Sunday, March 3 – Third Sunday In Lent

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 widow 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)

Jesus had been teaching the disciples that great displays of wealth and position did not reflect inner wealth. He saw rich people putting offerings into the collection plate in the temple. They were probably being very ostentatious about it, showing off their worldly treasures. His message to the disciples was that these gifts, though large, were nothing in comparison to that of the widow. She gave the largest gift: two pennies. Her’s was the largest because it was all she had – she sacrificed everything to give to the temple. For the rich, their offerings would not be missed; they had plenty more where that came from. The widow was probably looked down upon by the rich, maybe even pushed aside as they came to offer their gifts.

What is the point of this story from Jesus? To give up everything we have for the church? I think Jesus was telling the disciples, in the same way he told the rich young ruler who asked what he must do to be saved, that we have to be willing to give up everything to know God, the Light of our being. All the “things” we value are nothing in comparison with living a life in communion with God that reflects the Light of Christ into the world around us.

What are we willing to sacrifice? Are we willing to give up our attachment to all the possessions we think are so important?

Carole Kimmel