Olivet Assembly of Kenya, Nairobi Gratia Church had a Sunday service. They listened to a sermon and meditated on the Offering of the Poor Widow from Mark 12:41-44. A short but very meaningful story from Jesus to His disciples, intern Pastor Livingstone shared
Referring to Luke 18:9-14, the story about the tax collector and the Pharisee, Jesus used the extreme examples to explain that God’s view of man is not with man’s view. God focuses on the quality more than the quantity, He looks at the heart, not the appearance.
Jesus said, of the Pharisee and the tax collector, the latter who is considered a renown sinner went home justified. In the same way, the widow who gave only two copper coins gave the most. This is something that in a humanistic way we cannot comprehend.
Like the poor widow, who came with everything, gave with all her heart by faith and trusting in God, we need to come before God with everything. Coming to a Church service should not just be a routine or an act but should be a meaningful life of worship unto God in Truth and Spirit (John 4:23-24). Offering our bodies as living sacrifices holy and pleasing before God (Romans 12:1).
Reflecting on the sacrifices and lives of those in the early church with no deep root of education, and no proper secular life. They came as they are and with all they had unto God. The sacrifices of the poor, shabby, and uneducated people are reflected in the Church today. We are the fruits of their sacrifices because it was a true sacrifice made unto God.
Like the five loaves of bread and two fish, if we give our lives to God He will bless us with abundance to feed the world. There shall be an overflow of God’s love if we chose to follow the way of Christ. He spoke love and lived love. Unlike the hypocrites, we need to live an honest and truthful life of love in Christ Jesus.
Like the widow, we need to empty ourselves and with faith, we need to follow the way of the cross even if we don’t know what awaits us on the other side. If we endure we shall cross over and find true resurrection and receive eternal love and life.
If we offer true sacrifice and worship to God we shall leave a mark in His heart, and He will remember us forever to give us His abundance of blessing