Money Matters: Coaching Tips from Jesus

by Marilynn Chadwick

Throughout Luke’s Gospel, Jesus was always teaching. Sometimes he got his message across by preaching to a crowd, such as the Sermon on the Mount. Other times, he made a strong statement through his actions...like turning over the money-changers tables for their misuse of the temple (Luke 19). I think he got his point across, don't you?

Still other times, Luke points to how Jesus performed signs, wonders, and miracles to convey his message and especially to show the love and power of God. Like raising a widow’s dead son (Luke 7), calming a storm; driving out a demon (Luke 8); Or feeding the 5000 (Luke 9). Miracles got a lot of attention and Luke records more healing miracles than any other Gospel. And he includes 24 angel stories, more than any book of the New Testament, second only to Revelation, earning Luke the nickname, “The Gospel of the Angels.”

But Luke also shows how Jesus would often find teachable moments while doing ordinary life with his disciples. He might say something like, “don’t do this but do this.” “Don’t be so busy and worried, Martha, but do spend time in my presence like Mary” (Luke 10). Or “Don’t neglect the wounded neighbor in front of you like the religious leaders did; but do stop and care for him like the Good Samaritan [an outcast].” Jesus sounds a lot like any good coach, doesn’t he?

We’ve seen how one of Jesus’s most significant teachings about money took place in the Temple. He called out a group of corrupt religious leaders and lawyers. What was it about these religious leaders? Why did Jesus warn his followers about them?

“Look out!” he exhorted. “Don’t listen to their teaching. Don’t follow their example. And especially, don’t love what they love.”

And just what did they love? Luke points out how “They were lovers of money” (Luke 16:14). They loved status: “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets Luke 20:46).

They especially loved looking good—appearances mattered. They wanted to be seen in the right places wearing the right clothes at the right time. Always with an audience.

Maybe the Holy Spirit is speaking through Luke’s Gospel, warning us to guard our hearts against the love of money, the love of status, and the love of looking good. Social media tempts us to compare. Appearances are deceitful. But Jesus sees our heart. As my husband David is fond of saying, “The heart of the matter is the matter of the heart.”

Money Matters: Giving as Worship

by Marilynn Chadwick

I shared yesterday how my friend Angela challenged me with her sacrificial giving and great faith. She firmly believes the poor widow in Luke’s story had seen God come through for her before (Luke 21:1-4). She had faith he would care for her again. But it was Angela’s final comment that brought a new dimension to the power of the widow’s gift. Angela said quietly, “For this woman, her gift is her worship. This story of the poor widow is all about worship.”

No one else in Luke’s accounts of Jesus’s teachings did what the poor widow did—which was to give away “all she had to live on.” The poor widow’s offering, though meager, was remarkable when weighed against what she had. If her gift was truly her worship—as my friend Angela believes—then her offering to God stands as a silent but powerful rebuttal to the worship of power, prestige, and money, both then and now.

Luke’s account of the widow’s mite challenges us even today. We’ve seen how Luke speaks repeatedly of the “divine reversal” and points us to another kingdom—an eternal kingdom. He reminds us to beware of the false teaching and corrupt examples of the religious leaders and their oppressive treatment of the poor.

Jesus calls us as believers to refuse to follow their worship of money, status, and appearances. We’re also called to “look up,” as Jesus did (Luke 21:1). We are to look up and see the poor—who are often invisible to us—with new eyes.

Luke won’t let us forget to speak up and to give generously. God’s people have an ongoing responsibility to advocate on behalf of the poor. But let’s reflect further on the poor widow’s example. What can we learn from her?

Those who are most affluent sometimes criticize the poor for not “saving their money” or for sharing with others when they should “take care of themselves.” Studies have consistently shown the poor give proportionately more of their income than the wealthy. Some believe the poor give more because they require less to be happy. "When you have just a little, you're thankful for what you have," said the pastor of a tithing, largely low-income congregation in Washington, D.C. "But with every step you take up the ladder of success, the money clouds your mind and gets you into a state of never being satisfied.”

Let’s be inspired by my friend Angela’s generosity. Challenged to give sacrificially. To explore practical, “doable” ways to engage with the poor. It’s easy to speak out about the injustice we see around us—much harder to take steps of action. Dare to pray about how you can become more generous. Move beyond the tithe? Simplify your lifestyle? Share your home through hospitality? A wise person once said, “You can’t do everything, but you can do something.” Even the smallest gift can make a big difference when you put it in God’s hands.

Money Matters: God, Our Provider

by Marilynn Chadwick

Why does Luke choose to highlight this particular poor widow’s gift in Jesus’s showdown with the scribes in Luke 21:1-4? Perhaps, as discussed earlier, she is an example of Luke’s theme of “divine reversal.” Luke consistently honors the smallest of things—small children, outsiders, widows, and especially the poor. Or perhaps it’s because her gift was the most sacrificial of all.

But what if the widow’s gift represents something more? I decided to look at this story through the eyes of a very generous friend who had actually experienced poverty. I find it valuable to look at stories about the poor from the perspective of those who have actually experienced poverty themselves.

Angela, a deacon in her congregation, had immigrated to the US from Africa many years ago at age fifteen when she fled the horrific civil war. She landed in LaGuardia, alone and not speaking any English. Angela managed to receive an education, married, and raised a family. Now a grandmother, Angela works as a home health care assistant and makes enough to live on—barely.

I asked her this question: “What do you see in the story of this widow?” Angela answered, “I see this poor widow as a woman of deep faith.” She added, “She was not a victim but a survivor.” Then as an afterthought, “This woman knew God as her Jehovah Jireh, her Provider.

Now, this particular friend is a tither and gives sacrificially to those who are poor. She carries “care packages” in her car to share with the homeless. Sometimes she creates outdoor events to offer free food and clothing. She trusts God to provide.

Angela challenges me with her lavish generosity and great faith: “I believe this poor widow had seen God come through for her before.” Angela is sure the Lord didn’t let the widow’s sacrificial gift go unnoticed. She challenges us to see this poor widow through different eyes—as a survivor, with courage, persistence, and generosity. And more importantly, as an example of great faith.

The growing numbers of poor in our city have broken Angela’s heart. She waged a singlehanded effort to feed the hungry, encouraging her church friends to help her cook meals and prepare care bags for the homeless. She often gives money that she could use for herself. Her joy has inspired others to join her cause. I feel sure when Jesus looks at Angela, he and all of heaven is applauding her sacrificial gifts.