The rich and privileged men stood in front of the crowds consumed
of religious pretense, language and bluster as they came fully clothed in roles
and robes of significance. They looked to the side without turning their heads
or averting their eyes yet making sure people saw their slow hand movements as
they purposely let their bulky offering fall into the offering box.
The old nondescript woman in tattered clothes quickly
slipped the tiniest of coins in the offering box as well … blushing while
glancing around, trying to avoid the stares
of aversion and disdain.
The people admired and noticed the bulky shimmering robes
and the overflowing offering of the man as he proudly basked in their
admiration but disregarded both the gift and the woman who quickly exited the
temple.
Yet, the Savior saw the truth midst the pretense. The Savior saw the giving of nothing and the
gloating pride of the rich men and the delivery of everything by the poor woman. Thus the men, who gave nothing, received nothing
but the false admiration of the moment devoid of the presence and blessing of
God and the poor woman who truly released her heart found the richness of the abiding
of God in her life.
Some were fooled in
the days of the Savior and some are fooled today. Simply taken in and fooled by
those who make a spectacle of their faith.
Don’t be fooled by those that make a show of their position, their
wealth, their religious words and the trappings of their faith while they give
nothing to their God.
Instead see the truth
and substance or real faith in those that release everything as they deliver
their hearts to their Savior. The faith of the humble will always give a
richness of life to the humble through the blessing of God because the humble
look to Him for everything they need.
It is the opposite way with the pretending of the proud ... as a certain
emptiness will always remain in their faith because they desire what is
essentially devoid of truth and substance, as the God they claim to know is not
needed or really acknowledged and thus little comes their way from God.
And He said, “In truth
I say unto you that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all. For all these have of their abundance cast in
unto the offerings of God, but she of her penury hath cast in all the living
that she had.” (Luke 21:3-4, KJ21)
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