MARK 12:38-44 GOSPEL READING AND REFLECTION (June 6, 2020)

MARK 12:38-44 GOSPEL READING AND REFLECTION (June 6, 2020)

 

As he was teaching, he also said to them, “ Beware of those teachers of the law, who enjoy walking around in the long robes and being greeted in the market place; and who likes to occupy reserved seats in the synagogues; and the first places of feasts.  They even devour the widow’s and the orphan’s good’s while making a show of long prayers. How severe a sentence they will receive!”

 

Jesus sat down opposite the Temple treasury, and watched the people dropping money into the treasury box; and man rich people put in large offerings. But the poor widow also came and dropped in two small coins.

 

Then, Jesus called his disciples, and said to them, “Truly I say to you, the poor widow put in more than all those who gave offerings. For all of them gave from their plenty; but she gave from her poverty, and put in everything she had, her very living.”

 

POINT OF REFLECTION

 

Life looks forward nothing but investment. When one dares into investment, he is not expecting less in return instead greater than anybody doing the same kind of investment. There are the two kinds of investment for life, the short range investment and the long range investment. Short range investment for life is a kind of investment goaled only till this temporal life. While the long range investment is a kind of investment that impact life not only to this world alone but into another world after temporal death.

 

Life after temporal world seems hypothetical to those who does not know and believe Jesus as the savior and the  key figure of resurrection. If one do not believed Jesus, their mentality would be the same as that of  the mentality of the Sadducees  who believe that  life is all in this planet earth. Their investment was limited only to the life on earth in accordance to their traditions, practices, and beliefs.

 

My dear brothers and sisters, the real and most meaningful investment of greater return is the long range investment. The very nature of this investment is the teaching of the gospel, MARK 12:38-44,  “Truly I say to you, the poor widow put in more than all those who gave offerings. For all of them gave from their plenty; but she gave from her poverty, and put in everything she had, her very living.” Jesus teaches us to value less in this life and value more unto the life with the Father.

 

Putting into donation boxes all for the promotion of God’s kingdom and His people, is a long range investment. This is not only about money resources but includes primarily our investment for our faith, for our prayer, for our spiritual life.  Jesus reminded us to invest like the widow did in the Bible. That is giving from our poverty not giving from our plenty.  Truly God’s ways is not man’s ways for usually, we only give from our plenty.

 

We might also come to think by how much we are to give? The answer is “the widow put in everything she had, her very living.”  By saying this, God is telling us to invest our everything unto Him or at the very least  give from  you until it hurts.

 

In conclusion, God requires Christians to invest in faith,   prayer, spiritual growth, and if possible giving our all, or at the very least giving from our poverty until it really hurts.