Reflective Bible Study

Many have wondered how God looks at our gifts. Is it the amount of the gift? Is it the percentage of the gift compared to what we have? Is it simply what the gift costs us? Or is it some combination of all the above amounts?

Aside from Jesus’ own sacrifice, there probably is not a better example that is used for valuing gifts then what our passage for this entry shares. In four simple verses, we see a picture of incredible giving that is a very small dollar amount compared with some very large gifts that are less significant.

While many might say that this means God looks at our gifts from a “cost” or “percentage” frame-of-mind, if we stop there, we miss a big truth that Jesus directly says about the gift-givers themselves: “Jesus said, ‘I tell you the truth, this poor widow gave more than all those rich people. They gave only what they did not need. This woman is very poor, but she gave all she had; she gave all she had to live on.’” (v. 43-44)

From Jesus’ own mouth we read a big contrast between these givers: the rich were giving from their surplus, while the widow was giving from what she had to live on. While this sounds like Jesus is focusing in on what the gift costs, I see it also focusing in on the giver’s heart. The rich givers, by giving from what they did not need, show very little trust in God, because they have all their bills already paid for. This widow shows an incredible trust in God to provide because she has placed Him in the first and only spot of her budget.

This means not only is the cost of the gift and the priority of the gift important, but the heart of the giver is important as well. While a few cents might seem incredibly insignificant to us, Jesus has given us some examples of how God has used insignificant food gifts and multiplied them into incredible amounts. If God can multiply bread and fish, He can multiply the small gifts that are given with a heart full of trust in Him.

We have hinted at the idea of Jesus dying for us while looking at other passages, and again in this entry, we are looking at a passage and idea that builds upon this – and we will be discussing the thief on the cross.

In this passage (verse 43), we are able to see Jesus promise the thief salvation – after a life of sin. This action tells me what some people might call a “deathbed confession” is possible, but nowhere do we read or see how that path would be recommended.

However, simply opening up this last minute redemptive option shows us just how much Jesus loves and cares for us. It is powerful to think that Jesus endured all that torture and pain to give two sinners the opportunity to repent and be forgiven. One of them takes Jesus up on the deal, and puts his trust in Him for what will come after death.

In our own lives, we should never plan to repent and ask for forgiveness right before we die. The obvious reason is that we don’t know when we’ll die. Another equally valid reason is that the more we reject Jesus while living our lives, the less likely we will even think about turning back to Him when we are at our end. But the biggest reason is what this decision says about our opinion of God’s plan for us.

If we live our lives with the idea that we can turn back to God at the end of our lives, we are basically telling ourselves and others that God’s plan is not the best for us here on earth. Living like this says to others that, “My way is better than God’s way while I’m alive, and that He wants me to miss out on something worth doing/experiencing.”

Is this true? Does God want us to miss out on some things?

Yes. God wants us to miss out on things that cheapen our value as human beings, on things that ruin relationships with others, and on things that harm ourselves mentally, physically, and spiritually. We are way more valuable to God than we often give ourselves credit for – because Jesus died to give you the opportunity to be saved. Jesus died for you, to pay your debt, so that you can accept the gift of eternal life which begins today – long before your deathbed.

When reading about the last supper Jesus had with His disciples before the crucifixion, Matthew’s gospel includes an interesting statement that is never really concluded. When Jesus shares that one of the twelve disciples present in that room would betray Him, it would seem as though all twelve were confused and shocked.

Perhaps the eleven disciples (not including Judas the betrayer) were shocked that a traitor was in their midst, but perhaps Judas himself was shocked that Jesus was so perceptive. It had been only days since he had taken the money and agreed to find a time to turn Jesus in.

In Matthew’s gospel, we see an interesting dialog. Each one of Jesus’ follower ask Jesus if they would be the one to betray Him. Presumably Jesus says no to the first few disciples who ask, but then Matthew tells us that “Judas, who would give Jesus to his enemies, said to Jesus, ‘Teacher, surely I am not the one, am I?’” (v. 25a)

Jesus’ response is direct and clear. Matthew tells us He said, “Yes, it is you.” (v. 25b)

I don’t know if the remainder of the disciple felt relief or anger at this piece of news. Perhaps they were relieved that they were cleared from being suspects, but I imagine many of them were angry at Judas for being the one who would betray Jesus. Part of me wonders if there wasn’t some disbelief or thought that either Jesus had gone nuts, or that Judas’ betrayal would be weeks or years in the future, rather than that specific night.

Matthew doesn’t tell us the disciples’ response/reaction. Instead, he just continues by jumping to the next key part of their special Passover meal. In order to learn what reaction the disciples had, we should pull a set of verses from John’s gospel, since John includes a statement to help us understand what was happening in the disciples’ minds.

John tells us that, “No one at the table understood why Jesus said this to Judas. Since he was the one who kept the money box, some of the followers thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the feast or to give something to the poor.” (John 13:28-29)

In John’s gospel, Jesus had just identified Judas Iscariot as the traitor, and told him to carry out his plan. Judas got up and left, leaving the other eleven disciples shocked at what just happened.

To us reading the gospel narrative, we can clearly see the different angles and how Judas would be headed to the priests to get a mob ready for the upcoming arrest.

Looking at the gospels this way helps draw out the truth that it is easier to understand events when looking back on them. The disciples were confused and shocked in the moment, but they understood it later, and wrote down what happened after coming to this understanding.

In our own lives, when things happen that we don’t understand, we may benefit from letting some time pass, before reflecting back on the event to look for causes, mistakes, and lessons to help us grow moving forward. Often in the moment, things can seem confusing, but time helps create clarity. We might not understand why something bad happened, but perhaps it becomes the seed that God uses for something amazing in our future.