For God’s Sake, Think! – The Widow’s Two Coins

"Hermeneutics” is a fancy word to describe the process by which someone interprets the Bible. Every so often I blog about contexts behind certain biblical passages so that we can better understand God’s Word. I invite you to think critically about what the biblical writers are trying to communicate as I explain a passage’s background material.

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Luke 21:1-4

¹ As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. ² He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. ³ “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. ⁴ All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”

It has been many a time when a Christian organization has used the passage from Luke 21:1-4 to try to convince me to give to their cause. Jesus praised the widow for giving all that she had to the temple treasury, so shouldn’t you follow her example and give all you have to [insert organization]? While I certainly do think that giving is to be encouraged, I am very convinced that using this passage in such a way is unfaithful to its context. It is built upon a dangerous misunderstanding of the passage, resulting in spiritual manipulation (see 2 Cor. 9:7).

Part of the reason why a temple treasury was even collected was so that money could be dispersed to the poor and distressed social classes (widows, orphans) in the Jewish society. Somehow, the temple treasury was no longer meeting this need… In this story, not only is a widow poor and down to her last two coins, but the temple leaders required her to give to the treasury! She was supposed to be the one receiving from the fund, not the one giving to the fund. The system was corrupt and unjustly taking advantage of the poor rather than aiding the poor.

When Jesus compares the widow to the rich, he was not commending her for giving more than the rich because she gave all she had. He was commenting that she, in her poverty, should not have been the one giving to the treasury! It is for this reason that Jesus next predicts the complete destruction of the temple (21:5-6). The entire social system of Israel was corrupt, including the religious system. It was thus going to be destroyed, along with all of its unjust practices.

Idealism - Good Thing?

"The need to perceive a deeper meaning for out lives is not just a midlife phenomenon. According to brain specialist Joseph Chilton Pierce, a brain spurt occurs in early adolescence related to the capacity for idealism. An adolescent's greatest developmental need is for adults whose model of a meaningful life encourages this idealism. If this capacity for idealism is not encouraged, the young person experiences profound frustration. Pierce suggests that our epidemic of teenage violence is a direct result of stunted brain growth and frustrated idealism caused by lack of meaning in the adult world that confuses them. When we move into adulthood without having discovered a deeper sense of meaning and purpose for our existence, our disillusionment can settle into a profound (and sometimes very subtle) cynicism and emotional detachment that are quite antithetical to the hope, passion and energy that are basic to our Christian faith."
- Barton, Sacred Rhythms - pg. 115

Does your life have meaning? Where do you find that meaning?

How are you modeling a meaningful life to those around you?

Salt Isn't Very Tasty...

The indoor soccer team I joined last night won our game 7-6. In many way, though, we lost.

It had been a while since I'd been in a un-Christian sports environment. Playing intermurals at my Christian undergrad was, in many ways, an illusion to the real world where players cuss and fight among each other, occasionally threatening the referee. I hadn't experienced this since I was in high school and assumed that guys would mature by the time they were this age. Apparently not. As discouraging and even saddening as it was, though, it was quite refreshing. It was like I was meant to be there.

Christians are called to be the salt of the earth (Matt. 5:13). This image of "salt" is often misunderstood. I've always been taught that Jesus was trying to make a statement about how Christians are supposed to "make the world taste better" by sprinkling their Christian-ize everywhere they go. If we're going to be completely honest, the Christian life is by no means "tasty." How is loving your enemies appealing? How about turning the other cheek? Such signs of "weakness" are in no ways attractive.
Before Christ ruined my life, I would consider actions such as retaliation and revenge very tasty. Perhaps even spicey.

Luke gives us a better idea about Jesus meant here:
Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, now can it be made salty again? It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out (14:34).
In first century Israel, salt was used to break up manure. It was thrown into nasty, smelly areas in order to decompose waste faster. This makes better sense with why Jesus parallels salt with light in Matthew 5:13-16. Both are symbols of how Christians are meant to expel evil from the world.

I think that too often we are hesitant to enter into dark, ugly and messy places because we are afraid that we will lose our "saltiness." We're fearful that the bad will influence us. Or perhaps we just use all of this as an excuse not to go outside of our comfortable Christian walls. Either way, regardless of whether we "save" ourselves by hiding or become too entangled with the world, we are going to become unsalty. Salt is only salty when it is used.

We are meant to be in the world, breaking apart spiritual strongholds, tearing down oppressive infrastructures, dethroning antichrists. When Jesus prayed for his followers, he asked that they would not be taken out of the world. He prayed that they would be protected from evil while serving in the world (John 17:15).

It was amazing what a few kind words at the game last night could do. A quick "thank you" was like water on a dry ground to the referee. I stuck out like a sore thumb because I didn't cuss out someone else who had "wronged" me. Salt is really salty when mixed in with very unsalty things.

I encourage you to dare to journey into messy places and share Christ by breaking something apart.

Blessed to Bless

Last night, just before going to bed, I reflected on all of the good things in my life and was moved to the point of tears. In just that day alone I had enjoyed the company of good friends, an energizing run outside amidst breathtaking nature, the technology that enables me to enjoy beauty, the supplies that permit me to create art in my own little studio, various devices that serve to entertain, soft chocolate chip cookies fresh from the oven, a loving husband who deeply cares for me...

I always feel very apprehensive about saying that all these wonderful things in my life that I have the pleasure of enjoying are because "God is good to me" or because "God has greatly blessed me." Don't get me wrong. I sincerely do believe that God is a GREAT God and that I am blessed beyond understanding. But saying these things makes me think about people who do not have access to beauty and wonderment and entertainment. People who do not even have access to food, clean water, or the leisure of wearing a new pair of clothes every day. If I say that all these good things in my life are a product of God's goodness, what does that mean in other people's contexts? That God is not as good to them? That God has not blessed them nearly as much as He as blessed me?

Where do we get the idea that "God will always provide?" What about that starving orphan living in Mongolia who dies before the age of 12? God didn't provide for him. Why should God provide the jobs we need here in the US, or the new washing machine to replace the one that just broke down, or the money to "live comfortably" when He doesn't provide for people who are desperately just trying to survive?

Why was I born in America, where I have been blessed my socks off?

I ask a lot of questions, ones that I'm not sure that there are any answers to. At the same time, I think that it's very important that I ask these questions.

For reason that we don't know, we have so much in our lives that have come to us by no merit of our own. Has God blessed us? Tremendously. Does that mean that He has chosen not to bless others? Perhaps it better means that God has chosen to bless others through our well being. Those He blesses are the instruments by which He strives to bless others.

God does not desire us to be tight-fisted people who hold on to all of our good things. May we extend our hands to others so that God can be known as a good God everywhere.

"Yet You are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel."
- Psalm 22:3

Every Action Has an Equal and Opposite Reaction

A few weeks ago I received a cute little fortune with my Chinese takeout:

"Do what you wish, as long as it does not harm anyone."

It's not much of a fortune, much less good advice. Yet, this seems to be this hedonistic philosophy behind much of our American lifestyle. A friend on Facebook recently posted a rant about how no one should tell her what to do because she is her own person and can do whatever she wanted.

Something I am still in the process of learning is that life isn't about you and what you want to do. I am not the most important person in this world, or even my own world. Every decision you make affects someone else.

Perhaps, then, others can tell you how to live.

Or Someone who knows it best.