Luke 21:1 He looked up and saw rich people putting their gifts into the treasury; 2 he also saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. 3 He said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them; 4 for all of them have contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on.”

This can be a confusing text, but it also clarifies what is considered valuable in God’s Kingdom. Looking at people putting money into the treasury offering, it would have been obvious the wealthy were putting in larger sums than the poor widow. But then Jesus reinterprets the scene through the lenses of the Kingdom of God, which turns things upside down:

“…for all of them have contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on.”

The currency of God’s Kingdom isn’t money, but faith. It is faith that moves mountains, not material resources. By putting in all she had, the poor widow demonstrated tremendous faith in God’s provision. She literally committed her life into the hands of God in that moment as there was no social safety net in that time and place.

Tithing (giving the first 10% or more of income to God) is a long-standing practice in our household, as I expect it is in many of your households. And at one time that was a major leap of faith for us, but now – not so much. Over the years we have adjusted our household earning/spending patterns to accommodate our giving practices. As such, our literal well-being is not at risk.

The passage this morning has me wondering what it would look like to, once again, take a radical step of faith in giving. Or perhaps embrace a radical faith step that involves something other than giving, something that places my life and trust in the Lord in a more direct way. Lord, give me eyes to see and ears to hear when you might invite me into a place of greater trust in you, especially for provision. Amen.