When
I was preparing my message for today, I came across a story about a little boy
who went to church one Sunday morning to get out of the cold. He had been
trying to sell newspapers, but no one had passed by. He entered the church,
hoping to pass an hour unnoticed in the back row. The minister delivered a
powerful sermon about Jesus and his love for us. At one point during the
service, they took an offering.
One
of the ushers stopped right in front of the boy and held out the offering
plate. After a long pause, the boy asked the usher to put the plate on the
floor. Then the little boy did something unusual. He stepped into the offering
plate, first one foot and then the other. He slowly looked up and with tears
streaming down his cheeks said, “Mister, I don’t have any money. I haven’t sold
a single newspaper today, but if Jesus did all that the minister said he did
just for me, I will gladly give my life to Him”.
The
story of Ruth and Naomi and the Parable of the Widow’s Mite provide some very
interesting contrasts between the Christian’s way and society’s way. Both are
stories of how God uses the culture of Jesus’ time to do his will in our
society and teach us how we are supposed to care for each other.
In
Old Testament times, the Law of Moses stated that the poor, orphans and widows
were to be cared for, but in most cases the care that was provided was the bare
minimum that was required. For example, farmers who grew grain were to leave
the grain in the rows at the edges of their fields for the widows and orphans,
but that was it. The farmers did not have to take the grain to the widows, nor
did they have to bring the poor to their fields so they could pick the grain.
That
was what Ruth and Naomi were doing in the field. They were picking the grain
that was left for widows such as Naomi. Now Naomi had a big problem. Not only was she a widow, but both of her sons were
dead, so it was just Naomi and her daughter-in-law Ruth. Naomi was planning to
go back to her homeland, and Ruth was going to go with her, so Naomi decided to
play matchmaker by encouraging Ruth to “introduce” herself to her distant
relative Boaz, who happened to own the field that they were working in. Ruth
followed Naomi’s advice, and the result was that she and Boaz married and became
the parents of Obed, who became the father of Jesse, who became the father of
King David…and from that lineage of David came Jesus. God took a bad situation
for Naomi and used it to fulfill his purpose.
Jesus
later used another widow to fulfill his purpose-namely, to teach us the value
of giving to God’s work. The Parable of the Widow’s Mite took place in
Jerusalem during the week before Jesus’ crucifixion. Jesus taught his disciples
to beware of those who act pious and holy on the outside but who are evil and
corrupt on the inside. He used the example of the scribes. They wore long
flowing robes and enjoyed the privileges of their position. They enjoyed the
adoration they received from the ordinary people in the street, and they had
the best seats in the synagogues. They also used crooked schemes to force
widows out of their own homes.
Even
today, those in power sometimes lose compassion and take advantage of others,
including widows, orphans and the poor. They do not have a heart to love and
serve God. In fact, they often stand between us and God. In contrast, both
widows revealed faith in a caring God. He will not overlook them, and he does
not overlook us. The widows encourage us to hold on to our faith in a God who
will not disappoint us.
Jesus
always championed social justice, which means caring for the less fortunate in
society. He and the disciples were sitting in the area of the temple treasury.
The treasury contained thirteen trumpet-shaped chests where people could
deposit their gifts and the temple tax. Jesus could see how much money people
gave. He could see the large sums of money that the scribes and the wealthy
gave, and he could also see how much the widow gave. He used a comparison of
the gifts to illustrate their significance.
The
wealthy gave out of their abundance. That is, they gave out of what they had
left after they paid their bills and purchased the necessities of life,
including food. In contrast, the poor widow gave all that she had. By putting
all of her money into the temple treasury, the widow probably had to go without
food for at least one meal. In Jesus’ eyes, she gave more than all the rich
people simply because she gave everything to God.
Many
large donations are given at least in part because of the public relations
value. Jesus doesn’t condemn large gifts from wealthy people, but he does say
that the effect of the widow’s small donation is even bigger than any large
donation because she gave out of what she had. She put God first and she is a
good example for us to follow. We must always put God first.
God
gives us resources to use, including money. In return, we have to manage these
resources in God’s best interests-including caring for the poor. Let me give an
example from my own life. I am the treasurer for the local food bank. My duties
include receiving cash donations from people and recording them. I can’t get
into specifics because of confidentiality, but I can tell you that the
donations I see are a good example of the Parable of the Widow’s Mite. Some people
give more than others, which is understandable given different income levels,
but I can tell you that there are cases where the donations come from people
who do indeed give most if not all of what they have. In addition, my mother
and I also make separate donations to the food bank each month. These are also
sacrifices for us because of her fixed income as a senior citizen and my low
income from part-time work, but like the widow, we give out of all that we
have.
Love
and giving describe our lifestyles and what we were made for. Life is meant to
be lived outward to the world, not inward to ourselves. God has hardwired us
for generosity. When we live generously, it shows in our faces and in our
lives. People in the health care profession are a good example. They show
genuine care and compassion for their patients. They are not in the profession
just for show. They are in the profession because they care. They are not working just for the
paycheque. They are working here because they genuinely care for the residents,
and it shows in the way they do their work.
God
measures giving not by what we give, but by what we keep for ourselves. He
measures the gift by the sacrifice involved. That is why Jesus valued the
widow’s gift. She sacrificed her well-being in order to show her love for
God-just like Jesus showed his love for us by dying on the cross to save us. Ruth
also sacrificed her own plans for her life to stay with her mother-in-law, and
God rewarded her by making her the great-grandmother of King David. If Ruth,
the widow, Jesus and health care professionals can make sacrifices for
others, surely we can make sacrifices for others.
Bibliography
1. Matthew Henry concise Commentary. Part of Lessonmaker
8 Bible Software package.
2. Wycliffe Bible Commentary. Part of Lessonmaker 8 Bible
Software package.
3. ESV Study Bible. Part of Lessonmaker 8 Bible Software
package.
6. McKenna, D.L and Ogilvie, L.J., The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 25: Mark (Nashville, TN:
Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1982)
7. Jude Siciliano, O.P., “First Impressions, 32nd
Sunday (B)”. Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org
10. Micah D. Kiel, “Mark 12:38-44, Twenty-Fourth Sunday
after Pentecost, Year B”. Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org/preaching_print.aspx?commentary_id=1418
No comments:
Post a Comment