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October 14, 2003
He sat down opposite the treasury, and
watched the crowd putting money into the treasury. Many rich people
put in large sums. A poor widow came and put in two small copper
coins, which are worth a penny. Then he called his disciples and
said to them, "Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in
more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. For all
of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of
her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”
(NRSV)
Mark 12:41–44
Last summer, I was surprised by a generous donation to Partners
in Education. It was especially generous not because of the amount,
but because it came from a mother whose son receives a high school
scholarship through the PIE Tutoring Program. A faithful mom with
great kids, she had recently lost her job and had been volunteering
with PIE to cover her parent contribution. Yet there was her offering,
a generous and heartfelt gift to support our work in Cabrini-Green
and other corners of the urban landscape.
It reminded me of this widow, whose gift was equal to about a penny,
and yet Jesus took the opportunity to highlight her act of sacrificial
giving. He pointed out that while others had given out of abundance,
she had contributed all she had. Walter Brueggemann once noted that
a central problem of our lives is being torn apart by attraction
to the good news of God’s abundance and our underlying belief
in scarcity, which makes us “greedy, mean, and unneighborly.”
The amazing grace of faith enables us to take chances with our
time and talents. Today’s story is Mark’s last scene
in Jesus’ public ministry. The widow’s story probably
foreshadows Jesus’ sacrifice: the gift of life for us. This
is generosity that is impossible for anyone but Jesus. Yet it doesn’t
mean that we are not called to respond to God’s abundance
with our own. We are. To help us see the possibilities, we’re
introduced to the widow and the Tutoring mom who give generously
and challenge us to do the same.
God of abundance, help me to believe that you will provide for me
as I commit to you my time and talents to enable Fourth Church to
be a brighter light in the city of Chicago and around the world.
Amen. Written by Beth Truett, Executive
Director, Partners in Education
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