The mighty (mitey) widow
Cross Purposes # 67
22 November 2006
Hi Guys. Fred here.
The mighty (mitey) widow
Three or four days before his 3.00pm Passover appointment, Jesus did one of those disconcerting things – he plonked himself down where he could watch the rich and poor put their cheques, notes and coins into the temple treasury.
(You’d think he had better things to do wouldn’t you? There’s a world to save so why should he perch himself where he could peek at what I do with my wallet while I sit in the pew? The blighter makes a point of catching my eye as it goes on the plate!)
Anyway, he watches it all and obviously sees some pretty generous donations being made. But what touched his heart was not the big stuff. It was a little old widow who tosses in 2 small coins which together don’t even tally to one cent. And this is what happens:
He called his disciples together and said to them, “I tell you that this poor widow put more in the offering box than all the others. For the others put in what they had to spare of their riches; but she, poor as she is, put in all she had – she gave all she had to live on”.
(Mark 12: 43-44)
That story draws something from me about freedom – especially having the freedom to give it all away. There is something in that little old lady that releases her to be totally spontaneous and unregretful about “not withholding even a mite”. The child in me knows that she knew the secret of worship – living in utter trust of God.
But wait a minute – what if that widow was my Mum, and she had just signed over $150,000, her whole life savings – her nest egg, (and my inheritance!), over to the St Vincent de Paul Society for soup kitchens? How would I, in my modern context, react. Let me put it to you in polar opposites.
Would I see it as… (an act of)
Love… or lunacy?
Faith… or fantastic folly?
Worship… or waste?
Obedience… or idiocy?
Stupendous… or stupid?
Offering… or over the top?
Applaudable… or appalling?
Terrific… or troublesome?
“Oh Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, how do I work out your will? Can I really live that childlike trust? Do I need to learn how to undo all those years of being taught to calculate how much I’ll need and how to spread it out? Jesus, I’ve been taught to be ‘moderate in all things’ – and the widow doesn’t seem to have been moderate.
And thank you Lord that it’s not black and white – thank you that you make me think, and make choices, exercise my will, and accept responsibility for what I do!”
Gee people, I hope this helps you.
Pastor Fred
22 November 2006
Hi Guys. Fred here.
The mighty (mitey) widow
Three or four days before his 3.00pm Passover appointment, Jesus did one of those disconcerting things – he plonked himself down where he could watch the rich and poor put their cheques, notes and coins into the temple treasury.
(You’d think he had better things to do wouldn’t you? There’s a world to save so why should he perch himself where he could peek at what I do with my wallet while I sit in the pew? The blighter makes a point of catching my eye as it goes on the plate!)
Anyway, he watches it all and obviously sees some pretty generous donations being made. But what touched his heart was not the big stuff. It was a little old widow who tosses in 2 small coins which together don’t even tally to one cent. And this is what happens:
He called his disciples together and said to them, “I tell you that this poor widow put more in the offering box than all the others. For the others put in what they had to spare of their riches; but she, poor as she is, put in all she had – she gave all she had to live on”.
(Mark 12: 43-44)
That story draws something from me about freedom – especially having the freedom to give it all away. There is something in that little old lady that releases her to be totally spontaneous and unregretful about “not withholding even a mite”. The child in me knows that she knew the secret of worship – living in utter trust of God.
But wait a minute – what if that widow was my Mum, and she had just signed over $150,000, her whole life savings – her nest egg, (and my inheritance!), over to the St Vincent de Paul Society for soup kitchens? How would I, in my modern context, react. Let me put it to you in polar opposites.
Would I see it as… (an act of)
Love… or lunacy?
Faith… or fantastic folly?
Worship… or waste?
Obedience… or idiocy?
Stupendous… or stupid?
Offering… or over the top?
Applaudable… or appalling?
Terrific… or troublesome?
“Oh Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, how do I work out your will? Can I really live that childlike trust? Do I need to learn how to undo all those years of being taught to calculate how much I’ll need and how to spread it out? Jesus, I’ve been taught to be ‘moderate in all things’ – and the widow doesn’t seem to have been moderate.
And thank you Lord that it’s not black and white – thank you that you make me think, and make choices, exercise my will, and accept responsibility for what I do!”
Gee people, I hope this helps you.
Pastor Fred
posted by PastorFredVeerhuis at 3:32 PM
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