This poor widow has put in more ...

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Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. And he said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”

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I am not sure that I can even begin to understand the level of giving of this widow. In truth, people in America know little of the poverty of third world countries. Most of us are rich in comparison to people who drink contaminated water and die of treatable diseases. Yet we who are, in comparison, rich know very little about what it means to be generous. Even so, there is a lesson in this story that speaks to each of us of the true nature of wealth and poverty.

This poor woman was rich beyond measure in the kingdom of God for she understood the idea that real philanthropy is that which is given out of our poverty and not our excess or wealth. God has never been interested in our left overs and has never been impressed with gifts that cost us nothing. God's kind of love always costs because it is sacrificial in nature and when we give out of our need we begin to understand what it means to live and to give in love.

Lord, I repent of selfish and self-centered attitudes. Help me to be a generous person.

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