Pastor Tom Johnson, November 8, 2015
Jesus thinks it’s absurd for religious leaders to parade around in their clerical garb while shopping for groceries. He’s disgusted by clergy who sit at expensive banquet tables which are paid for by poor widows. He has very little patience for repetitive, performance-oriented, public prayers. And then after he complains about those things, Jesus takes a seat where he can watch people putting their money into the offering box. How would you feel if Jesus peered over your shoulder in the pew behind you as you wrote your check out to First Saint Paul Lutheran Church? Or, while sitting next to you, took a hard look into the offering basket after you passed it to him?
Ancient accounts describe 13 offering boxes in the temple. These boxes as had funnel-shaped openings that would make a melody of music as gold, silver, bronze, and copper coins would pour in. If you could not see bags and handfuls of money, you could clearly hear them—the crashing, clinging, clanging, and ringing of coins. The day Jesus was watching people bring in their offerings, there was a lot of noise—the sort of racket those machines make at the grocery store when somebody puts a bucket of change. A wealthy person might employ the help of a donkey and servants to help carry large amounts of money—not just an individual but an entourage—the offering box crowded and noisy when the rich gave their offerings. There were no checks, paper money, or online donations to keep things quiet and discrete. After the spectacle, noise, and activity of the rich, a poor widow comes in. She is quiet, discrete, and alone. She doesn’t need a bag for her coins. She does not need a young, strong arm or a beast of burden to carry the weight. She carries two small, copper coins. She drops them into the offering box—tink, tink—and away she walks—unnoticed by most—but not unnoticed by Jesus. Two small, copper coins is irrelevant to the temple treasury—but not irrelevant to Jesus.
What we see does not tell the whole story—appearances can be deceiving. He says, “This poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box.” What an outrageous claim! Not only are her two small copper coins more than one of those wealthy individuals, it is more than all those combined. This widow, Jesus says, gave “out of her poverty...[she] put in everything she had, all she had to live on.” And that’s all part of the absurdity and outrageousness of Jesus’ words—how could a person live off two pennies?If I see a nickel or a dime, I may bend over and pick it up—but two small copper coins are barely worth me bending over. Even 35 years ago, two pennies would only buy two small, square pieces of gum out of a gum machine. My mom and dad talk about going to a movie in the 1930’s for a nickel—but nothing for two pennies. Even two thousand years ago, two small copper coins would not pay for her rent. It would not buy her a new coat. It would not even buy her a good meal. She had virtually nothing—but of what she did have, she gave 100%. It’s outrageous. It would be like one of our seniors receiving their social security check in the mail, turning it over, and writing, “Pay to the order of First Saint Paul Lutheran Church” and then putting in the offering plate. That is self-sacrifice in its truest sense and something I would not encourage our seniors to do.
Our hearts goes out to the poor widow—hoping that she had faithful children to care for her—or a community to provide for her needs. But Jesus does not seem worried. Jesus praises her. God receives from the woman what He wants. And what he wants is not her money—or our money for that matter. God doesn’t need our money. It is already his! “The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it” (Ps. 24:1). We can conclude from this account that what God wants is proportional giving—to give our time, talents, and treasure to God in proportion to what He has given for us. But God what wants is much more valuable than our proportional giving.
God wants is the widow herself. God wants you and me—he wins our minds, hearts, and souls—just as he won the heart of that widow—who could cheerfully gives all that she has—two small copper coins—because she knew that she was of precious worth to God. She is rich in faith, love, and thanksgiving. Like the widow, none of us are anonymous, nameless, small, copper coins in the eyes of God—we are his treasured possession. Like the widow, Jesus watches over our coming and going with love. Like the widow, he knows our whole story. Like the widow’s life and small gift, Jesus life and gift may appear to be as worth little more than two small copper coins. But it is through Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection that He has purchased our forgiveness and our eternal home. Like the widow before him, he gives all that he is and all that he has to us and for us—not with copper, gold or silver, but with his precious Blood.
A widow came with copper coins
And offered them in praise
They were the last she had to give
Or save for darker days.
When Jesus saw her costly gift
And knew she had no more,
He praised a love that spared not self
And called her rich, though poor.
At last He brought His offering
And laid it on a tree;
There gave Himself, His life, his love
For all humanity (Hymn: "The Temple Rang with Golden Coins")
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