Thought For The Week 7 November 2021

Welcome to our services today.  Last Sunday we looked at Jesus response to the question ‘what is the greatest commandment: The most important commandment Jesus said was this; Hear O Israel: The Lord our God the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.

Every Jew knew this familiar call to worship known as the Shema. When we love God like that a second commandment naturally follows; Love your neighbour as yourself. (Mark 12:29-31). Today’s reading has two contrasting images of what it means to love God and neighbour- one positive the other negative. Jesus points out the hypocrisy of those ‘teachers of the law’ who claim to love God but actually they love the status and privilege they are given. They wear fine clothes, are given seats of honour and attend banquets. But they have a very dark side as well; the devour widows houses. That is to say they exploit the poor and vulnerable and are made rich by their actions.

By contrast Jesus highlights one of these widows who participates in the offering at the temple where many affluent folks are putting in generous sums of money, while she puts in 2 small coins. They were the lowest value coins in circulation. Yet Jesus observed that she had put in all she had, demonstrating a genuine love and trust of God. As such, her offering was of much greater value than all the rest.

The lesson here is this; God sees our hearts and motives and is more concerned with genuine love and service than with pretence. May our love be sincere.

Nga mihi,

Brent Richardson