Daily Devotion for Lent - Day 35

Scripture Reading: Luke 21:1-19

All of the talk of calamity and persecution is preceded in Luke by the widow's mite.  While it may seem foolish to give away all she had (what will she eat?), it really is meant to denote a trust in God for all we have.  It is getting back to basics.

The Temple has been torn down before and then later restored.  It is merely a symbol (although architecture can be inspirational for our worship).  

This is also a reminder that even nations are temporary.

Some things are
built to enjoy for a season

Growing up, I remember hearing in history class about nations lasting for hundreds of years before ending.  Then it was posited that our country might have an ending someday.  It was almost beyond my comprehension that the United States might not last forever!

But as we consider the gift of the widow's last penny, we are to see that her understanding is that it is all God's anyway.  God is the only lasting thing we can grasp.  

If we are holding on to God, it may be that the other things are put in perspective.

Because of her poverty, it is almost easy to excuse her actions - she had next to nothing anyway.  Now, if a rich person had given his very last penny, what would that convey?

Of course, this makes us wonder about our own holdings and belongings.  Are there things in which we place permanency beyond God?

With the pandemic and now the war in Ukraine, there is more uncertainty for us than there was a couple of years ago.  You may see more people touting the apocalyptic texts as tension mounts.  These are trying to create a pattern and provide answers for the chaos.  I think what Jesus means by all of this is that everything is temporary but God.  

This is helpful for me as I go through denominational strife.  I still grieve my losses, but I put them in perspective of the greater knowledge that God moves forward with us during these times.

As we see the story progress to the cross, Jesus seems to be preparing his disciples both then and now.

Prayer for the day:

Loving God, we recognize that all things are really yours.  When we lose our possessions and even when our way of life is threatened, we may grieve as if someone close to us has died.  Help us to remember that things are not lives.  Let us see that the systems in which we engage are temporary.  And may you continue to hold onto us as we hold onto you.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Photo by Sam Powers