From Poverty
Our scripture reading this morning has me thinking about something that, as a pastor, as someone who sought an education in the seminary, who studied language, history, philosophy, and theology, who makes a living in the abstraction of words... our scripture reading has me thinking about something that I really hate to think about.
It has me thinking about math.
It has me thinking about the percentages of our lives. The fractions of what we give to who. The proportions of our gifts, the divisions of our resources, the dimensions of our faith.
Because there are some parts of our faith, then when it comes down to it, we do have to crunch the numbers.
What is a tithe?
Traditionally it's 10% of our income. The first 10%. Before we give anything else, before we do our grocery shopping, before we pay our taxes, before anything else – 10% is our first fruits offering to God. That's not to say that everyone gives 10%, most people don't, but that's the number we've all heard. That one-tenth is the fraction that we've all grown up with, even if it's maybe sometimes more aspirational than actual.
Towards the end of our gospel reading this morning, we see several people bringing their gifts to the temple. And it says that Jesus saw several rich people giving large sums.
They're not bad people for giving large sums. They very well could have been very learned and devout men, men who knew the scriptures, and knew the instructions on giving their first fruits. They might have even been giving their full one-tenth. We don't know, it just says “Many rich people put in large sums.”
Those people probably had accountants. They had bookkeepers. They probably knew down to the penny how much their tithe would be. They would have sat down with their finance guys and they would have done the math.
And good for them. Jesus doesn't fault them, he doesn't blame them, he doesn't seem to have too much of a problem with what they're doing.
But he sees a poor woman – a widow – come to the temple. And she puts her last two copper coins into the treasury. And this sparks Jesus's praise.
Because for her, the math is easy.
She's not calculating her 10%. She's not worried about how this will affect her taxes. She's not at all concerned with the details of recording charitable contributions on her balance sheet. She gives 100% of everything she has. Everything she had to live on. Not one-tenth, but all ten of her tenths, she gives.
And this appeals to me, not just because I like it when the math is easy, but because Jesus's lesson on generosity here is applicable to our entire life of faith. Not just stewardship. Not just the money we give.
But to every part of our life where we are experiencing poverty.
Are you feeling a poverty of forgiveness? Find that person you owe an apology to, and ask for forgiveness. Tell them you're sorry and ask how you can make amends. Or offer forgiveness to someone who may have wronged you.
Is there a poverty of kindness in your life? You can begin that good and generous Kingdom work by being kind; being understanding of others' situations, and offering words in friendship, not anger.
Do you have a spiritual poverty? Even the busiest among us can still take a few minutes in our day to pray. To put ourselves before God and share our worries, our joys, and our fears. Those few minutes can make all the difference between having a bad day and a great day.
What about physical poverty? I don't want to assume anything about anyone, but I get the sense that most of us in the room know where our next meal is coming from. But that doesn't mean we have everything we want, or even everything we need. And yet we are still called, all of us, to give of what we have.
We may have more than just money to give. Jesus praises the widow this morning for giving of everything she had. In her case, yes, it was her last two coppers. But everything also includes time, talent, compassion, energy.
What Jesus is talking about in the Gospel of Mark here, is that however you experience your faith, whatever God's calling is in your life, live into that call as fully and completely as you can. Half-measures aren't going to cut it. God's not going to be impressed with any of us going through the motions. There's no such thing as a part-time Christian. God wants you in – all the way in.
This is not a call for us to run ourselves ragged. Or ignore our own needs. None of this overrides God's command for us to Sabbath and to take care of ourselves.
This is to say that God's calling in our lives is always present. And that sometimes he might need us to make certain gifts, show goodness to certain people, take on certain tasks, and share certain talents. And when those times come – and they have already for each of us, and they will come again – that we listen, we respond, and we be willing to jump in with everything we have, whatever we have, 100%. Amen.
Let us pray.
Glorious and gracious God,
You invite us into partnership in your Kingdom. You have blessed all of us mightily with different gifts and resources. Yet whether we have much or little to share, you ask the same thing from all of us – you ask everything. Help us to answer your calling in our lives to our fullest ability, living lives of total faith in you. Through your Son, Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.
