“He looked up and saw rich people putting their gifts into the treasury; ² he also saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. ³ He said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them; ⁴ for all of them have contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on.” Luke 21:1-4

The Widows Offering is so instructive for us today – and like the previous posting, it is also a difficult teaching. Stewardship is such a messy and difficult topic – stewardship of our time, of our talents and gifts, and of our money. But when the bible presents a story of an elderly widow giving everything she has to G-d, well, our hearts stop and we wonder “How can we do that?”

What is in your heart when it comes to sharing what you have? How do you feel when you are giving to G-d, whether it is out of a heart of abundance, or a heart of scarcity? Do you find that you have to hold back, thinking that you must save for a rainy day?  Do you give out of the expectation that you will receive equal to the amount that you give? Why do you give at all? Do you give enough to your neighbors, to your church, or to your government? How do you calculate when enough is enough?  How do you answer the questions of others who believe you are wasting your money and your time?

A simple story of giving – but it carries so much more.

Pastor Dave