6 - Cash and Community Care

It is the Monday after the Sunday before. After the celebrations and drama of the triumphal entry, Jesus and the disciples are back in the temple (a brave move after yesterday's outburst). He is aware of what is to come later this week and so Jesus continues establishing the principles, the foundations, on which his Church would be built. He begins by warning the disciples to beware of the religious leaders who like to be seen in fine robes and to flaunt their influence and status. They use their wealth and status for selfish means and will be punished. Do not be like these people!

He turns their attention to the temple offering boxes and and he points out two contrasting types of offerings given; first by ‘the rich’ and then by a ‘poor widow’ – At that time and in that culture there weren't many opportunities for widows to earn money so any widow would be poor. She puts in two coins. That's all she has. She gives literally all that she had to live on. Her little gift is deemed by Jesus as more valuable than all the offerings by the rich put together. As she is bringing her gift to the temple she is trusting in God for her provision and her life. But at this time she is investing in a corrupted system. The religious leaders had abandoned their duties and were ‘exploiting the weak and helpless.’

This wasn't the plan. The Temple was meant to look after the poor. But money had gotten in the way. Expenses scandals and crooked deals meant the religious leaders weren't doing the job properly. Jesus wanted his followers to act differently. The early church ‘pooled their resources’ to make sure people were looked after and provided for. The new early church system would ensure widows giving their all to the Church would be suitably catered for in a way that the defective temple system couldn’t, or rather didn’t. Jesus’ teaching here is twofold; give offerings that are costly. Be like the widow and give everything. Hold nothing back and rely on God to provide and care for you. And secondly it is a lesson about community. Offering possessions and wealth up to God for use in his Church builds a wonderful and honouring community.

Yesterday Jesus was hailed as the king, the messiah. In his kingdom, where things are done his way, the poor and the needy are looked after. Actually, everyone is looked after.

Remind me... why don't we live like this?