In the hearing of all the people he said to the disciples, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets. They devour widows’ houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.” He looked up and saw rich people putting their gifts into the treasury; he also saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. He said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them; for all of them have contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on.” (Luke 20:45-21:4,NRSV)
Do you pray long prayers with big words?
Do you wear long flowing white robes?
I have to say as the pastor of a liturgical congregation, I take a step back after I read this…
I wear a long white robe and pray long prayers in public. Now I do not do this to get noticed, but because that is what the congregation I serve asks me to do. The robe takes away me and in a sense covers me in Christ. And I really don’t pray with long big words, unless I really know what they mean and I think most of those present will know them. God wants us to just talk to Him like we talk to everyone else.
So do not try to be a know it all, or to always sit in the seats of honor. God calls us to be humble and to place all of our hope in Him, not us, or our status. Because when the next life comes your status here will not matter.
So give it all you got, as the woman did, not because the system is abusing the poor and keeping the rich in places of power. But because Christ gave you His all and He asks the same in return.
aSacredRebel 