November 8, 2009
Pastor Caroline Satre

The Widow's Mite

Today's Gospel is a story called the "widow's mite;" it's a story about a woman giving a small amount, but it was everything she had.

How many of you really like this story? How many of you feel inspired and encouraged by this faithful woman?

How many of you really don't like this story and are preparing to tune out right about now?

Since most (some) of you did not raise your hand at all, I'll assume that you are either still weighing the options or will simply never raise your hand in church. :-)

I've said before that two people can hear the same story in entirely different ways. Of all the stories Jesus told, this one might be the most polarizing; it all depends on how you hear it. If you hear this story saying that God values every gift given with a pure heart and that every gift counts no matter how small it may seem... this is a beautiful story. If, however, you hear this story asking you to give until it hurts... it's probably not your favorite.

For those of you who fall into the latter category--that group of people who may already be planning your grocery list because you can't imagine me saying anything except "give until it hurts"-- I feel your pain.

At another church, I was part of a campaign to raise money for capital improvements. This church hired an outside agency to run the campaign. The professional sent by the agency to lead the campaign was named Ken.

At one of the smaller events that Ken led, he told a story about a single mother who scrimped on groceries in order to give to her church's capital campaign. The manner in which he told this story bothered me. I didn't feel uplifted or encouraged... and I definitely didn't feel inspired to do the same.

It's not that we can't talk about money in the church... I don't feel that way at all. Jesus talked about money more than any other single topic. Honestly, for a lot of people the hardest part of living one's faith is giving one's time and money... but according to the Scriptures that's very clearly part of following Jesus. If that's not what bothered me, what was it, then, that didn't feel right about Ken's 21st Century parable? Was I justified in my distaste... or was I only feeling convicted of my own tendency to hold back?

I don't know exactly... I only know that I don't think guilt is a great motivator in matters of faith. At least long-term, I really don't want people to give or believe or do much of anything out of guilt. Whether I was right or wrong, that's how I felt Ken was approaching it. Maybe those of you who are planning your own grocery list right now have heard today's story from that angle, too. It really does depend on how you hear it.

I've told you how an experience with Ken led me to hear today's story. Taking Ken out of the equation for a while, let me tell you another story. Let me tell you about Zuzana.

We met on Pentecost Sunday, June 11, 2000 after the dedication of Holy Spirit Lutheran Church in Nitra, Slovakia. Zuzana was in her 80's and very frail, but a woman of deep faith. For the past 50 years, Zuzana had lived a simple life. She tended a small garden to grow produce, milked a few cows, and raised a few pigs and chickens to provide meat for her family. I learned that Zuzana did this because she refused to support the communist controlled grocery stores. Instead, all the money she saved over the years by growing her own food was put in a box.

The congregation Zuzana treasured worshipped in an old, deteriorating church building. Large steel rods kept the cracked and warped walls from imploding. When religious freedom returned and the congregation decided to build a new church, Zuzana brought in the box with all the money she had saved over the years. She gave all that she had.

As I said, on the day that I met Zuzana the new church building was dedicated. By that time it was a good thing that a bit of partnership with the West had accelerated the building process, because Zuzana was not in good health. In fact, she came to the dedication by ambulance and was pushed in her wheelchair by a nurse. But she was there... singing and crying and celebrating this momentous day. A week later our group learned that Zuzana died two days after the dedication, and that hers was the first funeral held in the new church.

With that story in mind, what do you hear in today's Gospel? Does it change or confirm your perspective?

There are always two ways to look at something, and rather than begin to tune out when I hear the story of the widow's mite, I'd rather join the ranks of those of you who hear what I think Jesus intends for us to hear... .that the widow in today's story, like Zuzana, didn't give because she felt guilty... or because the church needed it (even though it did). She gave because she wanted to. She recognized that giving what she could was part of doing God's work with her hands. So when the time came, she walked forward... unashamed... alongside the people who gave much more than she did... because she knew that her gift counted. I imagine that gave her great joy.

Next week we have our annual opportunity to pledge our financial support to the work of God's church through this place. I know there are a lot of different reactions... different ways to hear what will be said. When the time comes, my hope and prayer is that you will all come forward... not grudgingly or out of guilt... not even because the church needs (even though it does)... but because you want to. Because you know that your gift really does matter... and that giving it is part of doing God's work with your hands. May that uplift and encourage and inspire you... and give you great joy.

Gracious God, you know us inside and out. You know the spirit in which we do things. Gracious God, where there is guilt, give us peace; where there is fear, give us comfort; where there is hardness of heart, give us another way to look at things; where there is a measure of hesitancy, inspire us to do your work with our hands, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

St. Paul's Lutheran Church § 824 N. Lewis § Waukegan IL