Putting Our Two Cents Worth In
Pastors Column
32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
November 11, 2012
A poor widow also came in and put in two small coins worth a few cents. Calling his disciples to himself, he said to them, Amen I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all the rest; for the others contributed from their surplus wealth,
but she put in all she had.
Mark 12:42-44
Between the courtyard of the women and of the men outside the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem was a passage called the beautiful gate. At this gate were 13 trumpet-shaped containers where temple visitors could throw in coins for various causes. These vessels, called trumpets were designed to make noise when a contribution was made to encourage others to do likewise. Perhaps part of the appeal of making a large donation was the hefty sound this made on the way down!
Not so with this poor widow. No doubt she very carefully placed these two small penniesall she hadin very carefully so as to not draw attention to her small donationbut Jesus noticed it! In fact, Jesus deliberately sat and watched the collection box! One conclusion we can draw from this is that while the Lord doesnt want us advertising our giving to others, the Lord himself pays attention to what we give him of our time and treasure. Here are some conclusions we can draw from this parable:
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· Jesus looks at the heart.
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· Jesus does not judge us by appearances as we tend to do.
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· Instead, he looks at our motives.
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· Jesus is impressed by humility and put off by pride and showy-ness.
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· Jesus loves the gifts we give him, especially the ones that others dont notice.
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· Jesus is attracted by our poverty.
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· Jesus is attracted by those who give everything they have.
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· Our offerings do not have to be perfect to be pleasing to God, as long as we are truly giving from our hearts.
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· A real gift to the Lord must somehow be sacrificial!
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· This was a very small gift in real terms, but for this woman it was a lot of money.
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· What do I give God in prayer, or money, or sacrifice? Is it just spare change? This is a woman who holds nothing back!
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· This is a woman who has a radical trust in God! And she is the richest one of all!
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· And isn't this a description of Jesus himself?
Father Gary