Money Matters: Giving as Worship

by Marilynn Chadwick

I shared yesterday how my friend Angela challenged me with her sacrificial giving and great faith. She firmly believes the poor widow in Luke's story had seen God come through for her before (Luke 21:1-4). She had faith he would care for her again. But it was Angela's final comment that brought a new dimension to the power of the widow's gift. Angela said quietly, "For this woman, her gift is her worship. This story of the poor widow is all about worship."

No one else in Luke's accounts of Jesus's teachings did what the poor widow did—which was to give away "all she had to live on." The poor widow's offering, though meager, was remarkable when weighed against what she had. If her gift was truly her worship—as my friend Angela believes—then her offering to God stands as a silent but powerful rebuttal to the worship of power, prestige, and money, both then and now.

Luke's account of the widow's mite challenges us even today. We've seen how Luke speaks repeatedly of the "divine reversal" and points us to another kingdom—an eternal kingdom. He reminds us to beware of the false teaching and corrupt examples of the religious leaders and their oppressive treatment of the poor.

Jesus calls us as believers to refuse to follow their worship of money, status, and appearances. We're also called to "look up," as Jesus did (Luke 21:1). We are to look up and see the poor—who are often invisible to us—with new eyes.

Luke won't let us forget to speak up and to give generously. God's people have an ongoing responsibility to advocate on behalf of the poor. But let's reflect further on the poor widow's example. What can we learn from her?

Those who are most affluent sometimes criticize the poor for not "saving their money" or for sharing with others when they should "take care of themselves." Studies have consistently shown the poor give proportionately more of their income than the wealthy. Some believe the poor give more because they require less to be happy. "When you have just a little, you're thankful for what you have," said the pastor of a tithing, largely low-income congregation in Washington, D.C. "But with every step you take up the ladder of success, the money clouds your mind and gets you into a state of never being satisfied."

Let's be inspired by my friend Angela's generosity. Challenged to give sacrificially. To explore practical, "doable" ways to engage with the poor. It's easy to speak out about the injustice we see around us—much harder to take steps of action. Dare to pray about how you can become more generous. Move beyond the tithe? Simplify your lifestyle? Share your home through hospitality? A wise person once said, "You can't do everything, but you can do something." Even the smallest gift can make a big difference when you put it in God's hands.