Faithfulness

What does faithfulness look like? What does loving God with all that you have look like? What does it look like not to love money? I think this scene is proof of the existence of God and the worthiness of God! Who gives like this to a theory or possibility? NO ONE!

This will be a brief reflection on an observation I see. There’s so much that we could talk about like how we would have never known her struggle if she had only one coin. She didn’t even give one and keep the other for herself. But something equally amazing is how Jesus responded to her faithfulness.

Before I point it out, let me ask you what it looks like to live and give faithfully in this temporary world? I think this scene tells us how. Take notice of what followed this encounter: And as he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!” And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down” (Mk. 13:1-2).

This offering given by the widow was probably a freewill offering which was for the upkeep of the temple. But Jesus replied to his disciples that not one stone will be left upon another in the coming days. Do you think this widow would have given all she had to live on for a building that was about to be ransacked? Are you upset with Jesus for not telling her? Does it bother you that the leaders of her day were devouring her…probably taking what little money she had? Will Jesus not do anything?

Such is life in this broken world! But hope for another is very evident in this woman’s life! She trusted that the Lord would take care of her…gathering in the fields of others who trusted the Lord. She had to have known that anything that needed upkeeping was temporary. Her hope was in that which is eternal. This temple was merely a copy and shadow of the heavenly Temple!

She gave all she had to a soon-to-be pile of rubble? Nah! She gave to the Lord! She loved the Lord! And it caught the eye of Jesus! What evidence of faith! What a picture of faithfulness. I want to be like her! I want to be like Jesus!