Tag: giving

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Everything?

Posted on by William Douthwaite

Some “through the bible” thoughts from Mark 12.

And [Jesus] sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. And he called his disciples to him and said to 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 12:41-44)

This woman gave “all she had to live on” (12:44). Really? Why?

I get it. Jesus’s point? Her offering was huge. It was everything she had. It was a ridiculous sacrifice. God doesn’t require this. He never asks for this. He doesn’t love her more because of her offering.

So what’s going on here? Who gives everything they have to God? Or to anyone else?

I might do that in a moment. I may have five bucks in my pocket. I’ll give that away. Does that count? It’s not everything I have. I’ve got more in the bank. I can always resupply my cash at the ATM.

At what point would giving everything be a virtue? What about your responsibilities to feeding your family, mortgage payments, credit card payments, insurance premiums, utility bills, taxes, pets, cell phone carrier, prescription medications, gas for the car, semi-annual air conditioner maintenance, doctor co-pays, haircuts, and Chick-fil-A?

God never asks for everything. He requires ten percent in the Old Testament. Sacrifices might have been one bull, one lamb, two pigeons, or some other prescribed offering. Something substantial, but never your whole portfolio.

This woman’s gift put the rich people’s contributions to shame. Fair enough. Is that what we aspire to, or is that simply a lesson in humility? Only one gave up everything, even his life for us. Jesus did that so we would be free from any obligations to God. How great is that?

Posted in memories, Stories

We made a friend

Posted on by William Douthwaite

“Where are we going?” my son asked.

“We’re going to deliver a gift.”

I saw our neighbor drive off. This was our chance. We looked both ways, hurried across the street, and left the brightly wrapped box on the doorstep. Who knew how much time we had? We hurried back home like nothing ever happened.

We knew we were taking a big risk. No one, absolutely no one dared step into this man’s yard, much less approach his door. If your ball rolled up on his lawn, you just left it there. If you were playing in the street and saw his front door open, you ran home. We didn’t even know his name, but we feared him nonetheless.

“We’re going to deliver a gift.” A Christmas ornament and cookies. Guaranteed to thaw a soul, right? At least we tried.

Every neighborhood has one. The one you fear. The one you avoid. The one you taunt. The one you watch from a distance. Where I grew up it was Old Man Somebody.” We didn’t know his name. We didn’t know anything about him. But we perpetuated the legend of the grouchiest, grumpiest, craziest elderly neighbor you could imagine. We would try to taunt him by shouting, “Hey, old man!” and running away. For some reason, when you are eight years old this is great fun. I never even saw the man, yet I was deathly afraid of him.

We got a thank you note. We got a thank you note from Mr. Critchfield, our across-the-street neighbor. From that moment on he waved when we were coming or going. He smiled when he saw us. We smiled at him.

We made a friend.