Then What Happened?

Luke 20:41-21:4
Luke tells us the following story: “(Jesus) 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 21:1-4). Have you ever wondered what happened to the widow after she gave all her money to the temple treasury? I have. But Luke does not enlighten us on the what Paul Harvey might have called “the rest of the story.” We can only deal what is before us. Jesus, who knew that two copper coins were all that she had, promises no miracle for the woman. He simply commends her generosity as far greater than that of the wealthy. They had plenty to give, she did not. They had plenty left over, she didn’t.

So maybe that’s it. Maybe there really is no more to the story. The woman walks off into the crowd never suspecting that she has become the subject of one of Jesus’ teachings as recoded in scripture. And as much as we’d like to tack a happy ending on the story there isn’t one. (“The woman had gone no more than five paces from the temple before she found a priceless gem lying in the road. Rejoicing, she gave thanks to God and went on her way with her new wealth.” Sorry, but you won’t find that part of the story anywhere.)

There is a future aspect to faith. The hope we have in Jesus Christ points us to the fulfillment of promises in a time to come. But there is also a very real sense of the here-and-now. To live for the future means to make decisions day to day and to trust God to guide us as we do. It isn’t easy, but no one ever said it would be. Some days, in fact, we are called to give up our copper coins and walk away without knowing what happens next, only that God delights in our generosity.

Prayer: Lord, help us live today according to your will and to trust in your promises for the future. Amen.