This is a matter of percentages, right? The rich gave 10 percent of their income, and the poor widow gave 100 percent of hers. That is true, but there is more. The gracious act of the poor widow has been told for 2,000 years and for 2,000 years she has been inspiring others to give.  I told this story once and a man gave the church an expensive bicycle to be passed on to a child at Christmas. I told it again and a man gave the church a check for $1,000.00.  I told it a third time, and a young couple who were about to buy a new Volvo, bought a used one and used the difference to start tithing. I have other stories, but these will suffice.  Now multiply my experience telling this story by the experience of all the other preachers who have told it in all the other times and places. The woman gave two cents, but she gave it from the depths of her being, and it opened a fountain of giving.

The passion hymn declares:

Jesus, what off’ ring shall I give
To you, the Lord of earth and skies? 
My soul and body now receive,
A holy, living sacrifice;
Small as it is, it’s all my store; 
more should you have, if I had more.

This is a trying time, not only for our families, and our church, but for our community, city, state, nation and world. Imagine that we will someday meet the poor widow. Suppose she ask us what we did during the pandemic to ease the suffering of others. How will we respond?

The Pastor