Out of Our Poverty

For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on. (Mark 12:44 ESV) Today Jesus gives us an example of faith in the actions of a widow for the instruction of His saints both then and now. As we enter the close of the church year here at International Lutheran Church, we turn to God with thanks for all His blessings throughout this year as well as His guidance for the year to come. In fact, the lesson given to the disciples that day serves as a call to us all to respond to our Lord in faith.

In the reading from Mark’s gospel for today, we see Jesus continuing His teaching in the Temple as He warned His followers about the dangers of religious life as a pretense and a show to gain favor with others. To demonstrate this more clearly, Mark tells us how Jesus was watching the money box together with His disciples. He noticed something amazing as well as something worthy of our consideration that was probably missed by all. As many people dropped large amounts of money into the offering box, they also witnessed a poor widow with only two mites (small copper coins) put in all that she had to live on into the Temple treasury. One might look at this and think that it was only a small fraction of what the others gave. But in fact, Jesus notes how her gift was more than all the rest because, as He explained, she gave not out of her abundance but out of her poverty.

There are several ways for us to look at this. The first way is to see how our lives and even our offerings are a witness to others. What we do is seen by others. This can be a distraction from God’s grace with the emphasis on our action and sacrifice, or it can clearly point the way to His grace. We do this when we are like the widow whose sole dependence is on God, and through our faith in Him we inspire others to depend solely on Him. How we live and share our material blessings that God has graciously given to us with those right around us is an amazing opportunity to tell His story. The second way to look at this is to consider how God works throughout the biblical story. From the very beginning, God’s action to bring something from nothing demonstrates why we can put our faith and hope in Him. From Creation itself, and the creation of Abraham’s family, even to the inclusion of a Gentile widow in Elijah’s day who from a morsel of flour and an empty jug of oil God sustains her, her son, and His prophet for “many days.” (1 Kings 17:8-16). God is always drawing from nothingness, even our own poverty, to demonstrate His care and concern for us. Nowhere is this clearer than in the life and ministry of His One and Only Son, Jesus.

And this is the third way to consider what it means to reflect on how God works through our poverty. We see this in the witness and example of what Christ Himself does as He offers Himself completely to the Father’s will. Just as the widow put everything into the temple treasury, Jesus put everything into that eternal treasury from which we all benefit. He gave His all that we would be blessed beyond all measure and that our coffers would be overflowing with God’s grace and mercy. Not only this but we also share in this ministry of reconciliation with Him, this ministry of forgiveness, grace and mercy, not out of power or influence but only out of our poverty. Yes, as Luther remarked, we are “mere beggars,” and yet in our poverty we are His very vessels of charity and grace. In giving Himself completely to God on our behalf, you and I have been made precious instruments ourselves completely dedicated to Him. And so today we are admonished by His Word to turn away from the praise of those around us for our displays of piety and we are invited to serve our neighbor in love through faith.

As we celebrate today again what God has done for us in Jesus, we also commit ourselves to one another.  One practical way you can do this is to participate in our annual Operation Christmas Child through the Samaritan’s Purse. Please check out the booth in the Fellowship Hall in the coming weeks to support this special ministry. He who gave all He had invites us to live in Him through a life of active trust in Him with all we have.

Pastor Carl