"Jesus said, 'I tell you truly, the poor widow put in more than all the rest, for those others have all made offerings from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has offered her whole livelihood.'"
Luke 21:1-4
One strange thing that struck me as I read this today was that Jesus didn't perform a miracle and "heal" this woman from her poverty, did he? We don't hear that, as a result of Jesus admiring her willingness to give, Jesus changes her station in life; her widowhood or her poverty. Strike one down for the "Prosperity Gospel!" Jesus admires her willingness to give all she had and that's all we hear about. Apparently, Jesus felt that this widow, somehow, had all she needed--all that really matters anyway. This widow has a heart for giving and that is much more important in the Big Picture than material wealth. Pray-As-You-Go emphasized with this reading that Jesus values all we do in our giving as well. We may feel we come up way short, and we possibly do, not giving so much from our livelihood as the poor widow. But if we know that anything we do for God and with God is so treasured by Jesus, we yearn to do more. Today, what can we give of our very selves? What can we do to share what is in our hearts with others? As we give of ourselves, we give our very livelihoods. Love, heidi
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