Show Your Allegiance

Good Tuesday morning! The wind is off the burnt house today, so I'm a little choked up. Not quite a week yet, is it too early for even the hint of a joke about that? Possibly so, but don't ya just hate that in yourself? Terrible disaster visits the neighbor's place, but the little irritations are what constantly strive to take center stage. Alrighty then, let's think about something else. An ad wants me to show my allegiance. Every organization we belong to probably has some similar theme. Show your support for the cause, show your allegiance, keep the faith, support your fellow Mooseyrotarianelklionerful brothers, and mostly that support seems to mean an outlay of cash. By that definition, rich people who give to organizations must be among the most allegiant folks on the planet. Hem, hem, I must be among the least... ah, never mind.

Jesus stood with his disciples watching people put their offerings into the temple collection plate. A rich man showed his allegiance by giving a sack of gold. No doubt the fellow received the gratitude and good wishes of the priests, archpriests, and other members of the Temple Gold-Ring Club. A poor old widow arrived and showed very little allegiance by the world's measure. Jesus pulled out a different measuring device, one marked "Approved by Heaven", and said that the widow gave more with her offering of two bits. Actually, she gave two mites, and we get the impression that she gave a lot less than a quarter or two bits, more like two pennies. Not many churches could get by on two penny offerings, but Jesus told us to pay attention to the widow's sacrifice. Do we then show our allegiance in church next Sunday by giving our two-cents worth? Ouch, pain, agony, bad mixed metaphor joke!

Of course concentrating on the amounts misses the point. We show our allegiance by giving and giving well. We don't publish the amount we give, or, as Jesus said, let our left hand know what our right is up to. We don't give in full view of the public with the intention of being noticed for our gift. We don't legalistically insist on some percentage and then make others do the same. We do give out of a grateful heart for God's provision and bounty. We give because Christ gave all for us. We give because that new heart Jesus gives to us is so very willing to give, as opposed to that old carnal person who wants to grab and keep it all for the self. So there's my penny's worth!

Have a wonderful day in Christ Jesus!
Bucky