May 13, 2019

Appearances

As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.” – Luke 21:1-4

It’s all about appearances, isn’t it? We log on to Facebook and post all the pretty stuff, ignoring the heartaches and disappointments and failures. It’s the same at church. We clean ourselves up, paste on a smile and tell everyone how wonderful our lives are right now. We don’t mention the child that is lying and skipping school and hanging with the wrong crowd. We don’t talk about the possibility of a job layoff or our marital struggles. We don’t want people to know the ugliness of our lives.

Our churches, those buildings filled with people playing nice, aren’t always what they seem. There are squabbles and financial issues and politics galore. We smile warmly and greet visitors, praying they won’t feel the tension or be put off by the preacher’s message. We tell each other it’s all about Jesus but in our hearts we “know” it’s all about the numbers.

Studies show that people are staying away from churches at an alarming rate. We think it’s because we aren’t “nice” enough or “polished” enough. Maybe the true answer is that we aren’t real enough.

The widow Jesus spoke about gave all she could. Because of where the offering box was located, everyone knew how much she gave. Don’t you know that there were many who watched her and scoffed arrogantly at her meager offering? They judged her by their circumstances rather than taking a moment to look at her heart.

Jesus looks at your heart. He looks at mine too. He sees the flaws, the failures, the issues that linger just beneath the surface. He draws us to Him and tells us to do the same with others. It’s what so many of our churches are missing. They focus on appearances but totally miss the heart.

November 12, 2018

How Do You Define Great?

Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others.” – Mark 12:43

How do you define great?  We hear a lot about it these days. That’s something our pastor pointed out yesterday. But, he also noted, great means different things to different people.

The dictionary says great is above average or normal. It can refer to a distinguished person. For example, you might think of someone as a great singer or a great writer.

So, let me ask you again: How do you define great? Is someone great if he has a lot of money? Is someone great if she is beautiful? Is someone great if they have power, prestige, an expensive car? Or is someone great who volunteers to help feed the poor? Is someone great who is kind to their neighbors or runs an outreach ministry?

Jesus came and turned the world upset down because He didn’t define great the way the world did back then. Jesus doesn’t define great the way most of us define great today.

Do you remember the scribes? They thought they were something else. Others did too, I suppose. Our pastor explained that they were like the college professors of the Bible. They were known for their intelligence. They had lots of invitations to dinner. People wanted to associate with them.

But intelligence can be one of those tricky characteristics. It can make you think you’re better than anyone else, Pastor Ryan Martin said. It’s also possible to be really, really smart when it comes to books and things and be really, really dumb when it comes to life and common sense. That’s from me, not the pastor.

In Mark 12, a scribe came over and asked Jesus a question. Jesus readily answered as to which of the commandments is the greatest. And the scribe? Well, he praised Jesus for giving the right answer. In my mind, I see a condescending scholar looking down on a student who answered correctly. Except this was the Messiah and the scribe was so wise that he missed Him.

Think too of the widow’s offering later in this chapter. Mark notes that many rich people threw in large amounts of money. How did that sound? Can you imagine the coins clinking as they were tossed in? Do you think people were impressed with the sound? With the amounts? Were they great because they were giving so much to the temple treasury?

Then came the poor widow. She put in two small coins. Contrast that with those who threw in large amounts. We did that yesterday in church. We listened as our pastor poured in a few large coins. Then each of us walked to the front and tossed in two pennies. It sure didn’t sound impressive when compared to the larger coins that had been tossed in.

But you know what? In Jesus’ world, that poor widow was the great one. It wasn’t the scribe who was known for being so smart. It wasn’t the rich folks who gave from their abundance. It was the widow who gave all that she had.

How do you define great? Think about it.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Death Leaves Shattered Dreams

“He will remove all their sorrows, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. For the old world and its evils are gone forever.” -- Revelation 21:4

He went to lunch. The same thing he did every day he worked. Only this day he didn’t come back. His co-workers began to notice his absence. They got worried. They tried his cell phone but got no answer. Finally a supervisor called the hospital and found him.

His young wife sat there alone. He was dead. Just that fast. All their hopes and dreams shattered in a split second. His life on earth ended at age 23. She is now a 20-year-old widow. We know it can happen. We just never expect it to happen to someone we know.

I first met this young man several years ago when he began his job. He started at the bottom but he was never at the bottom of his supervisor’s radar. He was smart and he had a particular aptitude for engines and mechanics. He got promoted rather quickly. His supervisor started sending him to special schools. Yeah. He had a bright future working for people who valued his abilities.

He was a favorite among his co-workers. He had a quick laugh. His eyes would twinkle and he’d shake his head, a grin spread from ear to ear. He’d snag a soda or donut, look around to see if anyone noticed, then laugh about it as he leisurely strolled back to the shop.

He told me once that his mother was determined that all her children would attend college. He was just as determined that he would not. He was smart enough. He just wasn’t interested and considered college a waste of money for someone who would never use a degree.

He loved all things mechanical. He had a knack for engines -- cars, trucks, motorcycles. He loved to tinker with them and always had. That’s what he told me. He knew what he wanted to do and was determined to make his dream come true.

If he’d just left that motorcycle alone. He’d only had it a week. He usually drove a deep red Mercury that he’d spiffed up in his customary style. But not that day. Not that lunch. Not in that moment when it mattered.

So now family and friends will gather around his wife and his mother. They’ll mourn and rejoice, all at the same time. Because he’s gone home and doing just fine but they’re still here and face endless days and nights without him by their side.