Hearts and Money

In John 21:1-4, we are told about a widow who gave generously to further the kingdom of God. Generously? When I think of the word, I think of entering my grandmother's house and hearing my cute little brother ask sweetly, "Grandma, do you think we could maybe have some candy?" To which comes the reply, "Oh, go ahead, take whatever you want, sweetie!" My brothers suddenly become deathly hungry, and as I see their overflowing handfuls trying to catch the two pieces falling back into the container, hoping to not let Mom see from the corner of her eye, I think: generosity. When I stand at Vacation Bible school in the beginning of fall and listen to the director who announces every year, "A generous person has offered to match whatever money we can raise this week!" Pretty sure we are going to raise at least a few hundred dollars, I think: generosity.

Perhaps the reason I think of these actions as generosity, which is rightly so, but think not much of the putting into the offering plate of $5 is that my heart, probably like those of the on-lookers in the scene in the Bible, is warped by sight and considers the handful rather than the heartful. The scene starts, "As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury." (John 21:1) A more modern idea might include a thick fold of hundred dollar bills, but in this case, because of the comment Jesus made, it would seem that the hundred dollar bills were not folded, but laid out, facing the "audience", and dropped in one by one. Eyes would have gotten bigger, "He gave $XXX!" "She gave $XXX!" But the oohing and the ahhing was almost sure to come to a gasp when a poor widow weaved through the confused givers and gathered up the courage to drop in two very small copper coins. John 21:2, "He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins." What was she thinking? Wasn't she embarrassed to put in only two tiny little pieces of copper, probably not much more valuable than dirt? Why did she even bother? What good would they do for God's kingdom?

On the other hand, what could that widow have bought with those two coins? Though they weren't much, they were something: it was hard for widows to earn any money in this time period, and she could have bought something, though small, that would have meant the world to her: perhaps a bit of food, perhaps a scrap of cloth, or maybe even a few hours of shelter. But she refused her last material dependency, because she valued God as higher than the world.

Jesus' voice was heard saying (John 21:3-4), "I tell you the truth," he said, "this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on."

But Jesus, didn't you see the last person's big cash? Did she slip in something big while I was looking at the temple decorations? They disciples did comment, by the way, in the very next verse (4) about the temple adornments. The thing that I think people of that day and I know people of this day didn't see was the giver that God loves: the cheerful giver. He didn't say the wealthy giver, nor the abundant giver, but the cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9:7). God's standards did and does not measure by the handful, but the heartful. This woman gave from her heart.

I mention this passage and these thoughts because a few days ago, I was telling a little boy an answer to his question about why I baked over two hundred cookies, which was for a fund-raiser for the Peru missions project. I worded it, "So that I can go to Peru and tell people about Jesus." At once he responded that he wanted to give me his one dollar. I was a bit shocked and didn't want to come across as if I was asking for money, so I tried to explain, but he said, "No, really, I want to give you my dollar! I have it in the van just outside. I was going to buy something at the store, but you need it more than I do."

What could that little boy have bought with that one dollar? It is not very easy for such a young boy to earn money in these days. He could have bought something, though small, that would have meant the world to him: a bouncy ball, a big lolly pop, a glow stick, a little car, you know: the things little boys' eyes go gaga for! But he refused, I believe his world, for the sake of telling others about Jesus. Looking into this little boy's face, I saw perfectly: generosity. This little boy, like the poor widow, gave out of his heart, and will be rewarded eternally for it! God had done a supernatural miracle in his heart and gave him eyes to see the true value: God. Eternity. The kingdom to come. This little boy's heart was not the only one that was impacted hugely: God changed my focus. God has provided what I have needed and more for my first few deadlines of fund-raising, but I was focused on the big, scary dollar number that had to be met.

But God, out of his grace, showed me what mattered more than I already had and more than what I need to have: the heart of boy who gave to God his only dollar.