The Widow's Offering

Luke 21:1-4

As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. "I tell you the truth," he said, "this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on."

Now you can read this teaching and think "Wow, God wants me to give all my money to the church?" No. Although I'll bet you wouldn't have to look too hard to find some churches teaching that. The lesson here is more subtle.

Last night during my men's bible study, one man was telling how he and his wife are very different what it comes to reaching out to people. He's very open and outgoing, never met a stranger. He could talk to anyone, and wants to. His wife is more quite and reserved. She's not likely to make the first move in talking to someone and doing so would make her uncomfortable.

Now God has gifted him with the ability to reach out to people, her not so much. While he could talk to a dozen people about being a follower of Jesus, she's have to make a dedicated effort to talk to just one. So who do you think God sees as giving more? He is giving out of his wealth, but she's giving from her poverty.

This can teach each of us something. If you're the person of wealth in an area, like my friend, don't look down on those who don't do as much as you might. I'm very comfortable talking in front of others, but that doesn't mean God sees me as better than my wife who wouldn't talk on stage if her life depended on it.

If you're the person poor in an area, it means that you're not less valuable in God's eyes than the one who's "doing more." God knows who you are (He made you) and sees the effort and sacrifice you've put in by trying. That is worth more to Him than the one who does something with little effort.

In the end, we're all called to follow Christ. Some of those things may not come natural to us, but we're still to try. Some will be things that we're designed to do and we're to give it our all. Either way, we follow Jesus and know that whatever we do, big and small, is accepted and rewarded.