Deep Poverty

This week I am on SPRING BREAK! And I want to write about poverty. :)
Mark 12:41-44
Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny.
Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything-- all she had to live on." 

pov·er·ty/ˈpävərtē/

Noun:

The state of being extremely poor. The state of being inferior in quality or insufficient in amount.

If you asked the average passerby whether they would like to be in poverty, I think I can confidently bet on their reply being an adamant, "No thank you." Up until this point, that has been my reply as well. Of course I don't want to be in poverty.Verses come to mind and passages throughout the Word, of God's covenant of blessing, provision, and protection with his people. For instance,

Genesis 26:3-4 God speaks of his oath to Abraham's son Isaac.
"...I will be with you and will bless you... I will give all these lands... I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven... in your offspring all the nations of the earth shall be blessed..."



Psalm 103, one of my favorites,
^1" Praise the LORD, my soul;
   all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
² Praise the LORD, my soul,
   and forget not all his benefits—
³ who forgives all your sins
   and heals all your diseases,
⁴ who redeems your life from the pit
   and crowns you with love and compassion,
⁵ who satisfies your desires with good things
   so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s..."


Jeremiah 29: 11
^11" For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future..."

 Philippians 4:19
¹⁹" And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. "

These verses are beautiful promises of God, and attributes of his goodness. I believe and stand on them wholeheartedly, but my heart has changed as to what they mean. 

Go back and read the context of each of these verses. You'll see they center on people giving of themselves, people going through times of struggle, people in poverty. These promises were about what God gives to those who CANNOT fulfill their own needs. How can he redeem a life that is not in need of redemption? How can he satisfy the desires of someone who is finding satisfaction through their own means?

It's like when you see your friend dating someone who you know is not the right companion for them-- yet that person is filling enough of the need that your friend is in limbo, unable to go forward, yet unwilling to release. If your friend would simply let go, then s/he would be able to see how much they were really lacking. Only then, can your friend pursue a relationship that has the whole package. Same thing with trapping a raccoon, or so he says in Where the Red Fern Grows. The raccoon sticks its hand into the trap to grab the shiny item, and when it clamps its fist over the item, it cannot pull its fist back out of the trap. The raccoon will never be able to fully possess the shiny item, yet it will not let go. Even to the point that the hunter arrives and traps him, to his ultimate death. Are we just hanging on to the shiny item, unable to gain what we want, but forever seeking after it? Forever unsatisfied, and yet unwilling to let go of it all.

Take a look at this passage, Matthew 5:1-11,

 ¹ Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, ² and he began to teach them.

The Beatitudes

    He said:

   ³ “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
   for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
⁴ Blessed are those who mourn,
   for they will be comforted.
⁵ Blessed are the meek,
   for they will inherit the earth.
⁶ Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
   for they will be filled.
⁷ Blessed are the merciful,
   for they will be shown mercy.
⁸ Blessed are the pure in heart,
   for they will see God.
⁹ Blessed are the peacemakers,
   for they will be called children of God.
¹⁰ Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
   for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

   ¹¹ “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. ¹² Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Jesus tells us here that the blessed are persecuted, meek, poor in spirit, hungry [for righteousness], insulted... not that suffering is the blessing, but that you are blessed to realize your poverty and that there is only one that can satisfy what you need-- the Great I AM. And he won't just satisfy you, he will fill you up until your cup runneth over! We are all in a state of poverty without the blood of Christ. But I haven't met someone yet, who realizes this, without suffering. Some more than others.
I feel the spirit talking to me about a counter cultural version of being blessed. That Christ was saying, and still is saying, to take great joy in your poverty because that is where He steps in and provides for you.
The verse that initially triggered me to write today, is Mark 12: 41-44, as quoted at the start of this blog.

The rich threw in large amounts. Yet, it was the widow who sacrificed from her heart that pleased God. My question was, how do I please God when I have an abundance? I do not want to 'throw in large amounts' and be careless. I want to give like the widow... and then that's when I realized what a frightening statement that is.The widow wasn't just giving, she was sacrificing. Do we even know what the word means in a nation so filled with riches, comforts, and freedoms? And how do we sacrifice in a land of abundance?

Here is another,  Mark 14: 3-9

 ³ While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.

 ⁴ Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume? ⁵ It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages^[a] and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly.

   ⁶ “Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. ⁷ The poor you will always have with you,^[b] and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. ⁸ She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. ⁹ Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”

This lady knew what was going on. She realized this world, her possessions, her physical well being-- they are worth nothing in the heavenly scheme of things. All she cared for was in honoring and being near the Christ. She had a heavenly perspective. Do you? Do I? Don't let this be a flippant moment. I'm not. I'm serious. I want to give like the lady who threw in her last two pennies, the lady who gave out of her poverty.

It is instinctive to run from poverty, but instead, I believe Christ is saying that we will never be pleasing to God until we come to a place of total poverty of spirit. A place where we realize the malnourishment of our souls, and our complete inability to redeem ourselves. In fact, any effort made to save ourselves, is further separating us from walking with, and in the image of, Christ. 

Where is your area of poverty? The area where you feel a slight (or more than slight) pressure that you might lose something.The area where you feel a little... unstable... a great need to control what you have.
It could be your relationship with your spouse or significant other. 
It could be your income. 
It could be your career and status at work.
It could be your relationship with your child(ren). 
It could be your material wealth (the latest ipad, television, gaming system, clothes, vehicle, etc. etc. etc.) 
And countless others...

What is your area of poverty?
GIVE it away. All of it. For the glory of God. (Frightening, right?)
This is how we bring the kingdom of God, the will of God, to earth as it is done in heaven. A complete and total trust, submitting everything we have to live on.

Mark 12: 44 They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything-- all she had to live on."   My area of poverty is having things perfect-- I say this is my area of poverty, because I can never have it perfect enough. I am always striving to do it better-- perfect. So a clean home, a lovely dinner with my husband, harmonious relationships, success in the classroom with my students, that I lead a well planned bible study, and so on... but the will of God is pulling me towards sacrifice. NOT giving these things up, but giving up my controlled way of doing them. Putting my two copper coins of perfection into the offering plate, and saying, have it all, Lord.