Faith Daily | 5 June 2021

PRAYER of the DAY - PENTECOST APBA p547

Almighty and everliving God,

increase in us your gift of faith,

so that, forsaking what lies behind

and reaching out to that which is before us,

we may run the way of your commandents

and win the crown of everlasting joy;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen. .

GOSPEL for the Day: Mark 12: 35-37

38As he taught, he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, 39and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets! 40They devour widows’ houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”

41He sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the crowd putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. 42A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny. 43Then he called his disciples and said to them, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. 44For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”

GOSPEL Reflection: Contributed by: Debbie Pringle

The large crowd in the temple listened with delight as Jesus debated with the religious leaders and taught the people (v37). Jesus’ lessons in today’s reading contain both a warning and an example to follow.

I wonder how often Jesus warned against the scribes and the Pharisees. We are not be like them ourselves and not to admire or follow people like them. Matthew 23 tells us what Jesus said in far more detail. In verse 28 He concluded with the words,”….on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness”. We need to examine ourselves carefully and prayerfully.

The temple, in the Court of the Women, had 13 collecting boxes called “The Trumpets” because of their shape. Each had a special purpose. As money ( all coins in those days) was dropped in, it made a nice noise…especially if the coins were large! The widow put in two lepta. (Literally meaning thin one; it was the smallest of coins. A lepta was worth 1/128 of a denarius, the pay for a day’s labour. The coins would have been just enough to buy 1/4 of a loaf of bread.) The widow’s coins would hardly have made a sound, but Jesus noticed.

If I had been the widow I think would have only put in one coin and kept the other to buy a little something to eat, or even kept both. The widow gave everything that she had to God, generously and recklessly. She loved Him and trusted Him completely.

This passage reminds me of how Jesus gave His all for us. He wants us to give our all to Him.

FINAL PRAYER: Dan Wells

Oh gracious and loving God,

we thank you that the Lord Jesus is The Lord,

that He rules and reigns on high,

that He sits at your right hand.

He holds the whole universe in His command

and yet was willing to stoop down as a human being

and be nailed to a cruel and degrading cross in order to die for us.

We thank you that He gave His all.

We pray that You will help us and change us by Your spirit,

that we may give our all to You.

Amen