In Luke, remember the account of the woman who gave two pennies, contrasted with the account before of the “greater condemnation” that was to be for the scribes?
The scribes seem, almost, to be like the “popular” people. The people we want to be like.
Greetings in the marketplace, respect, nice places at the synagogue–are there ways that we value these worldly affirmations more than honoring God?
The scribes are obsessed with self honor. Not honoring God. In the name of honoring God, they honor themselves.
Yes, this is for us as Christians. In the name of honoring God, we honor ourselves. This is what receives the “greater condemnation.”
There is evil the world agrees is evil, like murder. But Jesus does not say evil like that is to get the greater condemnation, but rather the evil the world thinks is good!
Lesson: Don’t honor the world. Ever.
Now next there’s something about the poor widow who gave two pennies, in contrast to the many riches of the wealthy–(whom, I suspect, may have been giving so much to
show off).
She gave two pennies.
It doesn’t even seem like a lot to us now.
In fact, it must have been rather embarrassing to be giving only two pennies while everyone else had plenty of gold and jewels to give.
But she gave those pennies, and Jesus was more pleased with her gift than with the offerings of the wealthy.
Even if all you have is two pennies, it’s still valuable to God. The point is giving our all to him, even if our all is shamefully little.
The point is focusing on what God says is valuable–
–which is often not what the world says is valuable.
I think there’s probably a little bit of the scribes in all of us, the part that wants our own glory and pleasure at God’s expense.
God, however, would find value in all that we have: to know that our hearts belong to him and would give all that we have…
thoughts of a wanderer 