The woman as I see her.

A withered hand reveals two dusty copper coins, dented and discolored, likely the result of having been trampled on. Her visage doesn’t seem to reflect much better. Her face is washed out, her eyes sunken and her brow heavy. She clasps her hands over the coins and slowly raises them up to her wrinkled face, pressing her quivering lips against them as she mutters unintelligible prayer into the space between her thumbs. It’s not long before her eyes tear. She pinches the sides of her head covering and draws them in an attempt to drape her despair. Nobody is startled by her tears…they all know her, or rather, know her husband – knew her husband. What is surprising to them, though, is how a poor old widow can still afford to give offering...nobody is startled by her tears.

What is sacrifice?

My thoughts move towards the parable of the woman with two copper coins in Matthew 16. In that chapter Jesus sits to watch people putting money into an offering box. Many rich people put in large sums, but Jesus gives notice to the poor widow, saying she put it more than anyone else.

“For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on” - v. 44

So what does this mean for me? Well for one, it means I need to give more at offering. It also means that I need to stop measuring things by my accomplishments. It wasn’t in the measure of her contribution, but in the measure of her service. As a member of body – whether a church body or a dance team - I have to evaluate and confirm that my efforts are to serve the group and not to win praise or laurels. The significant trait about sacrifice, you can’t ask for anything in return. Otherwise, it’s not sacrifice. I imagine the woman faced inner conflict when making the decision to physically put those coins in the box, because once she did it, she couldn’t take it back. That was it. In order for her to decide to give everything she had, all she had to live on, she had to first be willing to give her life.

“For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” - v. 25

Christ didn't come down as man to be praised. He didn't proclaim himself as the Messiah to be worshiped. He did it to give hope, he did it so that when he died on the cross, people would know their sins would be forgiven; that if they gave their life, they would have life more abundantly. Life for the now, life for the after (John 3:16). So what will you give?