Giving

This past Sunday, before the offering plate was passed, one of the men of the church gave a short meditation about giving. He read Mark 12: 41-44, the story of the poor widow who gave just two copper coins but Jesus said she gave more than anyone else because they gave out of her wealth and she, in poverty, gave all she had.

This bit of scripture always made me feel like a schmuck. I know I'm not the richest person in the world, but I'm definitely no where near being poor... no one in America is, really. So every time I read this I think to myself, "I'm a bad person. I'm not giving everything I have. I'm one of those rich pharisees."

And up to this past week, any time I've heard anyone else talk about or teach on this scripture they are all saying the same thing. What more can you do? What more can you give? Heck, I've used this scripture to teach that lesson.

But this past Sunday the guy who spoke at church read the scripture and said, "Every time I read this scripture it makes me feel good." And I was amazed. My jaw actually dropped. That was the first time I had EVER heard anyone say that about this passage. But he said, "Yeah, I mean, it reminds me that no matter how little money I have, I'll always have enough to give back to the Father what he has given to me."

I was flabbergasted. It's so simple, yet everyone seems to miss it. It's not about giving more, it's about giving everything you have. It's one of those things that I know, and I've heard it taught and taken the idea out of other scripture, but for some reason, never this Mark passage.

I was too busy feeling guilty about not giving more money to remember that God doesn't need that money. Yes, he can use it, but he doesn't need it. The giving is for me. It teaches me to be thankful for all I've been given. It is there to remind me that what I've been given isn't mine, it still belongs to God. Giving doesn't help God, it helps me.

So simple, even a schmuck can do it.