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Southeast Christian ChurchSoutheast Christian Church

Jan 17, 2023

Back in the times of Jesus, when people brought their offerings and dropped them into the bronze receptacles, their offering would create noise. People would give in such a way to draw attention and recognition to themselves. Their giving wasn't so much selfless as it was selfish. They would think: Can I give in a way that buys me some affection or buys me attention, respect, and recognition? They would give to cause a lot of noise and bring a lot of attention to themselves. But Jesus points out this one woman, and here's what we discover in this simple story: The noise that Heaven hears isn't necessarily very loud down here. The noise of generosity that gets the attention of Heaven may not be what we notice here on Earth.

At the very beginning of Luke 21, we read that Jesus is watching this woman give her offering. The translation of this word doesn't mean he glanced, he happened to notice, or just caught his attention. Instead, it means that Jesus was observing or paying attention. Jesus is watching as people come as they give their offerings outside the temple. Maybe that surprises you and you wonder why would Jesus even care. Yet, if you do a quick survey of the Gospels and you pay attention to what Jesus teaches, you recognize pretty quickly that Jesus seemed to care a lot about money. He talked about money more than prayer. He talked about it more than Heaven.

Why? Because money is consistently portrayed in Scripture as God's greatest competition. Money, possessions, and material goods promise to do for us what God alone can do for us. Money promises satisfaction, significance, identity, and peace. So, everything that God claims that he will do for us, money is saying that it can fulfill those promises. But it's a false God. It's an idol.

Discussion/Reflection Question: Which of money's false promises have you fallen victim to in the past?

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Taylan Jones January 17, 2023 2:15 PM

I have fallen victim to money will fill voids but only Jesus can fill voids

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