What does the Widow’s Offering really teach us?

mcarans · Dec 3, 2018

RaymondG said:
And it is a little puzzling that they have us click a link to read 3 paragraphs which could have easily been pasted into the OP.....maybe the message is concerning money and site hits.

I created the subreddit r/cruciformity and I post my articles there. I like to have one place to edit my posts and I don't have time to copy and paste to different forums taking into account the different ways url links are handled in reddit vs Facebook vs other forums like this.

JohnC2 · Dec 3, 2018

You know as I reflect on the opinions on this thread as well as the myriad of conflicting opinions in commentaries on this and other scriptures - I notice this.....

The only parables/teachings which have widespread acceptance of the one meaning are the parables and teachings which Jesus personally explained. The rest are all over the place. And this is not from “Fringe theologians”. These are well respected and credentialed fellows with good reputations that can present equally valid and compelling arguments out of the Bible for their cases.....

That should teach us something very important about our view of the certainty of our interpretation of scripture....

Halbhh · Dec 3, 2018

mcarans said:
I present some interpretations of the well known widow's offering story.

The well known passage seems to have a simple message - that the widow shows full and complete devotion to God and we should too. That's certainly a true and positive message, but downplays other truths that this story reveals. Read more here:

What does the Widow’s Offering really teach us?

While it's saying on the surface the truth that the widow gave more than the rich who had put in more money, there is also the message that is broader -- that we are to be all-in for the Kingdom of God. As I think of it, nothing else even makes sense. After all, because of the reality of eternal life, all that happens here is the briefest time, like a mist that fades out in the morning sun.

57 As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”
58 Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”

59 He said to another man, “Follow me.”
But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”
60 Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”

61 Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.”
62 Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

Luke 9 NIV

W2L · Dec 3, 2018

RaymondG said:
The OP'er message in about money, not the Scripture.......

What is the scripture about? It seems to be about giving, which does have to do with money. Like Jesus said, you cant serve God and money too.

corinth77777 · Dec 3, 2018

JohnC2 said:
You know as I reflect on the opinions on this thread as well as the myriad of conflicting opinions in commentaries on this and other scriptures - I notice this.....

The only parables/teachings which have widespread acceptance of the one meaning are the parables and teachings which Jesus personally explained. The rest are all over the place. And this is not from “Fringe theologians”. These are well respected and credentialed fellows with good reputations that can present equally valid and compelling arguments out of the Bible for their cases.....

That should teach us something very important about our view of the certainty of our interpretation of scripture....

You know something I've learned is that the truth will really set you free

Loyce KG · Dec 3, 2018

grasping the after wind said:
Its about commitment. The widow commits totally. The rich young man is willing to commit only up to a point. What they are seen to commit in the stories is their money but the commitment is not meant to be only about money but about everything one possesses. To say the widow 's commitment of everything would be anywhere like the same thing as the rich young man's "pulling his weight" misses the point. The rich young man is not told to pull his weight, he is told to sell everything. So the lesson for us is not to give more money( pull our weight) to some clergy person or to the denominational structure of some organized church body , it is to give everything to Christ. The rich young man is not told to give to the Temple (which is what the widow does) in order to pull his weight, he is told to give the money to the poor. Is he told to do that for the sake of the poor? No, he is told to do that for his own sake. The widow is giving all with the idea of doing it for the sake of the Temple not to gain salvation for herself. The parallel breaks down if one makes it only about money. It breaks down further if one tries to make it about what the money will be used for. The parallel only seems apt if one sees it as the characterization of opposite reactions to the same challenge of total commitment.

Thank you for that. It was edifying to me. Shalom

RaymondG · Dec 3, 2018

W2L said:
What is the scripture about? It seems to be about giving, which does have to do with money. Like Jesus said, you cant serve God and money too.

Think about it......Put some silver coins and green pieces of paper(dollar bills) in front of you, and ask them how may you be of service to them. I dont think you will get any answers.

That which is flesh is flesh......that which is spirit is spirit...... If you would like to know the meanings......Ask of God who gives wisdom freely.

Until then, we will continue to think about money when reading the word....while telling others that they are the one thinking/caring about money too much......

W2L · Dec 3, 2018

RaymondG said:
Think about it......Put some silver coins and green pieces of paper(dollar bills) in front of you, and ask them how may you be of service to them. I dont think you will get any answers.

That which is flesh is flesh......that which is spirit is spirit...... If you would like to know the meanings......Ask of God who gives wisdom freely.

