Jesus provided for His mother (John 19:25-30)

Today's widow's story is all about the gift of provision. Again, notice it is all about generosity.

I had to ask myself, "Who would you trust to care for your mom?"

Hmmm. I am as protective over my mom as I am my kids. 

What blows my mind is that Jesus was suffering the most excruciating pain and every breath hurt much less talking. 

Yet, He made a plan for His mom. "John, here is your mother. Mother here is your son." 

Jesus trusted John. 

I also love the gift of presence in suffering. In this case Jesus' deathbed was a vertical beam of wood covered with His nail stained blood. The women and John were there because of love. Love is present no matter how bad the pain. 

Yeah, there are some very deep lessons in the widow stories. 

Who might you need to give the gift of presence in their pain? 

Have you pondered the care of your mom? Who might you trust? What might that look like?

It is important to be in the Word, to be with Jesus, to be transformed.

Shalom! Shalom!

The Generous Widow: The motive of giving (Luke 21:1-4)

I love that generosity is not based on the amount given, but on the heart behind the one giving it. Jesus never criticized the rich givers in this story, but He praised the poor widow. But we often imply that Jesus criticizes the rich because of Matthew 6:2, "Do not sound the trumpets like the hypocrits do so they have the glory of man."

See, the money boxes in the temple were in the women's court because they couldn't go any further in to the temple. It had to be there so all could give.

Most believe this story is about the freewill offering. This is when we give from the heart not what was commanded. It is for the glory of God. He first gave to us so we give to Him. 

According to the Mishna the treasurey boxes had a metal trumpet funnel on top so that when your money dropped, it could be heard by the noise it made. It would trumpet the clink of the coins hitting and then rolling in until they dropped. 

Have you ever used a coin funnel at a museum? It is so much fun to watch the coins roll their way down. They move faster as the funnel gets smaller and smaller until it drops. If made of metal they are very loud.

I had no idea this was a thing in the temple until today. 

Who made such a device and why? Oh my!

Literally, no one could give a free will offering that was not seen or heard! 

Yet, in Matthew 6 Jesus says, "do not sound the trumpet like the hypocrits do." I wonder if this is the point behind this parable?

Jesus challenges us further by saying to not let your right hand know what the left hand does. 

Hmmm. Yeah, well, I am not very good at keeping secrets from myself. How do I have right motives? Or when do I have right motives? Sometimes, I can talk myself out of giving because I worry about the motive. Eeck. Ugh. Now, that is bad, too.

God loves a cheerful giver (2 Cor. 9:7). I guess when I just focus on the joy of blessing, my motives get straight. It is no longer my motive. It is simply about blessing because I am blessed. This means my heart must be full of thanksgiving and gratitude.

Isn't it amazing how many life lessons God is teaching us through the widow's stories in the Bible!

Of course Jesus would use one of the least of these to humble us and help us grow. The amount she gave would have only been able to buy a few pieces of bread. 

Father, will You please teach us how to give with the right motives and yes to be willing to give out of our poverty and not just our wealth. 

I do wonder how this might change from person to person, LORD. I recognize our poverty can be so different as well as our wealth. These can come in time, talent, or treasure. Forgive us for wrong motives. Let us give out of the overflow of Jesus in us in whatever ways You may ask for Your glory and not our own. Thank you for all You have given us. In Jesus' name, amen

Will Jesus find faithfulness when He returns?

"When the Son of Man returns will He find people on earth who have faith? (LUKE 18:8)

Who needs to tap into faith more that a desperate widow?

Widows were and still are in many cultures forgotten or ignored simply because their need is great. In some cultures, women are treated as property. The culture is set up to honor the men and when the man is gone, the one whom the woman depended upon is no longer there to care for her. In some cultures, even today the property and even the children could be taken by the husband's family leaving the widow even in greater destitution. 

I love how Jesus used the persistent widow as an illustration of persistent prayer.

He wanted the disciples and yes, us, too, to understand that if an evil judge in his frustration would answer a widow in her persistent petitions how much more so for the loving Father who sees, knows, and hears. 

He is present.

He will answer.

This question caused me to ask, "So, what does faithfulness look like based on this story alone?" Oh my! If we could just honor this one parable.

Faithfulness is always in a conversation with God.

It is relentless. 

It is enduring.

It is honest.

Faithfulness trusts that God sees.

Faithfulness knows God hears.

Faithfulness knows God answers.

Faithfulness serves out of peace, love, and hope.

Faithfulness is confident assurance your need will be met.

Faithfulness is persistent to the point that it knows no season. It just IS!

The contrast to faithfulness is showing no respect to God. 

It is evil. 

The contrast to faithfulness is showing no respect to others and their needs.

What you do to the least of these, so you also do to me (Matthew 25:40).

The contrast to faithfulness is serving others out of frustration.

Not a want to, but a I have to so I can get what I want.

The contrast to faithfulness is serving others out of fear.

It asks, "How might they harm me if I don't give them what they want?" Rather than asking, "how can I bless to be a blessing?"

Have you ever been frustrated with a persistent request? Have you ever answered and given in because of fear or frustration?  

Yeah, me, too. Ugh. 

God wants us to live in holy expectation through a holy conversation while serving out of peace, love, and hope. 

It sounds so noble. I know you might be thinking, "Yeah, well, you may think you are so perfect and get it."  

Actually, not at all. None of us do. That is the whole point. God does not expect perfection from us, but a persistent pursuit of Him so that He can work in us and through us. Not to perfection, but into a relationship that is full of peace, love, and hope so we can know Him and trust Him as He is in the process of growing us.

He wants us to understand He has not forgotten us or our needs. He desires to be with us through them. 

So, let's talk to Him. 

Always praying. 

Always trusting Him.

Knowing He sees.

He hears.

He answers.

Father, please help us to be faithful! We love You! We seek You today! We give You praise for always being present, always seeing, always hearing, and always answering. Make is persistent in seeking You in all things for Your glory in us and through us! 

It is important to be in the Word, to be with Jesus, to be transformed! 

Shalom! Shalom!