Dearest Members of Bethlehem,
“Then he called his disciples and said to them, ‘Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.’” -Luke 12:43-44
It would be easy to question the wisdom of the poor widow. It might not have been the best decision. Where would she get money to eat? Wasn’t she worried about a pending emergency, an occasion when she would need those extra funds? Obviously, I simply cannot answer those questions.
What we do know for sure is that Jesus was impressed by her. So much so in fact, that Christ was convinced that this faithful woman had something to teach the disciples, and by extension, us.
What’s the lesson? To some degree, I think there is something to be taken from her level of confidence. I do not mean to say that she naively trusted that more money would magically come her way, because she was “doing the right thing.” What I do mean to say is that the the poor widow was convinced that her contribution mattered. Otherwise, she would have likely never made that contribution.
There were those that were giving vast sums of money, some of those donors may have even expected that they would receive the respect, praise, and influence they assumed they had coming to them.
The only thing the poor widow expected was to make an impact in and through her contribution. She gave trusting that even her “two cents worth” would be of significance. And since, we’re still talking about her generosity, it clearly was significant.
And that is a serious source of encouragement… inevitably in this life of faith we end up asking important questions. By the grace of God one of the questions we should consistently ask is, “What kind of a difference can I make today?”
Remember, our expressions of faithfulness needn’t be grandiose displays, sometimes it’s the more subtle expressions of kindness and generosity that actually reshape the world. I think it’s fair to be confident, to trust, that even the little things can make the biggest difference. That’s just the way God has structured the world in which we live, move, and have our being.
Enjoy the privilege of being able to make your mark on the world.
Question for reflection: Can you remember and give thanks for a moment when a small gesture of kindness made a huge difference in your life?
This week at Bethlehem:
On Wednesday evening we will gather for another installment of Fit Church. Meet near the Latrobe Shelter (just around the corner from the Boat House) at 6:30.
On Saturday evening we will have worship at 6:00.
On Sunday morning we will offer worship at 8:00 and 9:30.
Yours in Christ,
Pastor Dan
Gracious God, remind each of us of the power inherent in every disciple of Jesus. We know that we are capable of doing good in this world, inspire us to do so confidently. We pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.
*Friends, please note, there will be no Tuesday Morning Tidings on Tuesday, July 26th.