***
Gospel:
When Jesus looked up he saw some wealthy people
putting their offerings into the treasury
and he noticed a poor widow putting in two small coins.
He said, “I tell you truly,
this poor widow put in more than all the rest;
for those others have all made offerings from their surplus wealth,
but she, from her poverty, has offered her whole livelihood.”
***
***
On the surface, I’m sure we’re all thankful we’re not poor like this widow.
Imagine her stomach growling with hunger, her bones aching with age, her clothes reeking of dust. As she drops her final two coins into the “weekly collection,” her savings slip to zero.
She is bitterly poor, truly on the fringe of society. It’s easy to think, “Thank God that isn’t me.”
***
But the truth is we’re all poor like this widow. Though our clothes may not reek of dust, there’s one thing we all wish we had a little more of.
***
Time.
***
Time is like sand. We cannot count the grains – the minutes – we have left. But it slips through our fingers, nonetheless.
And we don’t know we’re out of it…until we’re out.
Over the next few weeks, in particular, we’ll be pressed for time as we prepare for the holidays – writing cards, shopping online, making phone calls, and so on, which is why we must be intentional about setting aside time for the Lord.
How much time do I already spend in prayer? And how much more can I give to the Lord this Advent season, beginning on Sunday?
***
“Truly, this poor widow put in more than all the rest…she, from her poverty, has offered her whole livelihood,” Jesus says.
Like this widow, may we give the Lord everything we have – not only our dollars and cents, but also our time, something that can never be replaced.
***