Until then, we will continue to think about money when reading the word....while telling others that they are the one thinking/caring about money too much......

The story is about money. Its about giving money. Sorry if the context disagrees with you.

RaymondG · Dec 3, 2018

W2L said:
The story is about money. Its about giving money. Sorry if the context disagrees with you.

I find nothing wrong with what you believe. Is it wrong for me to not think about money whenever you think I should? seeing as how I am to "serve God and not Money"?

W2L · Dec 3, 2018

RaymondG said:
I find nothing wrong with what you believe. Is it wrong for me to not think about money whenever you think I should? seeing as how I am to "serve God and not Money"?

Kinda hard not to think about money when the Lord is thinking about it. He saw the rich men giving out of their abundance and then saw this poor lady give from everything she had. The Lord must have been impressed.

RaymondG · Dec 3, 2018

W2L said:
Kinda hard not to think about money when the Lord is thinking about it. He saw the rich men giving out of their abundance and then saw this poor lady give from everything she had. The Lord must have been impressed.

YEs I know.....money can have a strong hold on some. Try and think about it....What is it that you have....that is more important to you than money....and a lot harder to give away.......we give away money everyday and only collect it to trade it away for the materials we really desire/need.....it is not really something we desire to keep.....

W2L · Dec 3, 2018

RaymondG said:
YEs I know.....money can have a strong hold on some. Try and think about it....What is it that you have....that is more important to you than money....and a lot harder to give away.......we give away money everyday day and only collect it to trade it away for the materials we really desire/need.....it is not really something we desire to keep.....

It takes money to buy those trhings. I see your point and agree that its about more than money, its about wealth, i.e. our money and possessions. However, to say im focusing on money is wrong. The Lord Himself is focusing on money, so i follow Him and His words..

grasping the after wind · Dec 3, 2018

Loyce KG said:
Thank you for that. It was edifying to me. Shalom

Shalom to you .

Aldebaran · Dec 3, 2018

RaymondG said:
YEs I know.....money can have a strong hold on some. Try and think about it....What is it that you have....that is more important to you than money....and a lot harder to give away.......we give away money everyday day and only collect it to trade it away for the materials we really desire/need.....it is not really something we desire to keep.....

It is like everything else we use on a daily basis for a practical purpose. Having it and using it isn't the same as loving it.

Neogaia777 · Dec 3, 2018

mcarans said:
I present some interpretations of the well known widow's offering story.

The well known passage seems to have a simple message - that the widow shows full and complete devotion to God and we should too. That's certainly a true and positive message, but downplays other truths that this story reveals. Read more here:

What does the Widow’s Offering really teach us?

That there is great benefit of, when you tried it your way your whole life, and you hit "rock bottom", that there is "great benefit" in/of giving and/or surrendering "all" and handing it all over to God, and hopefully, from that point onward...

God Bless!

Danielwright2311 · Dec 4, 2018

The story is to show love to human life.

Humans are more important then money,

devin553344 · Dec 4, 2018

mcarans said:
I present some interpretations of the well known widow's offering story.

The well known passage seems to have a simple message - that the widow shows full and complete devotion to God and we should too. That's certainly a true and positive message, but downplays other truths that this story reveals. Read more here:

What does the Widow’s Offering really teach us?

I'm not totally sure but I don't give to churches because I'm still in a state of deciding which I believe. I'm Catholic, but having troubles with the problems in it.

What I learned from the story is to devote all you have to the poor and afflicted. But maybe someone got more out of it like: Build up a church that is true and correct.

But like I said, I'm not sure if there is a true and correct church out there. They all have faults and I'm a little suspect about donating to one

gordonhooker · Dec 4, 2018

W2L said:
Listen to this teacher. He says that harvest responds to seed, not prayer. This of course seems to contradict scripture. Jesus says to pray for our daily bread. Paul says to be anxious about nothing but in all things by prayer present our requests to God. But this man says no, you gotta pay first.

I would last about 3 seconds in that church.

W2L · Dec 4, 2018

gordonhooker said:
I would last about 3 seconds in that church.

The prosperity gospel misquotes scripture often. I once heard one teach that the parable of the sower is about sowing seed (money) into good ground (his ministry). That doesnt sound right to me at all.

mcarans · Dec 5, 2018

W2L said:
The prosperity gospel misquotes scripture often. I once heard one teach that the parable of the sower is about sowing seed (money) into good ground (his ministry). That doesnt sound right to me at all.

A quite disturbing interpretation of that parable.

What does the Widow’s Offering really teach us?

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