Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.
Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”
Mark 12:41-44
I didn’t think that being unemployed would be one of the hardest parts about this process, but it has been. I thought a month off of work was going to be great preparation for launch with a lot of time for rest and relaxing before we head out. Four fundraisers, two vaccines, 4 road trips, 1 very large unexpected bill, and a bunch of meetings later…I am tired and we are broke. We have had to do odd jobs around town just to get gas money, and somehow we have to make enough money before we leave to have spending money on the race. I just gave a $10 tithe a few minutes ago and the thoughts of “Would God really miss this if we kept it?” were louder than ever. But then the widow came to mind, and the lesson Jesus was teaching about her.
Jesus isn’t impressed by amounts of money, He’s impressed by amounts of obedience. In Mark 10 we read about Jesus’ encounter with a rich man who wanted to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus told him the way into the Kingdom was to sell everything he had. The rich man was sad and walked away from His command. Jesus then told His disciples that it would be easier for a camel to walk through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of Heaven. Just two chapters later we see Jesus observing people giving in the temple and filtering the crowd through the same standards He laid out for the rich man. He wanted to see who was willing to lay down everything for God’s Kingdom.
The widow gave not because she had extra to give from, like the rich people, but rather she gave everything she had to live on because she was obedient to the Kingdom of God. I find myself standing in those widow’s shoes and wondering if she ever thought these same thoughts I am. Then the ripple effect comes to mind… Would it have been easier on her if she knew that her example of obedience would inspire people thousands of years later to follow her in her footsteps of faith? What kind of example can I set with my obedience and faith in the Kingdom of God? How many years down the road could that example have an impact for?
At training camp I was named team treasurer for our team of six. I have never done anything like this, but having been in student organizations and having two and a half years of managing a household under my belt, I know what makes a good treasurer and what makes a good budget (not that I am always the best at following it, but that’s a different topic). Going into this responsibility I want to have the obedience and faith of the widow and not the pride and boasting of the rich people. I want to do a good job for the kingdom of Heaven and lean on God’s wisdom and not my own so that I cannot boast in them. As we go through this hard season financially just to get to the race, I pray that the lessons learned will be turned into skills for my team’s benefit on the race. Skills that God will use to provide and manage us on the race with.
I hope you will be praying the same with me; and if you’re like me and struggle with having a giving heart sometimes, I hope that you are encouraged by this, and comforted in knowing you’re not alone.