Our scripture reading this morning has me thinking about something that, as a pastor, as someone who sought an education in the seminary, who studied language, history, philosophy, and theology, who makes a living in the abstraction of words... our scripture reading has me thinking about something that I really hate to think about.
It has me thinking about math.
It has me thinking about the percentages of our lives. The fractions of what we give to who. The proportions of our gifts, the divisions of our resources, the dimensions of our faith.
Because there are some parts of our faith, then when it comes down to it, we do have to crunch the numbers.
What is a tithe?
Traditionally it's 10% of our income. The first 10%. Before we give anything else, before we do our grocery shopping, before we pay our taxes, before anything else – 10% is our first fruits offering to God. That's not to say that everyone gives 10%, most people don't, but that's the number we've all heard. That one-tenth is the fraction that we've all grown up with, even if it's maybe sometimes more aspirational than actual.
Towards the end of our gospel reading this morning, we see several people bringing their gifts to the temple. And it says that Jesus saw several rich people giving large sums.
They're not bad people for giving large sums. They very well could have been very learned and devout men, men who knew the scriptures, and knew the instructions on giving their first fruits. They might have even been giving their full one-tenth. We don't know, it just says “Many rich people put in large sums.”
Those people probably had accountants. They had bookkeepers. They probably knew down to the penny how much their tithe would be. They would have sat down with their finance guys and they would have done the math.
And good for them. Jesus doesn't fault them, he doesn't blame them, he doesn't seem to have too much of a problem with what they're doing.
But he sees a poor woman – a widow – come to the temple. And she puts her last two copper coins into the treasury. And this sparks Jesus's praise.
Because for her, the math is easy.
She's not calculating her 10%. She's not worried about how this will affect her taxes. She's not at all concerned with the details of recording charitable contributions on her balance sheet. She gives 100% of everything she has. Everything she had to live on. Not one-tenth, but all ten of her tenths, she gives.
And this appeals to me, not just because I like it when the math is easy, but because Jesus's lesson on generosity here is applicable to our entire life of faith. Not just stewardship. Not just the money we give.
But to every part of our life where we are experiencing poverty.
Are you feeling a poverty of forgiveness? Find that person you owe an apology to, and ask for forgiveness. Tell them you're sorry and ask how you can make amends. Or offer forgiveness to someone who may have wronged you.
Is there a poverty of kindness in your life? You can begin that good and generous Kingdom work by being kind; being understanding of others' situations, and offering words in friendship, not anger.
Do you have a spiritual poverty? Even the busiest among us can still take a few minutes in our day to pray. To put ourselves before God and share our worries, our joys, and our fears. Those few minutes can make all the difference between having a bad day and a great day.
What about physical poverty? I don't want to assume anything about anyone, but I get the sense that most of us in the room know where our next meal is coming from. But that doesn't mean we have everything we want, or even everything we need. And yet we are still called, all of us, to give of what we have.
We may have more than just money to give. Jesus praises the widow this morning for giving of everything she had. In her case, yes, it was her last two coppers. But everything also includes time, talent, compassion, energy.
What Jesus is talking about in the Gospel of Mark here, is that however you experience your faith, whatever God's calling is in your life, live into that call as fully and completely as you can. Half-measures aren't going to cut it. God's not going to be impressed with any of us going through the motions. There's no such thing as a part-time Christian. God wants you in – all the way in.
This is not a call for us to run ourselves ragged. Or ignore our own needs. None of this overrides God's command for us to Sabbath and to take care of ourselves.
This is to say that God's calling in our lives is always present. And that sometimes he might need us to make certain gifts, show goodness to certain people, take on certain tasks, and share certain talents. And when those times come – and they have already for each of us, and they will come again – that we listen, we respond, and we be willing to jump in with everything we have, whatever we have, 100%. Amen.
Let us pray.
Glorious and gracious God,
You invite us into partnership in your Kingdom. You have blessed all of us mightily with different gifts and resources. Yet whether we have much or little to share, you ask the same thing from all of us – you ask everything. Help us to answer your calling in our lives to our fullest ability, living lives of total faith in you. Through your Son, Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.