Offering (8)

They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything--all she had to live on."(12:44)

Jesus interpreted how the widow offered more as compared to that of the rich, and said, “They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.

Basically from the very beginning the offering of the wealthy people and poor are different. The wealthy people can make offering whenever he is interested to offer to God without any burden but it is not so for the poor. For the poor, to make offering would mean to risk their own survival.

One’s sound relationship with God can be practically revealed when one’s economic status is at the brim of collapse or at the point of bare means of survival. The first blessing of the Beatitude was the blessing for the poor. A poor situation leads his soul into the world beyond its visible situation. This is the very blessing for man. The offering of a widow belongs to this higher level of offering.

We lose this level in our daily life. We will helplessly witness it right before the last breath of life. At this juncture, the death shall be the way to salvation for the entire mankind. Whether a distinguished person or a good person or an evil person, everybody recognizes that their existence and their very being will be completely destroyed before death.

Practically there is no one who offers their entire wealth. The author does not want to say that. It is indirectly related to Jesus’ teaching. For example, the teaching “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” is the very one. It indicates the type of life to depend on God for one’s survival.

If there is a pastor who forces people to offer based on this account, he is a sort of person who falls under one of the following category of people- he is a fool who never knows God’s word or a cheater who tries to fulfill his pastoral desire.