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 woman 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.” Luke 21:1-4
A number of years ago one of our sons, who was about six years old at the time, spent a Saturday afternoon raking leaves for our neighbor. He received $5 for his efforts. After church the next day, he and I stopped at the “Pepper Valley Pantry” across from the East Campus to pick up a treat for the ride home. (That was one of our little “traditions” when the boys were young). His new-found wealth was burning a hole in his pocket – so he asked me, “Dad, can I buy something with my money?” I said, “Sure, bud, it’s your money.” A few minutes later he came back with a candy bar – which I expected – and one of those little paper flowers that come in the plastic tube. I said, “Why are you buying that?” He said, “I want to give it to Mom.” Then, for reasons that I still don’t fully understand, I said, “But that flower costs $2.99! You won’t have much left!”
Now, several questions come to mind as I recall that story! Like, “Why would I possibly want to discourage my son from giving a sweet paper flower to his Mom (my wife)?” Wouldn’t she assume that maybe I had put him up to it – and feel warm feelings toward me? What’s so bad about that? But the main question is, “What was it about my son’s spontaneous generosity that made me uncomfortable?”
The simplest answer, of course, is that money has a way of making me feel me comfortable, while giving it away (or spending it on paper flowers) makes me uncomfortable! We’ve spent the last six weeks or so talking about our “comfort zones” and how following Jesus often means stepping out of our comfort zones and into obedience, or service – or, in this case, generosity.
In this brief story, we see Jesus watching with great interest as people bring their gifts to the Temple. In that day giving was a kind of public event where people dropped their coins – many or few – into various offering receptacles stationed in the Court of Women. The sound the coins made indicated whether the gift was large or small. He watches as the affluent drop their large (and loud) gifts and the ensuing “ooohs and ahhhhs” from the crowd. He then notices a poor woman who drops what amounts to two pennies into the offering box. Perhaps he notices that several of his disciples smile or shake their heads at her pitiful gift. Then he turns
their assumptions about both money and generosity upside down when he says, “I tell you the truth, this poor woman has put in more than all the others.”
Jesus is trying to teach us that generosity is not defined by the amount of our gift – but by the condition of our hearts. He’s teaching us that true generosity begins in the heart and takes us beyond our comfort zone. Begin this week by asking several prayerful questions: What role does generosity play in your life? In your worship? When was the last time you were uncomfortably generous? Ask Jesus to open your heart to what he has to share with you this week!
Brian Coffey
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