So there he is in the center of his very religion at the end of his life. It would be here that it might be worthwhile to lean forward and listen a little more closely. In this passage he speaks about poverty even though he is in the midst of great opulence.

And it was opulent. Gold covered many of the facades of this Temple. White marble was everywhere else. It towered into the sky; at least that might be your impression if all you had ever seen was one or two story ramshakles. It may be that the very splendor of the place reminded him not of the glories of the Temple but rather the relative squalor of the people and the land that it was supposed to serve. Maybe all that he could see in the treasury of the temple was the poverty of his people. Maybe that is where his disdain came from. Perhaps that is why with all the glory all around him he only sees how impoverished the place is.

In the splendor of the Temple he sees priests who do not act with the humility of servants of God. They have caught themselves up in the hierarchy of the Temple. They are looking to further their status. They want honor and respect that should be given to a holy man. They want to succeed. They mirror their surroundings. But Jesus knows emptiness when he sees it and says so.

And then in contrast picks out someone who is noticeably impoverished and points out that she is richer than all that surrounds her. It is a classic Jesus turnaround teaching. The person, who no one would point to as an example, the very least is lifted up as the one who should win our respect. Jesus picks her out because she has given out of her poverty.

It is one of those churchy lessons that could only make sense for a few moments from the pulpit, if it makes sense at all. It is one of those teachings that clergy types trot out around Stewardship time so as to have an example of true giving.

But there is something wrong with that. That teaching does not ring true to me because I know that it isn’t sound. I don’t think that any of you should give to the church in the way that this widow gave to the Temple. Because that would mean that you would have nothing left. In the economy we live in that would make no sense. It would be very hard in Northern Westchester to suggest that you give out of your poverty. Because we don’t know poverty here. None of us even if our bank accounts aren’t overflowing could make a case for poverty. And if we compare ourselves to the world we are the sultans, we are the rich beyond belief, and we live in opulence like that of the Temple in Jerusalem. We do not know poverty in any financial or material sense and so the teaching about this widow does not apply.

She has given out of her poverty, which is what sets her apart. Everyone else, including you and me gave will give out of our abundance and so any amount we give short of ruination (and again I don’t recommend it or ask for it) does not qualify. We cannot give in the way Jesus admires in this passage because we give out of abundance, not poverty.

I have to say that Jesus is showing his lack of savvy in these words. He has not a clue about how an institution runs. It would be ruinous to those in charge of the Temple to hold up the example of the widow. And not lavish thanks on those who gave generously out of their abundance. That is just stupid. Because the truth is that if that Temple is going to keep up you need many people giving out of their abundance and you don’t need anyone, really, giving out of their poverty. Bottom line the gifts have to add up to a workable budget. That is the unrelenting fact of the Temple. They need all the gifts as do we.

But that is why I a not speaking on this passage next week when we will celebrate your generosity and the possibilities we have created by giving to this church, out of our abundance.

If you are running a Temple or a church people giving out of their abundance is essential. But Jesus did not run the Temple and certainly in the last week of his life he didn’t give a hoo-ha about its future. In fact he seemed to think that the future of the Temple was at best limited. And he was right. So he was after something different, something not essential to the future of the Temple but something essential to the health of the each person. If you were dying which would you teach Temple Administration 101 or The Meaning of Life 101. Jesus made the obvious choice.

But we are at a disadvantage. We don’t experience poverty so the lesson is lost on us. If you believe that the lesson is lost on you. And it was lost on me until I asked myself where is my poverty. In what part of my life do I have hardly two coins to rub together?

As I ran late to my third appointment of the day, having forgotten that I was picking up dinner, thinking about what was I going to do with Abbie on Saturday when Ann was at work and I needed to take Conner to skating lessons it occurred to me where I am really a beggar. A man of no means. As impoverished as anyone and everyone in this area. Time. I am a beggar of time. It is my poverty. I don’t have enough time for my kids. I don’t have enough time for my job. I don’t have enough time for my friends. I don’t have enough time to get enough exercise. I don’t have time to tend to my chores. I don’t have enough time for my wife. There is not one part of my life where I could not use a windfall of more time. I bet everyone here has the same feeling. It is endemic to the community we live in. We are impoverished by a lack of time.

So the words of Jesus do apply to us in terms of time. And that teaching is this. Give out of your poverty and then it will make a difference. For the widow giving the coins it did not make a lick of difference to the Temple and in fact Jesus could have cared less what her donation did, it was the act of giving from a place she was most poor that made the difference for her. I tell you the same. Give out of your poverty. Give out of your most valuable commodity. And that will make the difference.