If I take this step of obedience and give the little time, energy, money or material possession that God is calling me to give, will He take care of my needs? Can I trust him to come through for me? Have you ever asked yourself this question? The answer to this is a 100% ‘yes’, but you will only discover it in the process of stepping out in obedience, not in thinking about it.
Mark 12:38-44
She from her poverty has contributed all that she had. (Mark 12:44)
It is said that behind every great man, there is a great woman. Although Jesus was more than just a great man, the Gospels are filled with examples of how he too found solace, strength, and encouragement from women of deep faith.
Martha’s sister, Mary, kept him company in the face of strong cultural pressure to keep busy in the kitchen. She later anointed him in a beautiful act of faith that refreshed his weary heart.
A woman suffering from chronic hemorrhaging had such deep faith that she drew healing power from Jesus – as well as his assurance of salvation. There’s also the Syrophoenician woman whose humble tenacity inspired him and Mary Magdalene, whose devotion and gratitude manifested itself in financial support and in the courage to visit his tomb when everyone else remained behind closed doors.
The poor widow in today’s Gospel reading also belongs in this company of heroic, faith-filled women. Many rich people were giving large sums into the very public treasury receptacles in the Temple, but it was her paltry gift of just a few cents that drew Jesus’ admiration. It was all she had to live on, and yet she freely donated it to support this grand house of worship. In making this offering, she entrusted herself completely to God.
Watching this act of abandonment affected Jesus deeply enough for him to point her out to his disciples. Perhaps it moved him so much because he himself was standing on the precipice of his own final and complete offering to God: the cross. Perhaps, after a long day of discouraging disputes with Pharisees, scribes, and Sadducees, he found great comfort in the woman’s simple act of faith. Whatever the cause, this widow ministered to Jesus!
You too can minister to Jesus by your trust in God. You can bring joy to his heart by showing him courageous love today. Make it a point to give from your substance and not just your surplus, as you respond to God’s call to give of yourself to His Kingdom today. Go out on a limb if need be, trusting that he will meet your needs. Engage your heart of love for God when you pray, and look for a new way God might be calling you to step out in faith as you face the day. It will be adventure in faith, but you can be sure that you can never out-give God.
“Jesus, you once said that you had nowhere to lay your head. Here I am, Lord; let my heart become a resting place for you.”
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