Scripture can be found here…
Giving from nothing. That’s what we have in the two stories that Jeff and I have read to you from the Bible this morning. Giving away the very last of the ingredients for food that are left in the house. Tossing the very last pennies to your name into the collection box. Literally.
And both these stories have been used to teach lessons about generosity, which, as you know, is a good thing—but are they both stories about generosity? Are these women role models for us, in our giving?
The main character in each story is a widow. That’s our first clue that we are talking about people in a state of dire poverty. In Biblical times, the word “widow” is code for “a woman in extremis, one who has nothing to sustain her and no one to protect her.” This is why, along with orphans and refugees from other countries, widows are singled out by God and by the law as being in need of special protection. This status is proclaimed throughout the Hebrew Scriptures. In Deuteronomy we read,
For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who is not partial and takes no bribe, who executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and who loves the strangers, providing them food and clothing. You shall also love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.
~Deuteronomy 10:17-19
In our passage from 1 Kings, we have both a widow AND an orphan. Elijah encounters this widow while he’s on the run from Jezebel and Ahab, and persuades her to use the last food she has to feed him. She protests. She says she’s cooking it up for herself and her boy, to be their last meal before starving to death. It’s a devastating confession. How can Elijah ask her to do this? But, in this story, the power of God is at work. After making Elijah the little cakes, the woman never again runs out of meal or oil: it’s a miracle, the abundance of God rewarding her generosity.
The widow who sends her last pennies into the Temple treasury is not so fortunate. Jesus watches her from a distance, and comments on her poverty without intervening. It’s an unsettling story, especially when we remember that it’s often used as an example of generosity we ought to emulate. But listen again to what Jesus says:
“Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”
It’s not clear to me that Jesus wants anyone to imitate this woman. I think the next thing he says confirms that: he makes a comment that before long the Temple will be nothing but a pile of rubble. The woman has given everything she had in support of a crumbling institution. Not exactly a feel-good stewardship sermon.
So, what is stewardship, anyway? Let’s ponder that together today. I want to give you a chance to think about this, mainly by sharing stories. For those of you who attended church as children or teenagers, what do you remember about Stewardship? Did you hear your parents or grandparents discuss it? Do you remember a sermon about it, or a Children’s Message? Did you hear any conversations about it at home? Were they pleasant, unpleasant, neutral? When I think of my experience, I can tell you I never heard the word “Stewardship” associated with church or giving until I became a member of the Presbyterian Church. My mom gave a small amount to the church each Sunday, and we never spoke of why or what it meant or whether her giving was encouraged in any way. Let’s take a few minutes to share: I’d like to hear from you. What are your earliest memories of Stewardship?
My second question for us is: What does that word mean to you—stewardship? Is it a word that is reserved to church life, or is it a broader concept? Share your definition. Give it your best shot.
My third question is: Does Stewardship always refer to money? Did you ever hear anyone talking about the stewardship of their time, or maybe the stewardship of their talents? Or something else entirely? Is stewardship always about money?
In the gospel of John, Jesus describes himself as the Good Shepherd. He says, “I came that [you] might have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10b). I believe that. But what does abundant life mean? I came across an article this week by Joan Chittister, a Benedictine nun and activist. She talks about a presentation she heard about the Beatitudes, those sayings of Jesus that begin, “Blessed are…” and go on to say some pretty counterintuitive things. Blessed are the meek? Blessed are the poor? Blessed are those who mourn? The man presenting was a Bishop in the Melkite Greek Orthodox Church, and he spoke Aramaic, just like Jesus, so he had extra insight as to the meaning of those words. Chittister summarized his words.
[The Beatitudes] were about what happens when we live one way rather than the ways of the world around us. These teachings were about what brought contentment — a sense of enoughness, of sufficiency, to a person's life even in the face of the great ambitions, desires, power, status, wealth or success that were the coins of the realm of [our] world now. They were happy who were humble, meek and satisfied with enoughness rather than surfeit…[i]
In only one of the stories we’ve read does the widow end up with “enough.” If we’re going to define Stewardship, we can also define what it’s not: It’s definitely not giving until there is nothing left for you to live on.
But Stewardship might be giving in a way that affirms what you truly value in this life. Giving, for example, so that others will not go hungry. Giving so that the good things you treasure can continue. Giving in such a way that your love for God, your love for other people, and yes, your love for yourself, are expressed and honored.
On the cover of the bulletin each week you can read our church Mission Statement. Perhaps you can join me in reading it aloud:
As members of Union Presbyterian Church, we live to serve our Lord, our congregation, our community, and our world. We unite our spirits in faithful, loving commitment to this calling in Jesus Christ; and, as a church family, we celebrate the Kingdom of God.
In this Stewardship season, your church turns to you to ask for your support over the next year. Today, I’m the spokesmodel for your church. And, honestly, we don’t want you to put your very last pennies into the virtual collection box of Union Presbyterian Church. We ask you to give in a way that does not put you in danger, in a way that ensures that you have enough. At the same time, we ask you to give in a way that expresses your hopes for UPC’s future. We ask you to give in such a way that your gift speaks encouragement to this faith community, that what we are doing here is good and worthwhile. And we ask you to give in such a way that honors the service to which each of us is called by God. We trust that you will be able to discern what God is calling you to give. When each of us gives at the level that is right for us, the abundant life we find in God’s community never runs out.
Thank you, in advance, for your generous hearts. And thanks be to God. Amen.
[i] Joan Chittister, “The choice between happiness and reward: Blessed are the poor in spirit,” ncronline.org, 10-21-2021.