Articles
Spending Our Time Like Jesus and the Widow
If you could know the moment that you were going to die, would you want to know? If you chose to know, how would you spend the last week of your life? During Jesus’ last week on Earth, one of the things He did was sit in the temple and watch those who were giving their offering. Jesus saw one rich person after another giving huge sums of money, but then a widow walked up and gave two copper coins. Jesus gathered His disciples together to teach them about this woman’s contribution. Jesus told them, “’Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.’” (Mark 12:43-44 ESV)
Watching people put coins into a treasury box seems like a very unimportant thing to do during your last week of life. However, watching someone give everything they have is a profound experience in this life. No human being knows how much time they have on this Earth. Thus, every second of life is a blessing that God has granted us. To give our all in the service of God and others is to live out the meaning of John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. (ESV)”
Jesus exemplified this verse when He sacrificed Himself for our sake on the cross. As spiritual beings, Jesus gave His all for us to have a path back to our Heavenly home. Jesus uses the word friend in this verse as a way to represent that He had an intimate relationship with and gave His life for both God and all of His children. Likewise, we are supposed to do the same. God wants our whole heart to love Him, not just the love we can spare from the abundance He has given us. Jesus gave His all and during His last week on Earth He watched this widow monetarily do the same. Just like the widow, you as a child of God have the opportunity right now to give all you have to God. We are not promised more time than this present moment. Will you be like the widow and use your moment to serve God?
