“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

“So they watched him and sent spies who pretended to be honest, in order to trap him by what he said, so as to hand him over to the jurisdiction and authority of the governor. ²¹ So they asked him, “Teacher, we know that you are right in what you say and teach, and you show deference to no one, but teach the way of God in accordance with truth. ²² Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?” ²³ But he perceived their craftiness and said to them, ²⁴ “Show me a denarius. Whose head and whose title does it bear?” They said, “The emperor’s.” ²⁵ He said to them, “Then give to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” ²⁶ And they were not able in the presence of the people to trap him by what he said; and being amazed by his answer, they became silent.” Luke 20:20-26

Give to the Emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to G-d the things that are G-d’s. Sounds easy, right? If you have lived at all, you know that it is much more difficult than that. When it comes to giving money, deciding how much to give or arguing against what is being asked for, giving can become problematic.    And the issue can go beyond money, because when our time or talent goes too much to one and too little to the other, then we can lose the balance that we need in our lives. Christ says that we are to strike a balance….but ultimately G-d’s claim on us should maintain its rightful place.

G-d’s claim on us, on our very lives, on all that we have, is what should drive our every action. But that…is…hard. To make every decision and to determine every action based on our relationship with Jesus is something we can strive for – but will always be more of a goal than an accomplishment. After all, Jesus came to save the sick, not only those who are well.

Pastor Dave