than a penny. I could understand if she is upset and
angry with God. Her husband hads been taken from her and she is left
with nothing. She has to depend on others to care for her and maybe
she is not sure that God cares for her either. She may have a lot of
questions and doubts about God. Why does she give the money, and what
is her attitude toward giving? I do not know but Jesus knows that she
gives all she has. She may be saying that the Scribes have taken
everything else, they may as well have this too.
Now she has nothing and is totally dependent. Could it be that when we
have nothing, that in that existential moment, God is able to enter
our lives? It is God who becomes the widow, and gives all that God has
to give, His own Son. God provides all that we really need for our
life. Now we can also receive the ministry of others who are sent by
God to reach out to us, some with much and some with little. We are
all in need.
When life is not working out well for us, when we are struggling to
rubtwo coins together, when health has been taken from us and when God
seems distant, or uncaring, we are surprised by the generosity of God
giving all to make us whole. I wonder if, in the face of a lot of
people who are finding it hard to believe these days, and the many
people who see such changes going on in their lives that they wonder
where their center is, that this Word can have some hope for them. God
enters our lives in the midst of emptiness and anxiety to embrace us
with His love.
Tom of MO
Wow Tom in MO, I loved your comment! It reminds me of a chorus from a
song a former pastor in this conference (NICUMC) now bishop use to
sing:
"Many things about tomorrow I dont seem to understand But I know who
holds the future And I know who holds my hand."
Thank you
Shalom bammamma
Around here, the people with two houses (summer and winter), a
Cadillac AND a Lincoln, enough clothes to garb the entire state of RI
and regular hair appointments ARE the Depression era folk. They have
decreed they have earned it and they are going to spend it however
they choose. And they don't choose to put it into any charity or
church coffers. It's the baby boomers and later who keep this church
open and the local charities afloat. They don't see money as something
to hold onto, but rather an expendable commotity that only does any
good when it's spent or given. If it weren't for the people currently
aged 50-65, this place would have closed long ago. It's not a
sacrifice on any level because they have plenty. They just write their
checks to charity first every month - their firstfruits offering, not
the whole wad.
I had an Elder ask in a meeting last Sunday morning, "What does our
church have to offer?" Like many churches these days our church is
small. It is easy to get into the mindset that because we are not a
large or mega church, we have little or nothing to offer. This woman
may have thought that in comparison to others, she had little to
offer, yet Jesus approved of her offering. I thought about centering
in on the idea that the small church does have something to offer and
tell them exactly what that is. PH in OH
When my children were small I decided to tithe my income, which worked
well till I was divorced. In the years that followed, I tried to tithe
and I mean I really did try, but it seemed that everytime I gave
something to the church, the church was giving more back to me. I
would drop Twenty dollars in the offering plate and have someone hand
me an envelope with $30 in it.
I was fortunate to be in a community of faith that knew the
circumstances I was dealing with. This continued for the four years it
took me to finish college and get far enough in seminary to be
appointed to a church. I received assistance with my rent, food and
Christmas presents for my children. Everytime someone comes to the
church looking for help, I'm reminded of the grace that was given me.
The widow trusted in God to care for her needs. She was confident that
God who provided today, would provide tomorrow. Her confidence was
born of personal experience.
KHC: For the past three months I have been planning on going with the
theme of "First Fruit Giving" for this weeks text. Now you have
pointed out the obvious, "giving her last cent - not her first cent."
Way to go, you've just ruined my stewardship series (and thank-you for
doing just that) I have bee focusing my series on sound theological
ideas - and that's the problem. I have confused the secondary
discourse of theology with the primary discourse act of proclaimation.
I have wanted to preach an idea this week and not the Word. Thanks for
the faithfulness check.
Everyone Else: Since KHC has caused me to start thinking again, I've
started to think about a debate in the movie "One True Thing" (Meryl
Streep, William Hurt and Renee Zellweger). The debate is between "Less
is more" and "More is more", but in this text, paradoxically both are
true for the widow.
Less is More: Jesus tells us "Truly I tell you, this poor widow has
put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury."
More is More: The widow gives her all to the Lord and that's far more
than anyone can say.
The Word I am beginning to hear is that God doesn't want 10% he wants
100% regardless of whether we have less than others or more than
others. God wants it all. Everytime (I think) in the New Testament it
talks about giving it isn't part but whole. Some times we sing "We
give thee but thine own, what-e'er the gift may be; All that we have
is thine alone, a trust O Lord, from thee." All is from God and we are
to use all for the Glory of God. We're not to put stuff in boxes this
ten percent is for God this 15% is to the car payment, 35% for the
morgage ect... It is all for the glory of God. We need to ask the hard
question of how does, where and on what,I spend God's trust, bring
glory to God. I do not know where it comes from but I really like the
saying, "Stewardship is everything I say and do after I confess Jesus
Christ is my Lord and Savior."
I am a new pastor in a parish with a budget problem. I have been
thinking, giving people stratigies of giving will solve the budget
problem and I am finding it isn't making a dent. I think instead I
should shift to faithfullness and trust that God will provide what God
will provide and in the end that is enough.
Badlands Paul
To comment on Rick in ND's comments... If we can only know Jesus if we
have previously known or lived in abject financial poverty, then many
will never know Him. Wealthy westerners, and countless other folks on
this planet, need Him whether they have been poor or not. Along with
that, (or opposing that?) I'd have to say we must also teach that God
doesn't promise monetary wealth to those who love Him, either. It's
too simplistic to say (and I'm not saying anyone has) that God desires
that we be either poor or rich, by whichever standards we find
ourselves living in. I like the math comment, from early on in the
discussion. God multiplies differntly than we do, and we can never
know the formula, only wonder and chuckle at it when we are pummeled
by His blessings...and not merely the financial ones!
Sally in GA
Sure, go ahead and make a cartoon out of the chicken and pig joke.
Actually, I think it was a cartoon first time I saw it. I have the
joke in sermon notes from over 25 years ago, so I don't remember where
it first saw it.
JRW in OH
