And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny.
When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”
and with his wife’s knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
For those of us that have studied God’s Word we know the context for each of these tales. The widow who had nothing, the rich man who kept everything and Ananias and Sapphira who withheld a portion for themselves.
In the past I have asked others to share their understanding, looking for others that saw things as I understood them. Sadly not many shared in my understanding, and that is fair. So rather than ask, I will share what I see.
Devotion.
The meaning came to me as I listened to various speeches about D-Day. “They gave their last ounce of devotion.” The measure of devotion to God for each of these people is found in what is said about these people.
The Widow
And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box.
The Rich man
Jesus, seeing that he had become sad, said, “How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!
Ananias and Sapphira
While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but to God.”
The one thing they have in common is showing their measure of devotion. I cannot help but see that it is possible to see all of us fit somewhere within those boundaries of extreme measures of devotion. That is not a matter of judgment so much as it is understanding.