An Empty Purse

She took her purse out at church and emptied it. She emptied all she had in the collection plate.

She had no savings. She did not know where her next meal would come from. She was totally dependent upon the generosity of others. She gave the gift of greater value by giving that of little value. She let go.

The other day a man was at a professional ball game. A ball was hit into the stands near him. He reached out and made the catch. He proudly held up the prize ball. The whole crowd was cheering. The man then handed the prize to his little daughter attending the game with him. She turned around and threw the ball back onto the field. One of the best moments in this whole series of events was next. The man hugged his little girl. She threw it away and he hugged her!

Jesus called his disciples to his side and said, "Look, there is the one!" They were sure he would be pointing towards a scribe, a Pharisee, a government official, or someone really important. But no, Jesus was pointing at her--the widow that emptied out her purse. "She can show you great value. She is the one who knows how to give."

Mrs. E was a member of one of my churches many years ago. She was a woman who dressed pretty plainly. She spoke with a country accent. Nothing really fancy about her, except she knew what was important. I wrote letters to church members asking them to help me raise money for a scholarship. The letters were still in the process of being mailed when my phone rang. "I want to give the entire amount for the scholarship." Her generosity was more than one could imagine.

Some folks hate for preachers and the church to talk about money and giving. Most of the time the reason they hate it is that they are poor stewards of God's blessings. People who know their life to be blessed get excited when the Lord gives them an opportunity to give. Some even empty their purses.

I often wonder what the Lord could do if the Lord's people would take seriously their giving. Somewhere in life, our world has confused letting go with holding on. We are holding on to things of little value and letting go of what God has instructed God's people to do.

To some it is a foolish statement. To those of us who have experienced it, it is wisdom of the faith. One must empty one's self in order to find one's self full and overflowing.

Pray for me as I pray for you.

In the Master's Name,

Jack