Please don't refresh this page.
We are submitting all your information.

This takes few seconds.
It will redirect after submission.
Devotional
CONNECTION HOME
< Prev Next >
August 29, 2022

The Widows' Offerings

August 29, 2022 by RACHEL MCDONALD YANAC HOSPITALITY Being a woman in ministry Serving joyfully
The Widows' Offerings
  • by RACHEL MCDONALD YANAC
  • Comment
“As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. “Truly I tell you,” He said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”
Luke 21:1-4

After nearly two years of studying through Luke with neighborhood ladies, we reached the somewhat confusing “Signs of the End of the Age” in chapter 21. I read up on eschatology, trying to figure out how to present this passage to Quechua grannies who were amazed by every detail as they heard the Scripture for the first time in their language. I thought they would be baffled by these difficult verses, asking me hard questions that I might not be prepared to answer. Imagine my surprise when we finished reading the passage and their response was, 


“Jesus is coming HERE! What are we going to feed him?” 


One granny planned to butcher her prize lamb, while another offered the guinea pigs she had been raising for a special occasion. These delicacies would make a perfect meal for Jesus when he came to their homes. 


I had been in these ladies’ houses: adobe walls and dirt floors, tiny windows that barely let in light, soot-darkened rooms from cooking fires where they had prepared meals for so many years. But not a single granny worried about how her house would look when Jesus came. Instead, they focused on what they saw as the obvious need - feeding the traveler when he arrived. And not just feeding him any old thing, but offering their very best food. 


The verses immediately preceding the “End of the Age” passage tell about a widow who gave a small but remarkable gift to the Lord. Hadn’t these humble Quechua grannies, most of them widows themselves, just promised the same? Their version of hospitality had nothing to do with how they or their homes would be viewed by their visitor, and everything to do with providing the best of what they had to make him feel welcome. 


I learned an important lesson about Biblical hospitality that day. It’s not about having an impeccably clean house or an elegant meal served on fine china. Instead, it’s about looking to others and meeting their needs. If that is our focus, we can count on the King saying, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:40) 

Closing Prayer
Father, thank you for showing me the beauty of true hospitality through these humble Quechua grannies. Please help me to follow their lead, focusing on using hospitality to serve others with joy. Teach me to be willing to give of my best as I serve you through caring for “the least of these.” Amen.
Resources
Sermon: Strategic Hospitality by John Piper Here’s an old but excellent sermon and article from John Piper about hospitality.
Article: 10 Things You Should Know about Christian Hospitality by Rosaria Butterfield This is an excellent article with pointers for any of us who want to take our commitment to hospitality to the next level.
Question for Reflection

If hospitality is not your “gift,” take a few minutes to think of a person who DOES radiate this example. What are some ways that you can follow in their footsteps?

Comments
Rachel McDonald Yanac
August 29, 2022

Hospitality certainly didn’t come easy for me at first, especially since my experience had been spending several hours cleaning the house and another several hours preparing a perfect meal (complete with homemade pie) before guests arrived. I’m so thankful for a fellow mom on the field who frequently invited me to their home early in my overseas career. Sometimes she served leftovers, sometimes there were dirty socks on the floor, and someone ALWAYS spilled a glass of milk at the table! Of course, she also hosted many formal events where fancy food and impeccable housekeeping were top notch, but it was the spur-of-the-moment invitations for leftovers and spilled milk that made me feel welcome and at home with her family. I have done my best to follow her example over the years, and have been blessed to share many joyful moments of hospitality with the people that God brings to our door. (Thank you, Barb!)